Guarding Your Child Against Playground Tooth Injuries

DID YOU KNOW that about 50 percent of kids experience some type of tooth injury during childhood? Most parents are prepared to treat minor cuts, scrapes and bruises, but it is also important to know how to prevent and treat tooth injuries.

As fun as it is, the playground happens to be a hotspot for injury. So, what can you do as a parent to help protect your child from experiencing a tooth injury on the playground? And, what do you do if your child does have an injured tooth?

Ways To Prevent Playground Tooth Injury
Scout Out The Facilities. Make sure there are no rusted, loose, or broken pieces of playground equipment as these frequently result in injury.
Age Appropriate Equipment. The equipment that your children are playing on should be age appropriate. Younger children climbing too high, jumping too far, running too quickly, etc. are the most likely to injure themselves.

Know The Weather Forecast. Rain, snow, and ice can make things slippery and, therefore, more risky.

Check Your Child’s Clothing. Loose clothing is often the cause of falls because it catches easily on things. Dress your child appropriately for the type of playground you will be going to.

Always Supervise. Not only can the equipment cause injury, but your child’s playmates can as well.

Some children are rowdier than others and certain types of play may need to be stopped by adults before any injuries occur.

Mouthguards. These are a great option for protecting your child’s teeth during playtime or while participating in sporting events. Mouthguards can prevent chips, fractures, or knockouts of teeth, as well as protect the soft tissues of the mouth.

What To Do If There Is A Tooth Injury

If a tooth is knocked out or chipped, please contact the dentist immediately. Chipped or lost teeth can result in infection if not treated properly. Depending on your child’s unique situation, we can best advise you in assuring a positive outcome for your child’s tooth.

Whether the tooth is lost or chipped, try to save the tooth or tooth fragment that has been chipped off and take it to your dentist.

We Care About Your Child’s Safety And Dental Health

Injuring or losing a tooth can be traumatic for some children. As your trusted dental practice, we want to help parents know how to prevent dental trauma and protect their children’s teeth from injury. Nevertheless, accidents do happen. When they do, we’ll be right here to provide the best and most effective care for your child!

Thank you for being a part of our practice family!

*Image by Flickr user Lars Plougmann used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Brightening Your Smile Is Easy!

IS YOUR SMILE AS WHITE as it used to be? Even good oral hygiene won’t prevent tooth discoloration forever. While daily brushing and flossing help keep your teeth clean and healthy, it’s normal to feel like your smile is lacking some sparkle as you get older. If you’re looking to bring that sparkle back, cosmetic tooth whitening may be the answer!

Teeth Change Color Over Time

Here are some reasons our teeth may be a bit more discolored than we’d like:
Food and Drink: Coffee, tea, red wine, and cola are all drinks with strong color pigments that easily attach to enamel, the outer part of the tooth.
Age: Over time, tooth enamel gets thinner, allowing the more yellow dentin to show through.
Tobacco Use: The tar in tobacco is naturally dark, and nicotine, when mixed with oxygen in the air, turns into a yellow surface-staining substance.

Tooth Whitening Is A Simple Process

Whitening agents use hydrogen peroxide in one form or another to brighten your smile. Hydrogen peroxide acts as a strong bleaching agent that breaks up deep stains into smaller pieces, making the color less concentrated and your teeth brighter. It’s that simple!

There Are Whitening Options For Everyone

In-office bleaching is done at the dentist’s office and is a fast, effective way to whiten your teeth. You can usually get your whitening done in one to three visits, depending on the method used and the severity of tooth discoloration.

When you come in to get your teeth whitened, a substance is applied to cover and protect your gums. The whitening gel is then applied directly to the tooth surface. This gel is then activated, usually by a laser light, enhancing the action of the whitening agent. These professional tools produce the fastest tooth-whitening results.

At-home bleaching is another option! Many use at-home whitening kits to supplement their in-office whitening treatments. Ask us about our at-home whitening kits after your in-office whitening procedure to keep your newly white smile sparkling!

Over-the-counter whitening kits are also widely available for home use. These provide trays to hold whitening gel or whitening strips that stick to your teeth. Over-the-counter products contain a weaker whitening agent than the products you can get from your dentist and as a result, require a longer treatment period. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions when using at-home products and always follow package directions.

Whitening toothpaste is another simple option for those who want a whiter smile! Whitening toothpastes contain abrasives that remove stains on the enamel, helping your teeth stay clean and bright.

Put The Shine Back In Your Smile!

Whitening procedures are a fast and simple way to boost your confidence and brighten your smile. And getting that white, sparkly smile you’ve always wanted has never been easier. Give us a call or stop by. We’d love to discuss what whitening options would be best for you and your teeth!  Here is a link to our website that has more information on our whitening options: Whitening Options at My Family Dentist

Thank you for placing your trust in our practice!

*Image by Flickr user mark sebastian used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original. The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.