Frequently Asked Questions

What do you do to make my child comfortable during their visit?

It is our goal to make every visit as comfortable as possible, but sometimes there is no way of preventing some discomfort. As a pediatric dentist, Dr. Mary is highly trained in Behavior Management in young children. This is always the first tool used to treat every patient, but when a child needs more intervention, we do employ nitrous oxide, topical anesthetics, local anesthetics, and in-office oral sedation.

In some cases, it is necessary for a child to be treated under general anesthesia for their own safety. We will always discuss the available options for your child with you. Two-way communication is important to us, and we want to establish the approach to comfort management during your child’s dental treatments.

What do I do if I have a dental emergency?

Trauma: Due to their developing motor coordination, the greatest chance for trauma to primary teeth occurs between age 2 and 3. It is important to be proactive about injury prevention by childproofing your home, electrical cord safety, wearing helmets and pads when necessary, and always using car seats in the back of automobiles.

Injuries to permanent teeth occur due to traffic accidents, falls, violence, or sports injuries. It is important for athletes to wear mouthguards to reduce orofacial injuries.

Bumped tooth: If a tooth is slightly loose but no fracture or other trauma is evident, call our office immediately for consultation.

Fractured tooth care: Gently clean area with warm water. Place a cold compress in the area of the injury to decrease swelling. Come immediately to office; please call 864-879-7977 while you are on your way so we might prepare a room for your child.

Knocked-out tooth/Avulsion: Gently rinse dirt/debris from tooth. Do not scrub tooth or remove any tissue particles from root. If possible replace tooth into socket and hold in place. If replantation is not possible place tooth in cup of milk. Come immediately to office; please call 864-879-7977 while you are on your way so we might prepare a room for your child.

Toothache: A number of factors can contribute to a toothache. To help alleviate the discomfort rinse your child’s mouth with warm water (it is okay to add a little salt to the water to aid in antibacterial action) every hour as needed. Clean the area around the affected tooth thoroughly. This includes brushing well in the area and using floss or even a toothpick. An ice pack placed on the affected site may also help relieve pain. Do not give your child aspirin or place aspirin on the gums. Aspirin can cause burning of the gum tissue. If needed, give your child the recommended dosage of either Tylenol (Acetaminophen) or Motrin (Ibuprofen) for their pain. If swelling is present around his/her eye, apply an ice pack and take child to emergency room immediately.

Possible causes of toothache:

1. Deep cavities

2. Broken or lost fillings or crowns

3. Food stuck in gums (like popcorn wedged in gums or in between teeth

4. Periodontal disease

5. Abscess (dental infection)

Loose baby tooth: In children, the natural exfoliation process of the baby tooth or trauma usually causes a loose baby tooth. If no trauma has occurred than it is likely that a visit from the tooth fairy will be forthcoming. Have your child “wiggle” the tooth themselves, pushing it everyday a little at a time. As more of the root of the tooth goes away, the primary tooth may fall out by itself. This may happen spontaneously, or during eating and chewing food. If you can see the new tooth coming in through the gums and the primary tooth is only slightly loose but not enough for your child to remove it, call our office for an appointment. It is important to remove over-retained primary teeth so that the new permanent tooth can come in straight.

Why do you take x-rays of my child’s teeth?

Dental x-rays are used for more than just detecting cavities. This tool is necessary to evaluate the erupting teeth, assess injuries, diagnose bone disease, or aid in planning orthodontic treatments. A radiograph can aid in diagnosing and treating a number of health conditions a clinical exam cannot detect. When dental issues are found and treated early, it results in more affordable care for you and comfortable treatments for your child.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends radiographs and examinations every six months for children with a high risk of tooth decay. On average, most pediatric dentists request radiographs approximately once a year. Approximately every three years, it is a good idea to obtain a complete set of radiographs, either a panoramic and bitewings or periapical films and bitewings.

As a pediatric dental office, we work to minimize the amount of radiation your child is exposed to. Through digital x-rays, shielding with lead aprons and body shields, and advanced technology to filter exposure, the amount of radiation received is very small. The risk is negligible.

What if my child grinds his / her teeth?

Bruxism is the habitual, nonfunctional and forceful contact between the chewing surfaces of the teeth. Many times parents notice this habit due to the noise created by the child grinding their teeth or parents may note the wearing down of the teeth (teeth getting shorter).

