When a child gets worked up and anxious  about seeing the dentist, it's usually pretty obvious before and during the first visit. The fear of the unknown not to mention what his or her little buddies in preschool have communicated to them about their personal dental experiences. Physical complaints like abdomen or headaches and dizziness are often witnessed in children with anxiety. Children may struggle with talking about their anxiety so it may be helpful to ask questions very carefully and diplomatically in order to get a better understanding of their symptoms. Coaching them through whatever fears they have about going to the dentist will probably help, however on occasion, some children may benefit from the use of sedation dentistry.

A consult with the child's medical doctor is typically completed before a sedation appointment is scheduled. And during the procedure, dentist's say that the child is fully monitored and only the minimum amount of sedation medication is used to safely complete their dental care. The sedation medication can be delivered by mouth, I.V. or I.M.(intramuscular).

Because good oral hygiene and regular checkups are so important starting at a young age, it's important to make sure that children are completely at ease when visiting the dentist. Other tips to comfort are bringing them along with you during your check ups to get to know the dentist, finding a pediatric dentist that specializes in the care of children's teeth and reading children's books about going to the dentist.

Looking for a pediatric dentist in south Denver, Littleton, Lone Tree, or Highlands Ranch? Dr Lisa Stimmel is a board-certified pediatric dentist located in Highlands Ranch near Colorado and University Blvd. Here's a video featuring Dr Stimmel.

Posted in Pediatric Dentist, Sedation Dentistry

Flossing with braces is essential for avoiding cavities, gingivitis and then even worse - periodontal disease! Signs and symptoms typically seen when your gums are not getting the attention they need are: red, swollen, receding, and uncomfortable sore gums. Many people will tell you that this is just "part of having braces" but that is not at all true.

Although treatment plans are customized for each patient, most people wear their braces for one to three years depending on the conditions that need correcting. During this time, it is more important than ever to maintain excellent oral hygiene as there are so many more places for plaque to hide. Flossing with braces can be difficult, but must be done.

Why do you need to floss? Let's just spell it out. Everyone has bacteria in their mouth. And even though that sounds disgusting, we need those bacteria to help digest food. However the bacteria can also be a harmful resident to our mouths when it gets lots of food particles and can hide in and around braces. So while bacteria are in hiding it creates plaque that attaches to your teeth and as it mixes with the sugar in our diet, creates acid. Yikes! The acid attacks tooth enamel as well as the gums likely causing irritation and infection. This can also cause cavities in unusual places, like on the front surfaces of your teeth at the edges of where your brackets are glued on.

Braces are a big investment towards a beautiful smile. Make sure you do your part to keep it beautiful AND healthy by flossing and brushing regularly!

Posted in Gum Disease, Braces, Pediatric Dentist, Headlines

Traditionally flossing your teeth between braces was something of an art, a time consuming art that is. Flossing with braces can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes, making the task somewhat undesirable for young adults especially. But the repercussions of not flossing while wearing braces can be even more undesirable. Permanent damage from bacteria, plaque and acid can be the end result as well as red, sore and swollen gums from ortho gingivitis. But there is a simple solution to make flossing less time consuming.

The Platypus Ortho Flosser flossing device is said to help orthodontic patients floss their entire mouths in one to two minutes, compared with the up-to-15-minutes it can take using traditional floss threaded under the wire for every tooth. The Platypus Ortho Flosser fits easily under your arch wire; allowing you to floss between your teeth and up into your gum line for a total cleaning experience. Lengthy flossing sessions are gone! 

The Platypus was created by Laura Morgan, a pediatric hygienist, who was set on coming up with an easy way for children to floss with braces.  Ask your orthodontist today for a sample of the Platypus Ortho Flosser to take the time out of flossing.

Looking for a children's dentist in Highlands Ranch or Littleton, Colorado? Check out Dr Lisa Stimmel and Kids DDS!

Posted in Braces, Pediatric Dentist, Headlines

We know how sensitive childrens teeth can be due to the softer and thinner enamel and because of that their dietary habits can influence acid erosion. Some recent studies have shown that many children have erosion of the dental enamel of at least one tooth. One guilty culprit, orange juice although full of vitamins  and delicious is a major culprit for young tooth erosion of the enamel.

But there are things to look for and to be proactive about when it comes to acid erosion and your childs teeth. Below are some simple steps dentists suggest to cut down on dental enamel erosion in children. These include:

• Limit the exposure of children to acid foods and drinks each day.
• Do not let children sip juice all through the day.
• Do not let children keep and swish acidic drinks around in their mouths.
• Have children rinse their mouths with water after eating foods or having acidic drinks.
• Children should brush their teeth regularly twice daily with a fluoride tooth paste.
• Toothpaste that is specifically made to protect against acid erosion can be used.

Posted in Pediatric Dentist, Headlines

According to a story on Dentristry.co.uk, Emily Cheeseman was born with hypodontia, a condition where a number of adult teeth don't develop. In Cheeseman's case, not only did her permanent teeth not come in, her six front baby teeth stayed put. She recently had those baby teeth removed in order to make room for new dental implants.

According to dentists, baby teeth usually appear at around five or six months, with all 20 baby teeth usually showing up by age 2 ½. By five, the first permanent tooth comes in with most permanent teeth (with the exception of wisdom teeth) arriving at around age 12 or 13. And in most cases, the permanent tooth's arrival heralds the demise of the baby tooth (not to mention the arrival of the tooth fairy). But if a permanent tooth doesn't come in, dentists say that it's not unusual for a baby tooth to stick around.

General the condition, hypodontia isn't anything to rush to the dentist about but some researchers believe that it might be associated with some genetic conditions such as ovarian cancer.

Emily decided at the age of 28 to have her 6 baby teeth removed and replaced with dental implants but her dentist says that it wouldn't have been impossible to keep those baby teeth the rest of her adult life.

Posted in Dental Implants, Pediatric Dentist, Cosmetic Dentistry, Headlines