What To Do When Your Child Has a Toothache

When your child has a toothache, it can be difficult to pinpoint what exactly is causing the pain, and where the pain is directly located. Often times you may find yourself feeling helpless and not knowing how you can help ease the pain. When dealing with a toothache, be gentle with your child to avoid adding anxiety.


Make sure it is a toothache. Your child may be suffering from sore gums or may have bitten their tongue.

If it is a toothache, the first thing you should do is look inside their mouth where it hurts, and check for food stuck in-between your child's teeth. This is one of the most frequent causes of children having toothaches and can cause a considerable amount of discomfort. If there is a food particle lodged, use floss to gently remove it.

A glass of warm water used as a rinse can help to relieve a toothache. This is especially helpful if tooth enamel is cracked.

Rinsing with table salt and warm water can soothe irritated, swollen gums. Sometimes cold may feel better than warm. Apply an ice pack wrapped in a towel to the face, close to the toothache.

 

There are over the counter pain relievers than can help ease toothache discomfort. If you plan to use these, make sure you are following the dosage instructions on the label. Medication that is given to children is administered by age and weight.

Be sure to schedule regular dental checkups for your child. You can contact us to make an appointment!

Types of Mouth Guards

Mouth guards are covers worn over your teeth. They help to protect teeth from injury during sports as well as teeth grinding. Generally, they are worn over your upper teeth only, but in some cases they can be made for the bottom teeth.

 

The three types of mouth guards include; Stock, boil and bite and custom fitted.

 

Stock mouth protectors – These come preformed and ready to wear out of the box. These are the most inexpensive of mouth guards as they are not fitted to your teeth. They can be bought at most department stores. You are unable to adjust the fit, and they make speaking a little difficult. They provide little protection, and should not be used for sports but can be used for over night grinding.

 

Boil and bite mouth protectors – These guards can usually be found at sporting good stores and offer a better fit than the stock protector. This mouth guard is made from a thermoplastic material which you place in hot water to soften. You then place it in the mouth and it shapes around your teeth while you use your fingers and tongue to get it in the grooves.

 

Custom-fitted mouth protectors – These are individually designed and made in the dentist office or a laboratory. An impression of your teeth is taken and a mouth guard is then molded over the model using a special type of material. The special material and extra time involved in the creation of this mouth guard, they are more expensive then the other types but you get more comfort and protection.

Make Brushing Fun for Kids!

It may be a bit of a stretch to imagine your child getting excited about their morning and evening brushing. While they may not absolutely not love to brush, there is no reason they should hate it either. It can be years before your child develops required motor skills and coordination to maintain healthy brushing habits on their own. Until they can do it on their own, they will need your help! Read on for some ways you can make brushing teeth more fun for your child.

Be a leader.

The best way to show your child the importance of brushing is to brush right alongside them. This can be a fun, bonding experience. Your child will be mimicking your brushing motions, and pick up your good brushing habits. Be sure to make a funny face or two to make them laugh!

Brush selection.
Food and toy industries both appreciate the value of marketing for children by using bright colours and images of their favourite characters. When you are selecting a toothbrush for your child, bring them along with you so they can pick out the one they want. If your child views the toothbrush the way they view their toys, they will want to use it more often. Toothpastes also come in colours and flavours for children which makes the brushing experience that much more enjoyable.

Bring a friend.
Don't hesitate to bring your child favourite toy or stuffed animal to the bathroom when brushing. You can explain to the stuffed animal what you are doing, and why it is important and your child will be listening as well. You can also count aloud as you brush, checking off one tooth at a time to ensure you have cleaned your teeth thoroughly. As a bonus you are helping your child practice their counting.

Facts about the Tongue

The tongue is a muscular structure attached to the floor of the mouth. It is responsible for many various tasks. Read on to learn some facts you may not have known about tongues!

• The tongue is the main sensory organ for taste. The surface of your tongue is covered with taste buds which have taste receptors.
• On Average, the human tongue has 3,000 - 10,000 taste buds.
• The bumps that you can see on your tongue are called papillae. Our taste buds sit on top of the papillae but they are not visible to the human eye.
• There are five elements of taste : salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and savoury.
• These tastes can all be detected anywhere on the tongue, there are not specific taste areas.
• The tongue helps with changes in sound during speech.
• The tongue also works as a natural way of cleaning your teeth after you are done eating.
• The human tongue is divided into two parts the anterior and the posterior.
• The anterior part of the tongue is the visible part at the front and is about two-thirds of the tongue's length.
• The posterior tongue area is closest to the throat, and roughly one-third of length.
• There are eight muscles in the human tongue which can be classified as intrinsic or extrinsic.
• There are four intrinsic muscles which are not attached to any bone. These are the muscles that allow the tongue to change shape, such as point, roll, tuck, expanding and contracting.
• There are also four extrinsic muscles but these are attached to bone. They allow the tongue to change position, such as poke out, retract, side-to-side movement.
• The average length of the human tongue from the back to the tip is 10 cm (4 in).
• Taste receptors cannot actually taste food until saliva has moistened it. This is why we usually taste salty things first as salt dissolves quickly in moisture.
• Traditional human food dishes sometimes include tongue of various animals. In Mexico, they have a taco filled beef tongue dish. Pig and cow tongue is popular in Chinese cuisine.
• Sticking your tongue out to people is seen as immature or rude in many countries, however, in Tibet it is considered a greeting.
• Dogs and cats use their tongues to clean their fur and body. The rough texture of their tongue allows them to remove oils and parasites from their coat.
• Some animal tongues are specially designed to catch their prey. Chameleons, frogs, and anteaters have tongues that can extend out of their mouth and grab insects!

The blue whale has the largest tongue of all animals. Its tongue weigh's around 2.7 metric tons or 2700 kilograms!