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You have a lot going on. School. Sports. Activities. Family. Friends. Teens lead busy lives and have busy schedules, so you need to budget your time and energy. One thing you don’t want to spend any of your time and energy on? Dealing with gum disease.

Gum disease most often begins as a reaction to plaque and tartar. The bacteria in plaque produce acids which irritate gum tissue, causing inflammation, swelling, and bleeding. This is gingivitis, the early stage of gum disease.

Left untreated, early gum disease can become periodontitis. Periodontitis is a serious gum infection which can cause receding gums, loose teeth, and even tooth and bone loss.

We usually think about gum disease as something that only older adults worry about. But the unfortunate fact is that children and teens are also at risk for gum disease—and the teen years bring special risks. Why?

• Braces

The teen years are the most common years for orthodontic treatment. Wearing traditional or lingual braces can make removing plaque from around brackets and wires, between the teeth, and near the gum line more challenging, and gum disease can be the result. When you’ve been working so hard to create a healthy attractive smile, you don’t want to delay your orthodontic progress to treat gum disease.

• Less-than-Nutritious Snacking

When you have after school commitments like sports practices, play rehearsals, or work, you probably carry a snack to give you the energy you need until dinner. Popular snacks like energy drinks, chips, or candy bars are common go-to choices, but they contain acids, simple carbs, and sugars which are bad for both gums and tooth enamel.

• Hormones

Increased hormone levels during puberty can make the gums more sensitive and more easily irritated.

• Your Busy Life

Maybe you’re not getting enough sleep. Or eating as well as you could. Or you’re feeling anxious. Lack of sleep, poor nutrition, and stress can affect your body’s immune system and your ability to fight off infection. And if you’re also not brushing and flossing regularly, your gum health can really suffer.

How do you know if you have gum disease? Good question! Sometimes the early stages of gum disease aren’t obvious. Perhaps you’ve noticed changes in your gums, such as:

• Redness
• Swelling
• Soreness
• Bleeding
• Bad breath even after brushing

Any of these changes can be symptoms of gum disease and are a good reason to give our Creve Coeur or St. Charles office a call, since time is important when treating gum disease.

Caught early, gingivitis is usually very treatable—in fact, you can often reverse early gingivitis by paying more attention to your daily dental hygiene. If gingivitis is more advanced, or if periodontitis develops, you need professional dental care to prevent serious damage to your gums, teeth, and bone.

Preventing gum disease from ever developing is always best, though, so let’s look at what you can do to keep gum disease from becoming a problem.

• Keep Up with Healthy Dental Habits

Even though you’re leading a busy life, take time for your dental care. Brushing twice a day for at least two minutes per session and flossing once a day take just a bit of your time and are the best way to keep your gums healthy. If you wear braces or have a tendency toward cavities and gum disease, Dr. Varble, Dr. Dill, Dr. Wong, and Dr. Parks might recommend brushing or flossing more often.

• Use the Right Tools

Using the right tools makes a big difference. You should always choose a toothbrush with soft bristles to protect your delicate gum tissue—especially if it’s extra sensitive. Too-harsh brushing can damage even your super-hard tooth enamel, so you can imagine what it can do to your gums! Change out your brush every three to four months when it starts to get frayed and worn.

If you wear braces, ask Dr. Varble, Dr. Dill, Dr. Wong, and Dr. Parks to recommend the best kind of floss to clean between your teeth and around your brackets and wires. The right tools will make flossing a lot easier, and will help you keep your gums healthy and your orthodontic treatment on track.

• No Matter How Busy You Are, Treat Yourself Well

Watch your diet. Drinking water to hydrate is a healthy (and inexpensive) alternative to sugary and acidic drinks. When you know you have after-school commitments, pack yourself a healthy snack. After snacking, it’s a good idea to rinse with water when you can’t brush to remove any food particles sticking around your teeth and gums.

And even though your schedule is demanding, caring for your mind and body should be a priority. If you have difficulties with sleep or stress, or questions about a nutritious diet, talk to your doctor for some valuable tips to make your daily life healthier and more enjoyable.

With so much going on in your active life, gum problems are problems you really don’t need. Make room in your schedule now for careful daily brushing and flossing, a healthy lifestyle, and regular visits to Dentistry for Children, and you’ll be living that active life with a beautiful, healthy smile!

If your idea of camping is a quiet walk through the woods before returning to your rustic hotel, your regular brushing habits will be perfect for your trip. But if you are hiking into the mountains with your tent, backpack, and camp food, Dr. Varble, Dr. Dill, Dr. Wong, and Dr. Parks and our team have some suggestions to adapt your dental routine to the great outdoors.

Water

If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t brush with it! Use bottled water if you have brought it, or make sure the local water is safe by using a testing kit. Boiling, filters and purification tablets are all ways to make sure the water tests clean and safe.

Toothpaste

You aren’t the only one in the woods who finds your toothpaste tasty. Bears, raccoons, and other animals are attracted to the scent of your toothpaste, so keep it safe with the same kind of tightly sealed, odor-proof container that you keep your food in. And if you want to discourage unwanted visitors, don’t spit your toothpaste out at your campground! It’s better to go some distance from your site and bury any paste, and best of all to spit used toothpaste into a container that can be tightly closed and removed from the campsite when you head for home. This practice protects you and the environment as well, since toothpaste can be harmful to small animals and plants.

