Children’s dentist bonita springs

5 Benefits of Visiting a Pediatric Dentist

The Difference

Let’s face it – for some in past years visiting the dentist wasn’t the most fairy tale experience.  Put your mind to ease by selecting a multi award winning practice and the most loved pediatric dentist in Southwest Florida, Dr. Tim Verwest, DMD & Associates who are specially trained and board certified for treating pediatric patients.

While general dentists can perform the same work, visiting a pediatric dentist provides a slew of extra benefits:

Office Decor 

We’ve got fun just about everywhere you look! From video games, to community initiatives and educational lobby experiences for children of all ages to enjoy!

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Better Training

Kids aren’t always the most cooperative of patients.  A pediatric dentist has at least two additional years of training beyond dental school solely focused on treating young patients.

In the additional training, the focus is on child psychology, growth/development, and learning all of the tips and tricks of the trade for examining and treating children.

Specialized Treatment

In the circumstance that your child needs more comprehensive dental treatment, pediatric dentists are specially trained to handle special needs and to children with extensive dental treatment needs.

Oral Health Care Education

Since Pediatric Dentistry of Florida’s staff work solely with kids,  we know how to engage in educational learning.  Even more, we have props and teaching tools that are appropriate for all ages. To become part of our dental family, please fill out the form below and we will contact you immediately as possible. Thank you and we look forward to serving you!

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    A Chipped Tooth: No Big Deal Or Something Serious?

    Oh no! You’ve fallen, bumped into something, or bitten down on a hard piece of food. The result? You’ve chipped a tooth. Maybe a huge piece of your front tooth has broken off and your speed dialing one of our dentists for a repair or maybe you have a small tooth fracture that you intend to just live with. Either way a broken or chipped tooth could point to further damage in your mouth than what you may initially see or feel. Therefore your safest option is to go in for an evaluation and X-ray to make sure you are aware of all of the damage and know your options for repair.

    No Big Deal: If your chip was solely a break to the tooth’s surface and didn’t effect roots, gums, or nerves, you are likely to have an easy, quick, and cost effective cosmetic fix such as a filling or bonding.

    Something Serious: In the even that the chip weakened the rest of the tooth, you then become at greater risk for the tooth to further fracture or crack. In addition, if the chip led to significant nerve damage, a root canal could be necessary if attention isn’t given to treatment or healing.

    10 Of The Most Interesting Facts About Teeth

    You may not think about your teeth much. You might even consider them boring. But here are 10 fun and interesting facts about your teeth that just might catch your attention.

    1. Teeth are like fingerprints; no two teeth are the same. Even identical twins have signature teeth that are individually special to the person.

    2. Saliva acts as a rinse to rid teeth of sugar and bacteria. We produce around one to two quarts of saliva a day, which adds up to two swimming pools worth of saliva in a person’s lifetime.

    3. About 73 percent of Americans would rather go grocery shopping than floss their teeth.

    4. Each year, approximately 5 million teeth are lost to sports related injuries.

    5. George Washington’s legendary wood dentures are a hoax. The President’s dentures were constructed from gold, lead, and elephant and hippopotamus ivory.

    6. Children between the ages of 5 and 6 usually have 20 teeth, while adults have around 32 permanent, including wisdom teeth.

    7. Newborn babies are generally perceived as toothless. However, 1 in 2,000 babies is born with a tooth.

    8. Before minty fresh toothpaste was invented, a concoction of charcoal, ash, chalk, lemon juice, tobacco, and honey was used to clean teeth.

    9. Teeth grills may have originated as early as 2,500 years ago, as some Native American tribes were infamous for teeth bedazzling, using resin to embed gems in their teeth.

    10. The plaque found on your teeth is composed of more than 300 species of bacteria. (Yuck!)

    The Don’ts For Toddlers & Their Teeth

    Baby teeth are more important than you think. They pave the way for a happy, healthy smile in the future. They most importantly create healthy habits of oral care to last a lifetime!

    It can be hard to tell sometimes, but there are a few common things that can negatively affect the health of baby teeth. Here are the three don’ts you should pay attention to for you and your little one(s) at home.

    1. Putting your toddler to bed with a bottle: sipping on juice or anything that contains sugar can cause bacteria buildup from sitting in your child’s mouth throughout the night.
    2. Consuming unhealthy foods: Candies and sweets can be the perfect cure for that sweet tooth, but not for cavities and tooth decay. Be sure to eliminate foods with high sugar contents or closely monitor intake to wean your little one off frequent indulging.
    3. Infrequently brushing: Regardless of the amount of teeth your child may have, you must be sure that the right amount of brushing gets done each day. You may also encourage them to help you out to develop good oral hygiene habits in the future!

     

    Is a Pediatric Dentist Right For Your Child?

    What exactly is a pediatric dentist? A pediatric dentist treats children from infancy through teenage years. A pediatric dentist is just like a general dentist when it comes to preventative dentistry, regular cleanings, and treatments. Although they are both similar, we have a few general differences that are present between the two in order to get a better idea of what works for you and the family.

