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Local Dentist Recognized as America’s Best Dentist for 2016

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The National Consumer Advisory Board has named Pediatric Dentistry of Ft. Myers, Dr. Tim M. Verwest, DMD one of America’s Best Dentist for 2016. Selections are done based on a proprietary assessment of a dentists experience, training, continuing education, and commitment to excellence to ensure the most impartial unbiased review of all applicants.

Dr. Verwest is a board certified Diplomat of the National Board of Pediatric Dentistry with professional interests in the areas of pediatric pharmacology, biomaterials, and pediatric anesthesia. He believes in lifelong learning and continues his education by taking courses in pediatric sedation, pediatric oncology, sealants, prosthetics, pediatric cosmetic dentistry, pediatric materials, childhood growth and development, and more.

Pediatric Dentistry of Ft Myers, Dr. Tim Verwest, DMD, continues to provide pediatric dental care to children for the last 26 years. Areas of service include comprehensive dental exams, cleanings, composite fillings, dental hygiene education, extractions, fluoride treatments, sealants, sedation dentistry, space maintainers, x-rays and tooth nerve treatment. For more information, visit www.DrVerwest.com or (239) 482-2722.

Forward To a Friend for a chance to Win 4 Snow Day Tickets!

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Brace Yourself! Does My Child Need Braces?

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For some children, getting braces is something they actually look forward to. For other children, there is a lot of fear and concern.

Making the decision to get braces for your child can be especially difficult. You may be concerned about whether your child really needs them, if they are ready for braces, and how to afford them. Hopefully this article will shed some light on your concerns.

Why Get Braces For Your Child

There are several reasons why your child may need braces. Their teeth could be crooked, overcrowded, overlapping or have a malocclusion (when the upper and lower jaws are different sizes, resulting in an overbite or underbite). These jaw and tooth issues can be a result of an accident, early tooth loss, decay or even habits like thumb sucking.

Your dentist may recommend that you take your child to see an orthodontist at one of their regular dental visits. The orthodontist can then decide a treatment plan. The age that this may happen can vary from 6 up to adulthood. Once permanent teeth come in, your dentist will be able to determine if there is a need for braces.

Going to the Orthodontist

The orthodontist will conduct exams that will asses the child’s bite and teeth. He or she may ask questions about popping jaws or problems with chewing and swallowing. Impressions and x-rays may also be taken at this time. The orthodontist will then come up with a treatment plan that is right for your child.

Braces

Braces work by applying pressure on the teeth and moving them into a straighter position. You have choices when it comes to the type of braces used: metal braces, clear or white ceramic braces, and lingual braces that are attached behind the teeth. There are also clear removable braces that use plastic trays, but these are usually only used when there is no malocclusion present. Headgear may also need to be worn at night to push teeth back to make more room.

After the braces are applied, your child will need to go back often for adjustments and to monitor the progress. Only your orthodontist will be able to tell how long your child will need to wear their braces, but 2 years is the average. After the braces are removed, your child may need to wear a retainer.

How to Care For Braces

Your child will be given a special flosser to help keep the braces free of food that can easily get stuck in them. Flossing should be conducted daily if not several times a day. Regular dental visits should also be made for cleanings and to check for cavities. Foods that are hard and sticky should be avoided because they could damage the braces. If a bracket does become loose or a wire pops out of place, you should call your orthodontist immediately.

Can I Afford Braces

The average cost of braces is $5,000. It is possible that insurance will not cover this amount. There are some ways to reduce the cost. Your dentist may be able to work with you to set up a payment plan. There are also state insurance companies that may be able to help you with the cost. Smiles Change Lives is a program that can get your child in braces for a drastically reduced amount. Your child must be between the ages of 11 and 18. Income and the condition of your child’s teeth will also determine eligibility.

8 Great Tips for Taking Care of Your Children’s Teeth

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1. Remember, a child’s dental care begins before birth.

A child’s teeth form between the third and sixth month of pregnancy. An expectant mother must practice good health habits to ensure proper development of her unborn child’s teeth. This means consuming plenty of calcium-rich foods such as leafy greens, fortified cereals and dairy or soy products.

2. Just because you can’t see your baby’s teeth doesn’t mean they aren’t there.

At birth, your baby has 20 primary teeth, some of which are almost completely formed in the jaw. The first four teeth will usually erupt when the baby is between 6 months and 1 year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything in the meantime. Simply wiping a baby’s gums with a clean gauze pad after feeding will remove harmful plaque and bacteria.

3. Take your child to the dentist by his/her first birthday.

A dentist will check your 1-year-old for tooth decay, as well as identify fluoride needs and address any potentially dangerous habits such as thumb sucking.

4. Don’t use toothpaste for children under 2.

As soon as the first teeth appear, brush teeth with a little bit of water. After children have reached the age of 2, toothpaste can be introduced in pea-sized amounts.