The underlying cause of bruxism can be from emotional stress (due to change in environment, divorce, changes at school, etc), neurological disabilities, or misaligned teeth. Most often this habit is self-limiting and doesn’t require any additional treatment. If excessive wear presents itself, bruxism management can be achieved through patient/parent education, occlusal splints (mouthguards), and psychological technique or medications.

What if my child has a prolonged thumb or pacifier habit?

It is normal and common for infants and young children to develop nonnutritive sucking behaviors. It may help them feel secure and happy. It is recommended that the habit cease by age three for optimal dental and skeletal development. When weaning children of this habit, it is important to consider their development, comprehension, and ability to cooperate.

The modalities for treating this habit include behavior modification, patient/parent counseling, and appliance therapy. It is important to note that appliance use is only recommended when the child wants to stop the habit and would benefit from a reminder.

The following are a few suggestions to help with prolonged habits:

Praise you child when they are not sucking, instead of scolding children or badgering them.

If you child has a sucking habit due to a feeling of insecurity, focus on alleviating the cause of anxiety or insecurity. Children who suck for comfort feel less of a need when parents provide comfort.

Along with with consistent, positive reinforcement, organize a reward schedule for your child when they refrain from their sucking habit.

If the habit only persists in the evening, help your child with reminders like a sock over the hand, or a band-aid on the digit.

Oral health care for teens/adolescents?

The adolescent years are a complex time of growth and development for an individual. It is a time of distinctive oral health care needs, notably due to the increased availability of sweetened food and beverages, a low priority of oral hygiene, social factors, and independence to seek care or avoid it.

High Cavity Rate: To prevent and combat cavities, it is important to attend regular dental visits, in addition to at-home brushing, flossing, fluoride use, and dietary management.

Trauma: Mouth guards and other protective equipment can significantly reduce your child’s risk of dental and facial injuries, especially in sports. Mouth guards help prevent broken teeth, and injuries to the lips, tongue, face or jaw. A properly fitted mouth guard will stay in place while your child is wearing it, making it easy for them to talk and breathe.

Orthodontic Considerations: If you child is receiving orthodontic treatments, it is important for them to properly clean their mouth every time they eat. Teeth with braces are harder to clean and food can get trapped very easily. Food that is left lodged on the wires and brackets can cause etching on the enamel surface of the tooth. It can also lead to gum disease, which will slow down tooth movement and prolong treatments.

Tobacco Use: We strongly advise against any tobacco use in any form, as it can jeopardize your child’s health and cause incurable disease. If your child is a tobacco user you should watch for the following early signs of oral cancer:

1. A sore that won’t heal

2. White or red leathery patches on the lips, and on or under the tongue

3. Pain, tenderness or numbness anywhere in the mouth or lips

4. Difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking or moving the jaw or tongue; or a change in the way the teeth fit together.

5. Because the early signs of oral cancer usually are not painful, people often ignore them. If it’s not caught in the early stages, oral cancer can require extensive, sometimes disfiguring, surgery. Even worse, it can kill.

Help your child avoid tobacco in any form. By doing so, they will avoid bringing cancer-causing chemicals in direct contact with their tongue, gums and cheek.

Oral Piercings: Piercing the tongue, cheeks, or lips are a bad idea. There are many risks associated with these types of piercings, including blood clots, chipped or cracked teeth, blood poisoning, brain abscess, heart infections, receding gums or scar tissue, and nerve disorders (trigeminal neuralgia). Infections are a common complication of oral piercings, as your mouth contains millions of bacteria. Your tongue could swell large enough to close off your airway!

Common symptoms after piercing include pain, swelling, infection, an increased flow of saliva and injuries to gum tissue. Difficult-to-control bleeding or nerve damage can result if a blood vessel or nerve bundle is in the path of the needle.

Can you whiten the color of my teeth?

While maintaining excellent oral hygiene habits and attending regular dental checkups are the best way to keep a beautiful smile, some teenagers may want to achieve that extra white gleam through teeth whitening. We provide tooth bleaching which can safely lighten the color of your teen or young adult’s teeth. The results can last for up to five years.

If you would like to use over-the-counter whitening products, please consult with Dr. Mary first. Bleaching does not effectively whiten everyone’s teeth and may not work for teeth with intrinsic staining. Extrinsic stains such as coffee, tea, food coloring or darkened soda drinks can easily be bleached and whitened. For a faster, safer and more effective result, we can provide cosmetic teeth whitening with custom trays.

With this process, a chemical reaction occurs within the tooth to produce fast and stable results. Talk with the Dr. Mary if your teenager is interested in this process.