    Common Dentist

    1. Caters to the entire family
    2. Provides cleanings twice a year along with X-rays
    3. Repair tooth cavities
    4. Treat oral conditions that are related to any diseases

     

    Pediatric Dentist

    1. Acquired two to three additional years of training with emphasis on child psychology, growth and development
    2. Caters to a certain age group (1-18)
    3. Provides habit counseling (pacifier and thumb sucking)
    4. Handle dental development difficulties
    5. Contain orthodontics

     

    There is no right or wrong practice when it comes to using a general dentist or a pediatric dentist. However, there are benefits to using a pediatric dentist and then switching to a general when the time comes. It all depends on personal preference! So whichever dentist you may choose, either one will be just fine for the youngins.

    Why And How NOT To Fear The Dentist

    So the day has finally come for your dental appointment. You may be super anxious, but there’s no need to freak out! We have some things for you to think about and try to soothe those nerves away before heading into the dentist’s office.

    1. Remember that it might not be as bad as you think- you could be overthinking which can cause you to stress more.
    2. Bring a companion with you! Your parent, friend, or family members can lessen any stress you may be having by keeping you company and assuring you that everything will be okay.
    3. Breathe, breathe, BREATHE! For a relaxation technique, take a big breath in and let it out slowly. It’ll do wonders if your nerves start getting the better of you.
    4. Stay hydrated and have something to eat to make sure you feel good before seeing the dentist.
    5. Doctors are here to help you! The outcome of any procedure is to better your teeth or any problem you may be having. Keep looking forward to that positive outcome you will receive.
    6. Remember that this procedure won’t last forever and it’ll all be over before you know it. Once it is, you’ll feel like a million bucks!

    Are You Brushing Too Much?

    All you smile lovers out there strive to keep your teeth healthy and bacteria-free, am I right? But how much cleaning is too much cleaning? We have the answers on when to clean, how much to clean, and if you need to lessen your teeth cleaning schedules.

    First, lets establish some downfalls of brushing too much:

    1. Over-brushing can cause tooth enamel to wear down, which can cause higher risks of tooth decay
    2. It can cause damage to your gums, exposing the root area
    3. Teeth become more sensitive and prone to cavities when being brushed more than they should

     

    So now to avoid these problems, how often should you brush every day? The answer: Two times a day for two minutes each time. Preferably one time in the morning and one time before heading to bed. That’s it! Simple as that. Be sure to use gentle strokes and not vigorously brush off the enamel that acts as a shield for tooth decay. So no worries, you and your smile will have brighter and brighter days yet to come!

    Dr. Verwest voted Hulafrog’s ‘most loved ‘pediatric dentist

    HulaFrog awarded Pediatric Dentistry of Florida, Dr. Tim Verwest, DMD & Associates the most loved pediatric dentist for 2018. Hulafrog is a local site featuring all kid-friendly businesses and events around town. Readers voted for their favorite businesses in each category over the month of January. For more of the ‘most loved’ list, click here.

    This is Pediatric Dentistry of Florida, Dr. Tim Verwest, DMD, & associates second straight year winning the ‘most loved’ award from Hulafrog. For more information, visit www.DrVerwest.com or (239) 482-2722.

    Bad Breath, Be Gone!

    So how do you keep good smelling breath to stick around longer? We have a few tips to keep you and your mouth smelling fresh throughout the day.

    • Chow down on some veggies! These guys will balance out the bad-breath-causing acid in your body.
    • Consuming hard texture foods like apples and celery are beneficial for rubbing away any bacteria or residue left on your teeth.
    • Stay hydrated! Drink 48 oz – or about 6 cups – of water a day to keep bacteria under control by lubricating your mouth without any acidic chemicals involved.
    • Like we went over in previous posts, brush, floss, and clean your tongue as well as rinse with alcohol-free mouthwash. Chewing sugarless gum also helps!
    • Tea anyone? Having a cup of tea can wash away smelly germs while preventing any bad-breath-bacteria from forming
    • Having some yogurt keeps your mouth smelling nice and sweet from its probiotics

    What You’re Consuming Can Have an Impact on Teeth Staining

    If you are noticing your smile starting to losing its sparkle and shine, its time to take action. First, lets find the source of the staining; what could be causing your teeth to go from dazzling to dull? A huge factor can be certain foods or drinks you are consuming. Some culprits of teeth staining include beets, blueberries, soy sauce, tomato sauce, soda, coffee, tea, wine, and grape or cranberry juice. If you’re not ready to give up some of these things just yet, we have a few simple solutions to keep all these satisfying eats and refreshments by your side without harming your pearly whites.

    • Drink with a straw: This will prevent any liquid from getting near the visible front surfaces of your teeth
    • Use a tongue cleanser: This removes any residue on the tongue that can cause your teeth to bathe in staining.
    • Drink or rinse with water: This will help wash away any dark liquids from the teeth
    • Floss, floss, floss!: Since plaque attracts stains, the more plaque you eliminate will prevent further staining
    • Choose an antibacterial mouthwash: This will diminish any stain-catching plaque
    • Brush after every meal: This will greatly decrease the chance of stains settling on your teeth