Dear Dentists

We’re back with more of YOUR questions about your kids’ teeth! If you missed the first part (HERE), we crowd sourced questions that moms have for pediatric dentists. These next questions will focus more on big kids!

1. How do I get my kids to floss? Is there a trick to make this easier?

Flossing definitely has its challenges for little ones. You can begin to help your child floss at any age, but often times, at early ages, there is space between the front teeth and the back teeth. Those teeth usually do not touch until around the age of 3 or 4. What I have told parents over the years is to use whatever works well in their hands. Regular floss or floss sticks will work fine. I do think that wax floss works better than unwaxed. They now have different flavors so that can make it fun for children also. Now for the nerdy stuff…research says that children often times don’t get the hang of flossing until about age 11. I don’t know if I quite agree with that, as I think every kid is different. In my experience as a parent, we just help early on, guide our kids, and continue to monitor as they grow.

2. Why do cavities need to be filled in baby teeth?

Many times, we recommend fillings on baby teeth due to the age of the child and the severity of the cavity. Tooth pain is something that none of us want our kids to go through. When we recommend treatment on baby teeth, we are thinking that the child needs to keep the teeth for a while. Sometimes they don’t need to be filled. Again, it really depends on the age of the child and severity. There are often times that we see a small cavity between the baby teeth on an 8- or 9-year-old, and if it looks like the child is going to lose the tooth soon, we will put what we call a “watch” on that area and recommend reevaluating at the next cleaning visit. This is one of the big reasons why we like to see children every 6 months for cleaning visits. However, we are always here for emergency situations.

3. What are the indicators for stage 1 braces? What are stage 1 braces?

Phase I braces are braces or appliances that are done to prevent an orthodontic problem from getting worse. As Pediatric Dentists, growth and development is a subject that we always address with our patients and parents. We can often tell early if the child will need some type of early treatment as permanent teeth are coming in. The best age is around age 7, but obviously, depending on the child, it could be a little earlier or a little later.

4. Can you give parents some tips and tricks for keeping the teeth clean when the kids have braces?

In order for kids to make sure their teeth stay clean and healthy while they have braces, you have fot to provide the right tools for cleaning around the braces. These tools include an electric toothbrush, mouthwash, Proxa-brush, floss and floss threaders, and a water-pik. Always use a fluoridated toothpaste. The Proxa-brush is easy to carry around in their pocket for all day use!

5. How long can kids see pediatric dentists? When do they need to make the switch to adult dentists?

We like to see kids through college age if they feel comfortable (but sometimes it may depend on their insurance). Pediatric Dentists have different philosophies. We feel kids that are going off to college often are undergoing a lot of transition, so why deal with this one? We have a general dentist on our team that handles the adult needs of our teens and college age patients when needed. One of the biggest joys that I have experienced has been when my older teen and college age patients come in to the office and I get to catch up on things with them.

Bonus question: Anything else you’d like parents to know? 

I would like any and all parents to know what a joy it is to serve the children of Memphis and the surrounding area. Being able to work with my wife and now both of my boys has really been a true blessing. (I am not one to throw those words around.)

PDC takes both the child’s and the parents’ feelings into account when we provide dental care. You are free to accompany your child through every part of their dental visit and accommodations can be made for children with sensory needs. Spanish speaking staff available for all visits. We encourage and teach children how to care for their teeth in order to establish a solid foundation for a beautiful smile for a lifetime. PDC has 4 Pediatric Dentists on staff and two locations to choose from.

For fun dental tips & tricks videos, check out their Instagram page here

You can make an appointment by calling 901-560-4386!