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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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    Wisdom From Wisdom Teeth, Anyone?

    Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last teeth to come in during young adulthood. It is easiest to remove wisdom teeth when the patient is a young adult (late teens to early twenties) because the roots are not fully developed. Wisdom teeth are removed to correct a problem or prevent a problem in the future. The way in which the teeth are growing in determines whether or not a person needs to have them removed, but not all people need to have their teeth removed. It is possible to never have to remove wisdom teeth or to only have to remove one. Wisdom teeth removal can be done by your general dentist or an oral surgeon in office as an outpatient procedure.

    Reasons to Remove:

    Wisdom teeth may partially break through the gum causing the gum to grow over the teeth, which allows for food and germs to get trapped.
    Wisdom teeth may grow in at an awkward angle, which needs surgery to remove so that the tooth does not interfere with the kar or other teeth.
    Prevents crowding of the back teeth
    Impacted tooth in the jaw

    Extraction Process

    During the removal process, your dentist/surgeon will use a local anesthetic to numb the area around where the tooth will be extracted. When dealing with multiple tooth extractions you will be placed under general anesthesia, causing your whole body to be asleep during the procedure. In most cases the removal of the teeth goes very smoothly: the dentist opens up the gum tissue around the tooth and pulls the tooth out. Sometimes the tooth is harder to extract and the dentist must break the tooth into pieces to extract it piece by piece. After the tooth is removed, the dentist will stitch up the gum with dissolvable stitches.

    Recovery

    The recovery process generally only lasts a few days, which includes taking the pain medicine prescribed, rinsing mouth out, and using the gauze to absorb all the excess blood. In order to minimize the pain, try using an ice pack on the outside of your cheek/cheeks. Apply the ice pack for 15-20 minutes at a time for the first 24 hours, after the first day use a warm wrung-out towel for the next few days. Contact your dentist or surgeon if the pain begins to get worse around the fourth day, which may be a sign of complications.

    Good Dental Care Habits For Kids

    You may have a lot of questions about your child’s teeth, especially if you are a new parent. But whether you are a new parent or have 10 kids, you know your children need to practice good dental care habits. So here are the answers to some of our frequently asked questions.

    1. First things first: start young.

    The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry encourages parents to take their children to the dentist when they turn 1 year old, or six months after their first tooth comes in. You may be thinking this is a little early for a dentist visit, but it isn’t. That first tooth that comes in is accessible to plaque, which can lead to cavities and other complications. Your pediatric dentist will be able to educate you about your child’s mouth and the proper steps needed to have a healthy smile.
    This is also a good time to get advice on your child’s bad oral habits such as thumb/finger sucking and pacifier use. Don’t be a stranger. Follow up with your pediatric dentist as often as every six months. They will be able to assist you in making an oral care schedule for you child.

    After jumping the hurdle of getting your children to visit the dentist, their good oral habits need to continue at home. Teaching your children proper oral hygiene habits is an investment into their overall health. Some parents may have difficulty getting their children to brush and floss everyday because “it’s not fun.” Encourage proper techniques and habits, leading by example. Show them how it’s done and they will follow suit. There are, however, some techniques you can pick up to try and make it more fun.

    2. Let children pick their toothbrush and toothpaste.

    There is a wide range of different products. Colors, characters, electric — kids can personalize their brushing experience to their liking. Making their own choices will help spark their interest in dental care so it won’t seem so much like a chore. Just make sure whatever they choose is approved by the FDA and ADA. Look for those letters on the packaging.

    3. Offer rewards and incentives.

    Parents aren’t perfect, and sometimes a little bribe here and there will work. Start small – offer extra play time or a treat over the weekend. We don’t recommend big rewards every day; this can lead to an expectation of gifts and parents definitely don’t want that. Small rewards over a larger period of time will allow for “weaning” off this technique, at the same time encouraging good oral care.

    4. Educate your child.

    Your children are like sponges. Teach them everything you know about oral health care and the consequences of not following proper cleaning techniques. Colorful charts are always a plus, and get your older children in on the action. Your young children look up to their siblings and are likely to follow what they are doing.

    5. Make it a routine.

    Children respond well to patterns and routines. Make sure to incorporate good dental care into their morning, afternoon, and evening routine. Make sure they are using proper techniques and ask your dentist if you have any questions about how to improve their daily routines.

    If you have more questions about getting your children to follow good oral hygiene habits, feel free to contact us for more information. After all, we want to keep our younger generations smiling big!