Toothbrush

While there are disposable and camping toothbrushes available, a regular toothbrush will work as well. Normally, air-drying is the healthiest option for drying your toothbrush, but camping is an exception. Just as animals are attracted to toothpaste, they are also attracted to your toothpaste-scented toothbrush. Keep it in a sealed container that is odor-proof.

Floss

There are websites devoted to the many ingenious ways to use dental floss while camping, but we recommend the original use. Don’t forget to floss regularly, keep it in a sealed container, and do be sure to take used floss out of the area with you.

Even though you are roughing it, stick with your home routine as much as possible. If you are unable to brush as usual, rinse your mouth well with clean water and brush when you can. Have a great trip, and just one more thought—maybe go easy on the s’mores. Let us know all about your trip during your next visit to our Creve Coeur or St. Charles office!

It’s your child’s first filling at our Creve Coeur or St. Charles office, and perhaps you’re both a little nervous. Your child doesn’t know what to expect, and you want to make sure this is a positive experience. We have some suggestions that might help both of you!

• Partner with Your Child’s Dentist

Because a pediatric dentist is a specialist in treating children and their dental needs, your dentist will have some suggestions for making that first filling a comfortable and comforting experience.

And because you’re the expert when it comes to your child’s needs, you can let Dr. Varble, Dr. Dill, Dr. Wong, and Dr. Parks know about anything that might cause your child difficulty or anxiety beforehand.

• Age-Appropriate Explanations Are Best!

It’s a good idea not to make any explanations too complicated. “Your dentist will help your tooth get strong and healthy again” might be all a young child needs to hear. And talking about drills or needles can be scary, especially when kids have no experience with dental tools and procedures.

A pediatric dentist can help you describe cavities and the filling procedure in an age-appropriate, non-scary way—and can recommend helpful story books for reading ahead of time!

• Discuss Sedation Beforehand

If you think your child would benefit from light sedation options such as nitrous oxide or oral medication, talk to Dr. Varble, Dr. Dill, Dr. Wong, and Dr. Parks about sedation procedures.

Your dentist will also have child-appropriate ways to talk about local anesthetics if they’re needed to numb the area around the tooth.

• Tool Talk

Most adults are familiar with dental tools, but this will be a new experience with new sensations and sounds for your child. A pediatric dentist can describe what each tool is and what it does so kids are comfortable when an instrument is used.

Sometimes a tool can be noisy or vibrate. Some tools squirt water and some (loudly) suck water and debris away. If noises are a problem for your child, let your dentist know in advance, and ask about music or headphones to help minimize sounds.

• Filling Material Concerns?

For molars, which bear the weight of chewing pressure, a silver-colored amalgam might be recommended. For a filling in the front of the mouth, a tooth-colored composite could be used to blend in. Fillings can also be made with gold or ceramic materials. A severely decayed tooth might require a crown, which is often made of stainless steel when used for a baby tooth.

If you have questions or concerns about the type or appearance of filling material, ask! Your dentist will be happy to explain which material is best suited to restore the appearance and function of your child’s tooth.

• Getting Ready for the Appointment

Choose an appointment day with a light schedule and let your child dress comfortably. Ask if your child can bring a favorite toy or a stuffed animal friend for comfort.

Your mood will influence your child, so make the day of the appointment as stress-free as possible for the both of you! That’s why it’s a good idea not to talk about any dental fears you might have, or any discomfort your child might experience. Your child will pick up on your feelings, so projecting a calm and positive attitude will help.

• Aftercare

Your dentist team will give you instructions for your child’s quickest, most comfortable recovery. These instructions include how to treat the extraction site, which foods are best, and over the counter pain medication.

It’s best not to plan strenuous activities immediately after a filling.

• Partner with Your Child’s Dentist

Yes, we know we already talked about this, but it can’t be stressed enough. When your child has his or her first filling, in a way it’s your first filling, too! Your pediatric dentist is there to help you navigate this procedure and to help make sure that the experience is a positive one for both of you.

Have you ever watched to see if your child is breathing through his or her mouth? Breathing through the mouth instead of the nose may lead to trouble for youngsters. Kids who typically breathe through their mouth—most often children who suffer from allergies—experience problems getting enough oxygen into their blood, a condition that affects their weight, size, sleep, and even their performance in the classroom and daily life.

Mouth breathing as a child can also lead to sleep apnea, behavior and learning problems, delayed speech, dental and facial abnormalities, and even breathing problems as your child grows. There are a multitude of reasons for an individual to mouth breathe, such as enlarged tonsils, adenoids, and deviated nasal septum, but the cause is usually allergies.

As bad as the condition sounds, we want you to know mouth breathing is a treatable condition. Doing so, though, requires early diagnosis and treatment. Since our team at Dentistry for Children sees our patients every six months, we may be in a position to identify the symptoms of mouth breathing.

If you suspect your child is a chronic mouth breather, please give us a call at our convenient Creve Coeur or St. Charles office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Varble, Dr. Dill, Dr. Wong, and Dr. Parks.