If you're a parent, raising kids can be a great adventure. It can also rev up your stress meter in a heartbeat. One area in particular can give you heartburn: your child's lack of enthusiasm for visiting the dentist.

Dental anxiety in varying degrees in children isn't uncommon. At times, it can be difficult for everyone involved for a child to receive the dental care they need if they're in an upset or agitated state. Fortunately, though, there are things you can do to minimize your child's dental anxiety.

First, start regular dental visits as early as possible, usually around their first birthday. Children who begin seeing the dentist earlier rather than later are more apt to find the sights, sounds and other experiences of a dental office a routine part of life.

You might also consider using a pediatric dentist for your child. Pediatric dentists specialize in child dental care, and have specific training and experience interacting with children. Pediatric dental offices are also usually “kid friendly” with toys, videos, books and interior decorations that children find appealing.

Your attitude and demeanor during a dental visit can also have an effect on your child. Children in general take their cues for how to feel from their caregivers. If you're nervous and tense while with them at the dentist, they may take that as a sign they should feel the same way. In contrast, if you're calm and relaxed, it may help them to be calm and relaxed.

Along the same lines, your attitude and level of commitment to dental care, both at home and at the dentist, will rub off on them. The best way to do that is by setting the example: not only as you brush and floss every day, but during your own dental visits. Take them with you: If they see you're not anxious about your care, it may improve their own feelings about their care.

The main goal is to try to make your child's overall dental experience as positive and pleasant as possible. The benefits of this can extend far beyond the present moment into their adult lives.

If you would like more information on your child's dental care, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Taking the Stress Out of Dentistry for Kids.”

Your sweet, good-natured baby has seemingly gone from zero to grumpy overnight. The reason is simple: They’re teething.

Teething is a natural process in which a baby’s first teeth (primary teeth) begin to break through the gums, usually between six and nine months of age. This process continues intermittently until all twenty of the primary teeth erupt, sometime around age 3.

This uncomfortable and sometimes painful experience can cause gum swelling, biting and gnawing, chin rash and drooling. Your child may become irritable not only from this physical discomfort but also from disrupted sleep patterns and decreased appetite that often accompanies teething.

While you may have an unhappy baby while they’re teething, there’s usually no cause for concern. This is a natural process all children encounter, and the best thing you can do is make them as comfortable as possible. An exception would be accompanying diarrhea, fever or lingering crankiness—these could be symptoms of a more serious condition. If you begin to notice these, consult your doctor as soon as possible.

During teething there are a number of things you can do to reduce irritation. For one, allow your child to chew on clean, chilled (not frozen) teething rings, or a cold wet washcloth. The cold will help numb their irritated gum tissues. Massaging their gums with a clean finger can also help counteract the pressure caused by the incoming tooth.

If your doctor advises, you can also give your child over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen in an age-appropriate dosage. But be sure you give these medications orally and not rub them on the gums—some ingredients in them could burn the tissues. You should also not apply rubbing alcohol to the gums for the same reason. And avoid products with the numbing agent Benzocaine® in children less than two years of age unless your doctor advises otherwise.

Teething isn’t always a pleasant time for your baby or you, but it’s necessary—and temporary. In no time at all this discomfort will pass, and in its place will be their first set of teeth.

If you would like more information on teething, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Teething Troubles: How to Help Keep Your Baby Comfortable.”

It’s common for kids to be less than enthusiastic about visiting the dentist. For some, though, it’s even more of a challenge: A child with extreme anxiety and fear during dental visits could interfere with them receiving the dental care they need. The impact could even extend into adulthood.

Recognizing the need to reduce this high anxiety, dentistry has used a number of pharmacological tools for many years that relax a child during dental care. Sedatives have often been the only choice for reducing anxiety, especially during extensive procedures and treatments. But now there’s a promising new approach in dentistry that doesn’t depend on drugs.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a psychotherapeutic method used for decades to treat depression, phobias and eating disorders, has been investigated recently as a possible approach for relieving children’s dental anxiety. During CBT, trained therapists use specific behavioral techniques to help patients develop mental and emotional strategies for dealing with stress.

During the usual course of CBT therapy, a therapist meets in counseling sessions with patients weekly over several months to help them change their routine thinking or behavior surrounding a stressful issue. Initially, the therapist guides the patient toward understanding the underlying causes for their negative reaction to the issue. They then work with the patient to devise an objective way to test whether those emotions and beliefs about the issue are true.

Using this effective method for changing behavioral and emotional responses for dental anxiety has had encouraging results from initial research. One study found CBT successfully reduced dental anxiety among a majority of a group of European children ages 9 through 16 who participated in the method.

