Gum disease is one of the most common oral health conditions there is; it’s estimated that around 50% of people over 30 in the U.S. suffer from it to some extent. That applies to adults, but what about children?

Let’s face it; children aren’t usually known for their immaculate oral health. But could that potentially put them at risk for gum disease? If you want to know a little more about gum disease in children, here’s a guide that can give you a little more information.

Many people get braces during adolescence to correct problems with their bite or alignment issues. They are considered a rite of passage for many and can give them straighter, more uniform smiles that helped them feel more confident in their pearly whites. If you are the parent of a child who has orthodontic issues, it can be difficult to know when they’re old enough to begin treatment. That’s where phase one orthodontics comes in. Continue reading to learn more about this treatment, the problems it can correct, and if your child is a good candidate for it.

It can be an exciting time for your child when their baby teeth start to loosen and they envision the tooth fairy making them rich, but when a tooth hangs around too long, it can become bothersome. It’s important not to try to pull their tooth before the proper time, but when it’s on the verge of falling out, there are ways to help usher its departure. Keep reading to learn some safe methods to help your child remove a loose tooth from a pediatric dentist in Flower Mound.

Your child may not be the biggest fan of their braces, but for most people, orthodontic treatment is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The holidays are the perfect time to commemorate this occasion by giving your child gifts that’ll get them excited about taking care of their teeth.

It can always be a little bit difficult to come up with stocking stuffers, especially for children with braces. If you can’t give them the usual caramels and candy canes, why not get them gifts that will make their orthodontic care easier? Here are a few stocking stuffers you could try.

Nutritional habits developed during childhood can stay with you into adulthood. That could pay dividends for your child for years to come, but in the near future, these smart choices can mean a lot for their oral health. It’s easy for your child to end up eating too many items high in sugar and carbohydrates. Unfortunately, those tend to be cavity-causing foods. They supply fuel for bacteria to produce acid that attacks tooth enamel. Keep reading as a pediatric dentist in Flower Mound helps you discover alternatives that will satisfy their snack cravings while not being so hard on their teeth.

When you look at your child, you marvel at how much they’ve grown and yet how small they still seem to you. They’ve lost some baby teeth, but they have plenty more to go. During one of their dental checkups, your pediatric dentist strongly recommends meeting with an orthodontist to start what’s called Phase 1 orthodontics—basically braces with baby teeth. It’s natural to wonder whether it’s too soon. Before you begin this treatment, you should know more about it, why and how it works, and the benefits of starting early for some kids.

As a conscientious parent, you want to be aware of and careful about what goes into your child’s body. Maybe you buy organic produce, and use environmentally friendly cleaning products at home to protect them, but you certainly care about the drugs they take. When it comes to IV sedation for dental work, you may be curious about what drugs your pediatric dentist may use. Keep reading to learn about why this option may be best for your child and two of the most common types for children.

At the dentist’s office, your child is being particularly rambunctious—just in time for treatment. You aren’t sure how they are going to make it through their appointment with all that energy when the dentist recommends using what is commonly called “laughing gas” sedation to calm them down. Isn’t that just for kids who are scared of the dentist? Is your child a good candidate for nitrous oxide sedation?

Keep reading to learn which patients can best benefit from this form of sedation and how it can help kids have a better, more productive dental visit.

Overlapping, gapped, and misaligned teeth are just a few of the many orthodontic issues that braces can correct. In fact, the traditional metal brackets and wires can fix everything from a minor gap to severely rotated teeth. There is, however, one drawback: mouth sores. Fortunately, this is largely avoidable with the right best practices in place. With this in mind, keep reading to learn four tips from your orthodontist in Flower Mound for preventing mouth sores with braces.

An emergency is never convenient, and it’s usually unexpected too. On that note, one of the biggest inconveniences you can experience if you have braces is an orthodontic emergency. Whether it’s a broken wire or bracket, a lost retainer, painful mouth sores, or some other type of oral injury, these situations can be alarming; after all, the state of your smile is on the line! Fortunately, orthodontic emergencies can easily be avoided with a bit of knowledge and foresight. Check out some helpful tips from your orthodontist in Flower Mound to prevent emergencies and keep your treatment progress on schedule.