5. Teach your children the proper brushing techniques.

Most children will be able to brush their own teeth by age 6 or 7. Select for them a brush that has soft, rounded bristles and teach them to use only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. Show them how to use circular brush strokes to reach all surfaces of teeth, and make sure they spit out the toothpaste and rinse with water after brushing to avoid swallowing any toothpaste.

6. Don’t forget the floss!

As soon as any two teeth touch, make sure that you use floss to clean between your child’s teeth. This is the only way to avoid decay in places where a toothbrush can’t reach.

7. Make trips to the dentist fun for your child.

It is important for your child to have a good attitude toward dental visits. Be positive and remind your child that the dentist is a friendly doctor who is helping to take care of his or her teeth. Set a good example yourself by brushing and flossing twice a day and visiting the dentist regularly.

8. Take an active role in your child’s oral health.

You should always inform the dentist as to the status of your child’s health. Tell the dentist if your child is ill, what medications your child may be taking and if your child has any known drug allergies. If you don’t understand a dentist’s recommendations for the treatment of your child, ask for a more detailed explanation. Ask if there are other treatments available for this problem and, if so, how these other options compare cost wise. Then ask which of these methods would be most effective in treating the problem.

Source: http://www.dentistry.com/daily-dental-care/pediatric-dentistry/keeping-your-childrens-teeth-healthy

Motivating Kids to Care for Their Teeth

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We can teach children how to brush their teeth, but convincing them to do it is another story. We talk to people all of the time who are just tired and worn out from battling their kids about brushing their teeth. To help you out, here are 5 practical tips for winning the war:

Monkey see, monkey do.

Lead by example. Kids are always copying what their parents do. Show your kids consistency in your own oral health habits and they’ll follow suit. Even more, show them that you are proud of your smile and take pride in keeping it healthy and they’ll do the same.

Let them pick their poison.

Make a special trip to the store for your little one to select their very own toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, and mouthwash. Put extra emphasis on it being completely theirs. They’ll enjoy the fact that they have something that no one else can use.

Put a little fun into it.

Make up a song or game to go along with their brushing and flossing routine. By infusing energy, laughter, and play into the process, they’ll learn to associate brushing with a fun time.

Teach them why.

Instead of only teaching children how to brush, teach them why they should brush. Put it in children’s terms and tell them that they have to brush away the “sugar bugs” before they attack their teeth and make them dirty. There’s even plaque-revealing mouthwash to show them exactly where the “sugar bugs” are.

Role reversal.

They say you’re an expert in a subject once you can teach it. Let your child teach YOU how to brush, or have them pretend with their stuffed animal. If they can teach it well, then they’ve learned it well.

TIMELINE: Keeping Your Child’s Teeth Healthy

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Baby teeth DO matter! Unfortunately, many parents assume since baby teeth will eventually fall out anyway, it’s not essential to care for them. But that’s not true. Dental decay in baby teeth can negatively impact permanent teeth and lead to lifelong dental problems.

Not only will poor dental hygiene plague your child in adult years, but it could also seriously affect their childhood. The top dental problem for preschoolers is tooth decay, with 10% of 2-year-olds already suffering from one or more cavities. That percentage increases, until by age 5, nearly 50% of children have cavities.

So start early! Make oral hygiene a top priority for your family, and set your child on the path for a life of healthy, happy smiles.

Keeping Your Child’s Teeth Healthy

The Tooth-y Two’s: How to Care for Your Toddler’s Teeth

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Ahhh, the terrific two’s. (That is the saying, right?)

By now your child is sprouting some pearly whites, you’ve already been in to see the dentist a couple of times, and you’re engaged in the full-on battle of brushing each and every day. Keep it up, Mom & Dad! Sometimes the tears can be a bit discouraging (theirs AND yours), but you’re doing the right thing.

Here are a few reminders for your child’s oral hygiene.

How should I brush my toddler’s teeth?

Just like you, a toddler should be brushing for 2 minutes twice a day. More accurately, YOU should be brushing their teeth for 2 minutes twice a day. Children don’t quite have the manual dexterity to brush their own teeth for a few years yet.

Using a smear of fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled brush, brush in small, circular movements until all traces of food are gone. If you let your child brush their own teeth, make sure to finish up the job for them.

(And if they absolutely won’t let you do it without a huge battle, here are some tips for getting them to play along.)

Should my child be using fluoride?

Fluoride is a mineral that strengthens tooth enamel and makes teeth more resistant to acids and harmful bacteria. Adult toothpastes and most municipal water contain some amount of fluoride.

Call your local water authority or ask your dentist about fluoride in your water. If you use well water, buy a test kit from a hardware store to determine the fluoride level in your water supply. If it’s anything less than .3 parts per million, ask your pediatrician about a supplement.

Although fluoride is good for your teeth, swallowing too much of it over time leads to a condition called fluorosis that causes white spots on adult teeth. Until your child can spit out the toothpaste after brushing, use toothpaste without fluoride. When your child starts using toothpaste with fluoride, use only a pea-sized amount.

