Tongue Cleaning For Kids

There are better ways to clean your child’s mouth than soap and water! The tongue is an essential part of the oral system. Just like your teeth, it needs cleaning too. That’s why Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour recommend a tongue cleaner for your child. At Southern Cross Dental, we believe that healthy dental habits follow a child into adulthood. Having your child clean their tongue is a great way to do so. Learn more by contacting our office in Colorado Springs, CO.

 

Children are much more susceptible to cavities than adults. This is because baby teeth aren’t as strong as their counterparts. Teaching your child to brush their tongue helps reduces their risk. Tongues are naturally very sticky, holding on to food debris and bacteria. Tongue scraping removes these negative coatings. Research also shows that cleaning your tongue improves your sense of taste!

 

Sure, your child can use their toothbrush to clean their tongue. But why not give them the best tool to do so? Most grocery stores and supermarkets sell tongue cleaners for children. Purchase the appliance that matches your child’s age range. The ideal scraper matches the width of the tongue. Just make sure your child is at least five years old before instructing them on tongue cleaning.

 

You’ll need to show your child how to use the tongue cleaner. Go to the bathroom and make sure they can see themselves in the mirror. Ask them to stick out their tongue for you. While they watch themselves in the mirror, guide their hand and the tongue scraper towards the back of their tongue. Then gently move their hand down to the tip in a scraping motion.

 

Southern Cross Dental is a family-friendly dentist in the Colorado Springs, CO, area. To schedule an appointment with Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour, call 719-471-1717 or visit their website at https://www.scdsmile.com/.

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Many parents believe that their children's baby teeth don’t need as much maintenance as their adult counterparts. This is not at all true. If anything, baby teeth require more care. They are weaker by nature which makes them more susceptible to tooth decay. Teaching your child good dental habits now will continue into adulthood. Schedule your child’s first dental appointment with Southern Cross Dental to avoid the phenomenon known as Baby Bottle Tooth Decay. Drs. Faranak and Navid Rahimpour provide pediatric dental services in the Colorado Springs, CO, area.

 

Cavities are caused by oral bacteria. The byproducts they create wear down your teeth. Their biggest attractors are the sugary substances left behind by foods and drinks. This is the biggest cause of Baby Bottle Tooth Decay, and it’s located right in your child's bottle. The American Dental Association recommends only filling infants bottles with breast milk, formula, or milk. Try not to give your child anything high in sugar. This includes juice, soda, and sugar-water. Water is the recommended choice for older children. The water supply in the U.S. naturally contains fluoride, a cavity-fighting chemical.

 

Moisture leads to a surplus of bacteria in the mouth. Avoid giving your child access to a bottle during the night. Carefully clean pacifiers to remove any bacteria. Don’t dip them in any sugary substances like honey.

 

The other main source of baby bottle tooth decay comes from bacteria transferred between mother and child. The mother's saliva contains harmful bacteria. It’s advised to avoid unnecessary mouth-to-mouth contact. Don’t share food or improperly clean their pacifiers as well.

 

Southern Cross Dental is located in Colorado Springs, CO. To schedule your child's appointment with Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour, visit our website or call 719-471-1717.

Pediatric Dentistry

Southern Cross Dental is proud to serve professionals and their families, and we want them to know it’s just as important for their children to have regular dental visits.  A child’s first dental visit should be scheduled when the first baby tooth appears, or around the child’s first birthday.  Baby teeth eventually come out, but their growth and development is important for the overall oral health for the child and the development of their adult teeth.

Baby teeth should be brushed and cared for like adult teeth, and it’s important to monitor their growth and development.  Missing any tooth for too long can change the development of surrounding teeth and compromise the structure of the jaw bone, but regular checkups can keep a child’s tooth development right on track.  Our dentists are skilled and experienced in administering dental care to children.  If your child has seems nervous about seeing a dentist for the first time, we recommend going through a brushing routine with them at home, and talking about the dental visit before you arrive.  Once we get your child’s oral health off to a great start, we offer a full range of services for child patients including dental cleanings, fluoride treatments and sealants.

To learn more about pediatric dental care and all the services provided at our practice, visit www.scdsmile.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs, CO, call 719-471-1717.

Losing the First Tooth

If your kid is turning into a big kid, losing the first baby tooth is on the horizon.  It’s an exciting sign of growing up, but many kids still feel anxious or uncomfortable dealing with the unfamiliar sensation of a loose tooth.  Southern Cross Dental wants kids and parents to be prepared and understand why this pain occurs so your child can still have a positive tooth loss experience.

Before a baby tooth is lost, it begins to break free of its nerve endings.  This is the natural process that makes the tooth feel loose and wobbly at the gums, and the area will become swollen and red.  It can be painful, and for kids a great way to soothe tooth pain is applying a cold compress to the outside of the mouth in the affected area.  Children may complain that they find it hard to bite or chew with loose or missing teeth.  It’s still important to keep eating healthy while they grow new teeth so encourage soup, pureed fruits, and cooked vegetables.  A few tales of the tooth fairy can usually ease the pain a little, too!

To learn more about tooth loss and the services we provide at the practice, visit www.scdsmile.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs, CO, call 719-471-1717.

Pacifiers and Teeth

Southern Cross Dental serves many families with small children, and parents often struggle with weaning their child off a pacifier.  Infants are soothed to a sense of security by pacifiers, and when the time comes it is one of the hardest habits to break.  It can require a great deal of persuasion, but because of the effect they can have on the growth and development of the teeth and mouth children should stop using pacifiers by the age of two. 

Prolonged pacifier use can cause changes in the shape of the roof of the mouth, prevent proper growth of the mouth, and create problems with tooth alignment.  Narrowing of the roof of the mouth and misalignment of the jaws can also occur.  Using a pacifier too long can also lead to a variety of complications including tilting in of the bottom teeth, and slanting in of the top and front teeth. Until the age of two, any alignment problem with the teeth or developing bone is usually corrected within six months after pacifier use has stopped.  We can help and support parents having any trouble weaning their child off a pacifier before that age.

If you have questions about pacifiers and teeth development, visit www.southerncrossfamilydentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs, CO, call 719-471-1717.

Sealants for Pediatric Patients

Almost half of all children and adolescents in the United States have had cavities in their permanent teeth.  The doctors at Southern Cross Dental recommend dental sealants for pediatric patients to avoid becoming part of this statistic.  A dental sealant is the best defense against early tooth decay, and preserves teeth and tooth enamel. 

Most tooth decay in children and teenagers occurs on the chewing surfaces of molars, where the pits and grooves tend to trap food and bacteria.  Molars first come in at around 5-7 years of age, with a second set coming in between the ages of 11-14.  It is best to have a sealant placed on each set of molars when they first come in to ensure they are protected early.

Sealants are applied to surfaces of these molars much like paint. The plastic resin fills any pits and grooves on the surface and hardens. Now the surface is protected from bits of food being stuck, so bacteria cannot multiply and cause decay, and tooth enamel is protected from plaque and acids.  Sealants can effectively prevent cavities for up to ten years and can be reapplied of necessary.

To learn more about sealants and all the services we provide, visit www.southerncrossfamilydentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs, CO, call 719-471-1717.

Brushing Your Baby’s Teeth

Imagine, after weeks of hearing your baby fuss and moan you finally spot that first little tooth bud popping up through the gums. Baby teeth may be small, but they act as placeholders for adult teeth. Without a healthy set of baby teeth, your child will have trouble chewing and speaking clearly. Our doctors at Southern Cross Dental want to ensure a healthy smile down the road, and since your baby can’t hold a toothbrush, they rely on you to maintain their oral health care.

Starting from the day you bring your newborn home until your baby’s first tooth appears, usually around six months, rub a damp, clean washcloth over his or her gums (front and back) at least once per day.  This allows your child to get used to an oral cleaning routine while removing lingering plaque and food. You should brush your baby’s teeth until he or she is old enough to hold a toothbrush. Meanwhile, keep on the lookout for any signs of baby tooth decay.

If you have questions about your child’s oral care, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.southerncrossfamilydentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs, CO, call 719-471-1717.

Tooth Care for Babies

When teeth first come in, your child may start to fuss. This is because he or she has sore or tender gums and the eruption of those little tooth buds are causing them pain. Parents often, when should I start cleaning my child’s teeth? The answer is that daily dental cleaning should start as soon as your infant’s first tooth appears. To help prevent the buildup of plaque bacteria that can lead to decay, our doctors at Southern Cross Dental highly recommend regularly cleaning your newborn’s gums with a damp washcloth following feedings.

While most babies don’t start getting teeth until they are six months old, infant dental care is important from the very beginning. In addition to cleaning your baby’s gums with a damp cloth, you can also gently rub their gums with a clean finger, a small, cool spoon, or a wet gauze pad. You can also give the baby a clean teething ring to chew on. It’s important to care for your baby’s teeth from the start because his or her gums act as placement holders for permanent teeth.

If you have a question about your child’s tooth care, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.southerncrossfamilydentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs, CO, call 719-471-1717.