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Parents are usually expert at taking care of their children’s injuries. You know how to disinfect a cut, soothe a bump on the head, and apply a bandage faster than you can blink.

But what happens if your child suffers a dental injury? Teeth can get broken, knocked out, or displaced from a forceful impact, and parents ought to know what to do in those situations, too. Luckily, Dr. Goodall and our team are here to be a resource for such incidents!

Chipped front teeth are a common injury for young children. First, check to see if the teeth have been broken to the nerve. You can tell this is the case if you see layers and a pinkish center.

Then, wiggle each tooth to make sure it is not loose. If the teeth still feel firmly in place, that’s a good sign. Don’t worry if they are a little loose, because they will tighten again with time.

If your child develops a high temperature or bite sensitivity, treatment is necessary and could include a root canal.

A knocked-out tooth is an injury that requires more attention than just observation. Locate the tooth as soon as you can, and touch only the crown, not the root. Rinse any debris gently with milk or water and place the tooth back in its socket as soon as possible.

According to the American Association of Endodontists, a tooth has a high chance of survival and retention for life if it is returned to the socket within five minutes, and possibly up to 60 minutes, if soaked in milk or saline solution in the meantime.

Say your child is elbowed in the mouth and a tooth gets severely displaced but does not get knocked out. Attempt to shift it back into place by applying light pressure, but be careful not to use too much force. Give your child a cold pack for the swelling and contact our office as soon as possible.

Dental emergencies can be frightening for the child as well as the parent. The best advice we can offer is to stay calm and be assured that we are always here to help! Contact us at our Frisco office as soon as you can, if your child encounters a dental emergency.

Long days in the sun’s rays offer you lots of choices for outdoor activities. Beach time? Parks? Baseball, biking, board sports? No matter what plans you have for these sunny days in Frisco, we have some tips to keep your smile beaming.

Use Sunscreen

Sunscreen is good for all ages and shades of skin, and it’s also designed to protect your smile. Lip tissue is thin and delicate, and can easily be damaged by the sun’s ultraviolet rays. UV rays are known to cause skin cancer and premature aging. 

If your regular sunscreen isn’t designed for lips, there are many protective lip balms made especially for kids.

• Make sure you get enough protection. Your lip balm should have an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 30 or higher.
• Reapply at least every two hours, and sooner if your lips get wet or if you’re eating or drinking.

Protect Your Smile with a Mouthguard

Mouthguards help protect your teeth from damage caused by impact, whether from hard surfaces or hard elbows! Any time there’s a chance of a fall or a collision, a mouthguard is a good idea. Use your guard for:

• Biking, in-line skating, skateboarding, or any activity where an unexpected fall is possible 
• Contact or low-contact sports like baseball, basketball, and soccer, where bodies collide with equipment or other bodies

If you play organized sports, you might already have a mouthguard. If not, talk to Dr. Goodall about over-the-counter guards or mouthguards which your dentist can make especially for you. And if you wear braces, no need to stay indoors! There are mouthguards designed to protect your teeth, cheeks, lips, and braces. Ask the team at More Than Smiles for ideas.

Hydrate

On hot days, our brains help us keep cool. How? By sending our bodies the signal to start sweating! Some heat is transferred from our bodies to evaporate perspiration, which helps cool the skin. But that cooling perspiration comes at a cost—the water we lose through sweat can make us dehydrated. 

Our bodies need water, especially when it’s scorching outside. Drinking water throughout the day is healthier than drinking lots of water at one time, and your doctor can let you know the right amount of water for your body, since we’re not all built the same. A bottle of water doesn’t contain artificial ingredients, caffeine, or sugars, so it’s a great, healthy outdoor companion. 

More? Water is also great for your smile!

• Water washes food particles and bacteria away from teeth and gums for fresher breath and a healthier mouth.
• Most communities add fluoride to their water, and fluoride strengthens tooth enamel to help you fight cavities. If your local water supply isn’t fluoridated, your dentist can tell your family about other treatments which can provide fluoride’s cavity protection.

It’s easy to get distracted with summer activities and vacations—after all, they’re designed to be distracting! But don’t let your well-deserved fun in the sun distract you from your scheduled dental appointments. Regular dental exams catch small problems before they become larger ones, and cleanings make sure your smile is bright all summer long.

Summer can be a time to relax and recharge. While you’re enjoying those extra hours of sun, take care of your oral health for a beaming smile which will look great on you any time of year!

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 More Than Smiles 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 Frisco office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Goodall.

Perhaps you’ve heard your friends talking about dental sealants, and how well they prevent cavities. And as soon as your child’s permanent molars come in, you absolutely plan to make an appointment at our Frisco office for this treatment. But should you also be concerned with your child’s baby teeth? Could they benefit from sealants too?

Even though those beautiful baby teeth are going to be replaced with permanent teeth, they should still be protected. Primary teeth help with speech development, enable your child to develop proper chewing and eating habits, and serve as place holders so that permanent teeth can erupt in the correct place. That’s why you’ve been so careful to help your child brush and floss twice daily, and make regular visits to our office for exams and cleanings.

But some teeth are just harder to keep clean with regular brushing than others. Primary molars, just like permanent ones, have depressions and grooves on the chewing surfaces. These grooves collect bacteria and food particles that are hard for bristles to reach, providing a perfect opportunity for cavities to develop in those little molars.

Cavities are not the only problem which can affect primary teeth. Because baby teeth have thinner layers of protective enamel, a cavity can actually reach the pulp (the center of the tooth) more quickly, leading to pain and potential infection.

While baby teeth can be treated, with fillings, restorations, and even stainless steel crowns, preventing tooth decay is always our first, best choice. And dental sealants are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association as one of the most effective ways to prevent cavities in both baby teeth and adult teeth.

Dental sealants are safe and effective.  Sealants are thin coatings (usually a plastic resin or other dental material) that cover a molar’s grooves and depressions, making it impossible for bacteria and food particles to collect there. Applying them is a simple, pain-free process.

Each tooth will be examined first. If we find any signs of decay starting, we will gently treat that area before applying the sealant. After the tooth is cleaned and dried, an etching solution will be brushed on to the surface area being sealed. This etching roughens the surface so that the sealant will hold to the tooth more effectively. A thin coat of the sealant is then painted on and hardened under a curing light.

That’s all there is to it! Sealants typically last from three to five years, and some last even longer. Keep up your regular careful brushing and flossing, and we will monitor the condition of the sealants at each exam.

Talk to Dr. Goodall about dental sealants. We’ll let you know if your child can benefit from the procedure even before those baby teeth give way to permanent ones. It’s never too early to prevent tooth decay!