How can I keep my toddler’s teeth healthy?

Keeping your child’s teeth healthy depends as much on what you allow them to eat as how you brush them. Sweets and sugary snacks alter the acidity of their mouth, which causes tooth decay and cavities. These foods should be kept to an absolute minimum.

When your child is indulging in sweets, try to keep it to once a day. If sugary snacks are consumed regularly throughout the day, their mouth will be under attack from the acid for hours at a time.

The #1 Key to Your Child’s Oral Health

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Children today have a much better shot at a lifetime of good oral health than their parents did simply because of the recent improvements in treatments, including fluoride and sealants.

ORAL HEALTH STARTS WITH YOU

Want your child to have a healthy grin? You can start working on that even before you they crack their first smile. There’s been a lot of research lately that proves cavities are contagious, and the likely culprit for passing on the germs is the mom. Parents can unknowingly pass on the primary bacteria (Streptococcus mutans) to their newborns via their own saliva.

So how can you help stop the spread of the cavity-causing bacteria? Here are 4 ways:

AVOID SHARING UTENSILS

It’s easier to share a spoon at dinner – especially when it’s 99.9% likely to end up on the ground if you leave their own spoon lying on their high chair. And when it does end up on the ground, it’s much easier to “rinse off” in your own mouth than to find a new spoon. Be careful. You’re passing on more than just a spoonful of applesauce in the next bite. You’re also passing on the bacteria that could cause cavities in your little one’s mouth.

CLEAN PACIFIERS IN THE SINK, NOT YOUR MOUTH

Who isn’t guilty of this? Sometimes there’s not a sink around. Sometimes you simply don’t feel like taking the extra ten steps to rinse off the binky (which is perfectly understandable, given that you run around chasing little ones all day). Unfortunately, this is just one more thing you’ll have to add to your never ending things-to-do list. Keep an extra clean one on hand or rinse it off under warm, soapy water before passing it back to your child.

DON’T SHARE TOOTHBRUSHES.

Everyone in the family should have their very own toothbrush (this could even be a selling point to encourage your toddler to brush their teeth!), and they should be changed every 3-4 months, or sooner if you’re an extreme brusher and fray the bristles earlier. Using someone else’s toothbrush completely negates all of the healthy benefits of brushing.

KEEP A CLEAN MOUTH.

Take the time before your baby arrives to make sure your oral hygiene is in line. After all, it’ll be significantly harder to make it to the dentist once your little one makes their debut. Arguably the most important action you can take to make sure your child has good oral hygiene is to have good oral hygiene yourself. Make sure to brush and floss regularly. You’ll set a “contagious” good example, instead of spreading contagious bacteria.

Pediatric Dentistry of Ft. Myers donates to Tropic Isles Elementary

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FORT MYERS, Fla. (January 16, 2015) – Pediatric Dentistry of Ft. Myers, Dr. Tim Verwest, DMD donated 100 toothbrushes to Tropic Isles Elementary community problem solving team. Personal hygiene bags will be distributed to children in need.

“Our whole class got sick, so we decided to take things into our own hands,” said Amelia Mullee, a fifth grader at Tropic Isle Elementary. “I want to keep everyone healthy and germ free”. Pediatric Dentistry of Fort Myers regularly donates to improve community health and hygiene. In 2014 the office donated over 20,000 free toothbrushes to children in Lee, Collier, and Charlotte County.

Pediatric Dentistry of Ft Myers, Dr. Tim Verwest, DMD, continues to provide pediatric dental care to children for over 25 years. Areas of service include comprehensive dental exams, cleanings, composite fillings, dental hygiene education, extractions, fluoride treatments, sealants, sedation dentistry, space maintainers, x-rays and tooth nerve treatment. For more information, visit www.DrVerwest.com or (239) 482-2722.

The Psychological Consequences of Bad Teeth

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It’s easy to see the physical benefits of good teeth – proper chewing (which allows for a good diet), sleeping well (without chronic pain from toothaches), and speaking properly (without any mouth deformities that cause speech impediments).

But have you ever thought about the social and psychological benefits? If you have nice, straight teeth, probably not. But if you’re unhappy with your smile, it probably haunts you almost every day of your life.

Nearly 70% of survey respondents said their oral health affected their quality of life. Those with bad teeth reported emotional anxiety, avoidance of close relationships, and fear of rejection.

In another study, 31.2% of children were ashamed to smile because of their teeth. For someone who, on average, should smile about 400 times a day, that’s a lot of missed grins. Ten percent of kids even said they stopped playing with other children because they were ashamed.

While we do our best to teach kids not to “judge a book by its cover,” research indicates that almost everyone does – kids and adults alike. Bad teeth are associated with defects in character, intelligence, and morals. Because of these quick judgments, people with bad teeth are less likely to be successful in their careers and personal relationships.

Over the long term, smiling benefits your perception at work, social life, romantic status, and overall happiness. With that much at stake, it makes skipping a few nights of brushing seem like a much bigger deal.