Dental appliances have a strange name but they serve very important roles in your a child’s dental health: to prevent or to treat.

Some examples include:
–  Space Maintainers (both fixed and removable)
–  Thumb Sucking Appliances
–  Expansion Appliances

Pediatric dental appliances can also prevent injury to the teeth and may also reduce (or even eliminate) the need for extensive treatment later in life.  Despite all the pluses, it can be extremely difficult to encourage young children to wear removable dental appliances regularly.

Sometimes the cement (glue) that keeps your little one’s appliance in place can wear off or get lose causing discomfort and potentially embed itself into the gum tissue.  One of the first signs of trouble with an appliance is the gum turning white in ares where the appliance is secured.  It is entirely common for this to occur, don’t get alarmed, it is an easy fix if done promptly by someone with experience.    Dr. Rojas is always available to discuss appliances or to get them re-cemented or fixed if necessary.

Bad breath is often something that adults are aware of, but did you know that children can have halitosis, too? We think of children as having sweet smelling breath, but sometimes even toddlers can have smelly breath.

The bacteria that causes halitosis lives on oral debris and the dental plaque on teeth. The bacteria feeds on sulfur-containing substrates, producing hydrogen sulfide in the process. It is this sulfide that gives off a rotten egg smell. The main odor causing sites in the mouth are the back of the tongue, the areas between the teeth and under the gum line.

The most common cause of halitosis in children is poor dental hygiene and plaque buildup. Missed brushings leave the mouth primed for bacteria in the mouth to multiply, thus causing oral odor.  Flavored floss and a rotary toothbrush can make brushing more fun and effective for kids.  Teach your child to brush their tongue as well as their teeth. Do not give young children mouthwash or fluoride toothpastes or rinses, which can be harmful when swallowed, and avoid breath mints which usually contain sugar and encourage bacterial growth.

Always keep in mind that it is possible for bad breath to be caused by an illness. If your child has an infection or congestion in the sinuses or nasal cavities, the post nasal drip can lead to bad breath.  If your child has stuck something up his nose, that can lead to an infection which causes bad breath as well as a smelly discharge and odor emanating from the nose. Tonsillitis can cause bad breath in children, especially if food gets caught in the crevices of the tonsils.

Don’t let bad breath go for more than a couple of weeks without knowing the cause. Visit your pediatric dentist to figure it out.

Don’t panic if your child opens his mouth and you see a second row of teeth!!  This happens when the lower baby teeth haven’t fallen out yet but the permanent teeth come out anyway. It not that uncommon for this to happen, it actually happened to my husband many, many years ago!!

Typically,  erupting permanent teeth (one or several) push against the roots of a baby teeth and displace them, eventually forcing them to become loose and fall out. However, sometimes things don’t go as planned and the baby teeth don’t want to leave so the adult teeth continue to push up through the gums and try to assume their place behind the baby teeth.

Most of he time, an ectopic eruption will resolve on its own. The baby teeth will eventually fall out and the tongue will push the permanent teeth into proper position.

Dr. Rojas encourages children with loose teeth that are not causing discomfort to have the satisfaction of wiggling them out on their own.  If the baby teeth are held in solidly, or causing discomfort or it has been longer than a couple of weeks without change, I recommend helping those teeth come out.

Dr. Rojas suggests flossing as soon as any two of your child’s teeth touch each other.  Once a child’s teeth start to fit closely together, usually between the ages of two and six, parents should start to get their children in the habit of flossing daily.  As they develop dexterity, you can help them learn to floss.  Dr. Rojas suggests that you allow your child to floss his/her own teeth when their handwriting is clear and legible (watch out for those doctors to be!!).

Flossing removes food from between the teeth where a toothbrush can’t reach.  To stress the importance of flossing, do it for them regularly until they’re able to do it themselves.  This will help them develop a good habit of flossing while they still have their baby teeth so that when their permanent teeth come in, they already have flossing worked into their daily oral routine.

Use floss that is soft and flexible so that it doesn’t hurt their teeth and is comfortable on their gums. Dr. Rojas  is OK with children using floss holders but only for their front teeth.

Parents should continue to help the child floss his/her molars as the the string in floss holders is usually thicker and harder to use which could discourage the child from continued flossing.

A water flosser (e.i., Waterpik^®) for kids may also be used but only after age 6.  These water-based flossers are perfect for any kid who has braces or has trouble flossing.

Don’t worry if your child’s gums bleed at first—this is quite common.  After a few days of flossing, the bleeding should stop as their gums become healthier. But if the bleeding persists, consult your dentist.