CBT isn’t an overnight cure, often requires a number of months to achieve results. But for children who suffer from extreme fear of professional dental care, this drug-free method may provide long-term benefits that extend well past their childhood years.

If you would like more information on reducing dental anxiety in children, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation.

If there's anything that makes Alfonso Ribeiro happier than his long-running gig as host of America's Funniest Home Videos, it's the time he gets to spend with his family: his wife Angela, their two young sons, and Alfonso's teenaged daughter. As the proud dad told Dear Doctor–Dentistry & Oral Health magazine, "The best part of being a father is the smiles and the warmth you get from your children."

Because Alfonso and Angela want to make sure those little smiles stay healthy, they are careful to keep on top of their kids' oral health at home—and with regular checkups at the dental office. If you, too, want to help your children get on the road to good oral health, here are five tips:

• Start off Right—Even before teeth emerge, gently wipe baby's gums with a clean, moist washcloth. When the first teeth appear, brush them with a tiny dab of fluoride on a soft-bristled toothbrush. Schedule an age-one dental visit for a complete evaluation, and to help your child get accustomed to the dental office.
• Teach Them Well—When they're first learning how to take care of their teeth, most kids need a lot of help. Be patient as you demonstrate the proper way to brush and floss…over and over again. When they're ready, let them try it themselves—but keep an eye on their progress, and offer help when it's needed.
• Watch What They Eat & Drink—Consuming foods high in sugar or starch may give kids momentary satisfaction…but these substances also feed the harmful bacteria that cause tooth decay. The same goes for sodas, juices and acidic drinks—the major sources of sugar in many children's diets. If you allow sugary snacks, limit them to around mealtimes—that gives the mouth a chance to recover its natural balance.
• Keep Up the Good Work—That means brushing twice a day and flossing at least once a day, every single day. If motivation is an issue, encourage your kids by letting them pick out a special brush, toothpaste or floss. You can also give stickers, or use a chart to show progress and provide a reward after a certain period of time. And don't forget to give them a good example to follow!
• Get Regular Dental Checkups—This applies to both kids and adults, but it's especially important during the years when they are rapidly growing! Timely treatment with sealants, topical fluoride applications or fillings can often help keep a small problem from turning into a major headache.

Bringing your kids to the dental office early—and regularly—is the best way to set them up for a lifetime of good checkups…even if they're a little nervous at first. Speaking of his youngest child, Alfonso Ribeiro said "I think the first time he was really frightened, but then the dentist made him feel better—and so since then, going back, it's actually a nice experience." Our goal is to provide this experience for every patient.

If you have questions about your child's dental hygiene routine, call the office or schedule a consultation. You can learn more in the Dear Doctor magazine article “How to Help Your Child Develop the Best Habits for Oral Health.”

Along with daily brushing and flossing, limiting your child’s sugar consumption is an important way to prevent tooth decay. We all know the usual suspects: candy, sugar-added snacks and sodas. But there’s one category you may not at first think fits the profile—juices. But even natural juices with no added sugar can raise your child’s risk of tooth decay if they’re drinking too much.

Tooth decay is caused by certain strains of bacteria in the mouth, which produce acid. Sugar in any form (sucrose, fructose, maltose, etc.) is a primary food source for these bacteria. When there’s a ready food source, bacteria consume it and produce abnormally high levels of acid. This can cause the mineral content of tooth enamel to dissolve faster than saliva, which neutralizes acid, can reverse the tide.

Juices without added sugar still contain the natural sugar of the fruit from which they originate. The American Academy of Pediatrics conducted a study of the effect of these natural juice sugars on dental health. Their conclusion: it can have an effect, so the amount of juice consumed daily by a child should be restricted according to age.

They’ve since published guidelines to that effect:

• Under age 1 (or any child with abnormal weight gain): no juice at all;
• Ages 1-3: no more than 4 ounces a day;
• Ages 4-6: no more than 6 ounces a day;
• Ages 7-18: no more than 8 ounces (1 cup) a day.

Again, these are guidelines—you should also discuss the right limits for your individual child with your dentist or pediatrician. And if you’re wondering what kind of beverages pose less risk of tooth decay, you can look to low or non-fat milk. And, of course, don’t forget water—besides containing no sugar, nature’s hydrator has a neutral pH, so it won’t increase acidity in the mouth.

Tooth decay is one of the biggest health problems many kids face. But with good teeth-friendly habits, including restricting sugar intake in any of its many forms (including juices) you can go a long way in reducing their risk of this destructive disease.

If you would like more information on best dental care practices for children, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation.