Swollen Lips following Extractions

Although we don’t advise patients to get teeth extracted needlessly, the process is usually a simple one. Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs serves patients of all ages, and often performs dental extractions on children in preparation for orthodontic work or to prevent overcrowding from wisdom teeth. When we do this, we do our best to provide clear instructions and arrange follow-ups. However, there are some issues that are known to pop up after extractions, including swollen lips.

 

When we extract teeth from the lower jaw, we usually use local anesthetic to numb the alveolar nerve. This nerve also supplies feeling to the chin and lower lip, and for many children, a numb lower lip is a strange new sensation. Unfortunately, they often experimentally bite on their lower lips, and being numbed, can’t tell when they’re biting too hard. This could result in a lesion and the lip swelling to many times its usual size.

 

Typically, this kind of swelling isn’t dangerous. If the lesion remains white and doesn’t produce any odor, and the patient doesn’t have a fever, it is probably not infected and doesn’t need to be drained. It will likely recede to normal after a few weeks, and patients can take over-the-counter painkillers and apply cold packs to their faces for the first forty-eight hours after the extraction. (They can switch to hot packs after that.) Hopefully, simply informing children of the risk of a swollen lip is enough to prevent them from biting, and they’ll be on a soft foods diet immediately after the extraction that will prevent them from biting their lips accidentally. If a swollen lip does show signs of infection, it will need to be cared for professionally.

 

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour operate Southern Cross Dental at 1855 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80905. To schedule an appointment, call 719-471-1717 or visit Southern Cross Dental.

National Facial Protection Month

April is National Facial Protection Month. We at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs are proud to have so many families rely on us for the care of their smiles. To ensure that athletes are taking as good preventive care as possible, we thought this would be the perfect time to discuss mouthguard use.

Mouthguards come in a variety of options, but it’s generally better to have one than not. However, it is in the wearer’s interest for it to be as well-fitted as possible. Not only will it provide better protection, it won’t need to be as bulky and shouldn’t cause difficulty breathing. Dentists can custom-fit mouthguards, but there are boil-and-bite models available in sports stores and through online retailers. The manufacturer’s website will provide information about how to care for it, but it should generally be kept dry in a case that is cleaned daily.

Most youth sports require athletes to wear mouthguards. It’s also a good idea to wear them while doing activities in which there is a high risk of falling, such as skating and cycling. Adolescents especially should keep in mind that their teeth are shifting position quickly, and that their mouthguards frequently need to be refitted. Updating a mouthguard may be a normal part of an orthodontic appointment.

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour operate Southern Cross Dental at 1855 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80905-2516. To schedule an appointment, call 719-471-1717 or visit Southern Cross Family Dentistry and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Bite Checks

As a family practice, we at Southern Cross Dental carefully monitor the dental development of our pediatric patients. While we use the latest technology to predict where children’s permanent teeth will come in, biannual check-ups are chances for us to ensure the teeth they already have are comfortable and healthy. If we see a problem, we can refer them for orthodontic work, although we’ll remain an important part of each child’s health team.

We’ll ask children to close their teeth together and whether they’ve experienced any pain while chewing or when they wake up. This will help us to establish whether they have an issue with misaligned teeth (also known as malocclusions) or temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD). If they have TMJD, they may be clenching their jaws subconsciously or grinding their teeth in their sleep. This would result in distinctive wear patterns in their enamel and could further exacerbate malocclusions.

Although the wisdom teeth usually do not erupt until late adolescence, orthodontic work is usually done during late childhood and early adolescence. This is because children’s jawbones have not solidified as much and more extensive orthodontic work can be done on them without the need for surgery. It’s normal for children to get their first orthodontic assessment when they’re about seven, but work would only start at that age in extreme circumstances. An orthodontist may still prefer that we do any necessary extractions, and we will continue to provide cleanings and sealants while orthodontic work is ongoing.

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour operate Southern Cross Dental at 1855 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80905-2516. To schedule an appointment, call 719-471-1717 or visit Southern Cross Family Dentistry and fill out a contact sheet.

 

National Children's Dental Health Month

We treat patients of all ages at Southern Cross Dental and are proud members of the American Dental Association (ADA). Each year, the ADA designates February as National Children’s Dental Health Month. This year’s theme is the proper use of fluoridated toothpaste, so we wanted to help educate our patients about it.

Fluoridated toothpaste provides additional protection against tooth decay. It works according to the same principle as water fluoridation and the fluoride topical treatments we provide pediatric patients. It is essential for children to brush their teeth properly, or else the pain from tooth decay can disrupt their sleep and eating habits and cause speech development delays. When children do brush their teeth, they are learning to take responsibility for their own health, which will bring a lifetime of benefits.

Brushing should be done with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Each session should last for two minutes, during which the brusher covers each tooth surface, as well as their tongue. The toothpaste should be spat out afterward since excessive fluoride intake can discolor the teeth. Fluoride toothpaste should also not be used on mouth guards or other oral appliances.

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour operate Southern Cross Dental at 1855 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80905-2516. To schedule an appointment, call 719-471-1717 or visit Southern Cross Family Dentistry and fill out a contact sheet.

 

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.

Biannual Examinations for Children

Biannual dental check-ups are an important part of maintaining everyone’s overall health, but they are especially crucial for children. If your children haven’t had their teeth professionally cleaned in a while, we at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs urge you to set up an appointment.

Children are at particular risk for caries, the infectious lesions which eventually form cavities. In fact, caries is the most common disease among children. Although the process of removing dental decay and filling in teeth is common and relatively simple, parents should not underestimate the harm a toothache can do. Young children sometimes experience delays in speech development because they are avoiding use of their teeth. Children of all ages get worse sleep and eat less when their teeth hurt, which harms their academic performance and makes them emotionally fatigued.

Of course, caries is not the only source of toothaches: bruxism can be one, as well. But one thing toothaches have in common is that they usually get worse without intervention and can become serious health threats in the worst cases. At your child’s appointment, we can not only diagnose and treat problems but also set up treatment plans for future issues, such as misaligned teeth and impacted wisdom teeth.

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour operate Southern Cross Dental at 1855 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80905-2516. To schedule an appointment, call 719-471-1717 or visit SouthernCrossFamilyDentistry.com and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Children with Bad Breath

Southern Cross Dental offers comprehensive care for patients of all ages, providing children suffering from bad breath with a place where they can go for help. Our dedicated hygienists work to educate young patients on oral hygiene, which is generally all that is necessary to reverse halitosis, but children do have some specific needs.

Bad smells most often come from bacteria hiding in creviced soft tissue where food debris accumulates. This is why people are instructed to brush their tongues as well as their teeth, but the tonsils are another breeding zone for bacteria which are much harder to reach. Bacteria in the back of the throat also feed on nasal drip, which results from sinus infections, which children get more frequently than adults. An object caught in a child’s nose will also cause nasal drip.

Dry mouth also contributes to halitosis. ADHD and anxiety medications commonly cause bad breath as a side effect, and active children sometimes simply do not remember to stay hydrated. Some solutions to this are sugar-free gum and throat moisturizers. It is also possible that a child’s bad breath is being caused by diabetes or a previously unknown allergy, which is why parents should treat it as a serious concern.

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour operate Southern Cross Dental at 1855 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80905-2516. To schedule an appointment, call 719-471-1717 or visit SouthernCrossFamilyDentistry.com and fill out a contact sheet.