    Smiling Can Go A Long Way

    Smiling is something most people do without even thinking about it most of the time. You might smile at a familiar face, something that you find funny, or for no reason other than you’re in a good mood. There is actually more to smiling than just a reaction to your surroundings. Smiling can actually make you happier, healthier, relaxed, and much more!

    Smiling makes you happier

    Most people smile when they’re happy, but smiling also makes people happy. Your body knows that smiling is associated with happiness. Endorphins are released in your body when you smile. Endorphins are the chemicals in your body that make you feel happier. Smiling even if you don’t feel happy will make your mood happier to match your smile.

    Smiling relaxes

    The same endorphins that make you happier can also make you less stressed. These endorphins spread around your body easing tension and acting as a natural pain killer for your body in any stressful situation. Smiling also reduces the activity of cortisol which is a hormone that is more active when you are stressed. The less cortisol, the less negative feelings which means more positive feelings.

    Smiling boosts productivity

    You’re more apt to work when you’re in a good mood. If you were in a bad mood and you needed to do something that wasn’t that enjoyable, you probably wouldn’t be as motivated as you would be in a good mood. we know now, smiling boosts your mood so smiling while working will make work more enjoyable for you.

    Smiling is contagious

    Everyone wants to make the world a better place, why not start with a smile? University of Wisconsin-Madison Ph.D. student in psychology, Adrienne Wood, studied the effects of smiling on other people. She concluded that sensorimotor simulation in our brains is what causes us to smile at other people that smile without even realizing it. The researchers concluded that we trigger the same emotional state in ourselves as the person we are mimicking, which allows us to make an appropriate social response.

    Smiling creates trust

    Imagine you’re on a street with vendors on it. One looks bored and uninterested while the other is making eye-contact and smiling; which one do you think you would go to? It goes without saying you would be more attracted to do business with the one that is smiling and looks happy. If you smile, other people are more likely to trust you because trust and happiness are usually related.

    Although there are many reasons to smile:

    “We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do” – Mother Teresa

    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!)

    Common Dental Hygienist Tools

    Those shiny silver tools that are propped next to you in the dentist’s chair may look intimidating, but they’re not as scary as you think. At the end of the day, they’re just there to help fix any problems with your teeth or clean away any debris! Here are some common tools used by dental hygienists along with their functions:

    Mouth Mirror: This guy pretty much speaks for itself. This is to help the hygienist get views of your mouth at different angles. It is also used to reflect light and to retract your lips, cheeks, and tongue

    Air Drill: This compact air compressor targets and gets rid of any small, early areas of tooth decay

    Cotton Forceps: The job for these guys is to grasp and/or transfer any material in and out of the mouth without disturbing or interacting with any teeth

    Explorers: The name says it all. These guys explore and examine any tooth decay,  canals, and other things that look out of the ordinary. They have pointed tips which are either sharp, thin, or flexible which can poke around to find any cavities

    Smooth Condenser: So what’s so smooth about this tool, you ask? It’s ends are! They can be round or flat,  small or large, and single or double-sided. The function of this guy is to pack cavity filling into the space your dentist cleared

    Hatchet: The name may sound frightening, but this tool is harmless. It is mainly used when preparing for cavity procedures and removes unsupported enamel from the tooth. This guy has a one-sided handle with an angled pointed tip on the other side

    Disposable Saliva Ejector: Ah, the almighty “spit sucker” that hangs out of your mouth to get rid of any excess saliva. This guy vacuums up any saliva, water, or other debris during procedures and cleaning

    There are many more tools used, but these are the most popular of the bunch. So now that you’re aware of what these guys do and what they look like, don’t freak out next time you happen to look over at those shiny tools; they’re only there to get the job done and pave the way to a better smile!

    Whitening Toothpaste: Why It May Not Be Effective

    Let’s face it, we all want the whitest teeth possible. But have you been trying the hardest to get those desired results that aren’t apparent yet? We have a few reasons as to why your teeth may be going from dazzling to dull white using whitening toothpastes.

    First, it is important to note that whitening toothpastes can’t change the actual color of your teeth. They also don’t contain peroxide which is a key ingredient for teeth-whitening. Most ingredients included in whitening toothpastes only remove surface stains, which means that it can’t lighten a stain that is deeper than surface level.

    Second, the overuse of whitening toothpaste can wear down tooth enamel, which, in turn, can cause a yellowish shade on your teeth. Although it takes about two to six weeks to see results when used twice a day, it is well worth the wait instead of using the toothpaste more than you should just to have your teeth become less white than they should be.

    So although whitening toothpaste may deliver some results overtime, it may not thoroughly do the job as much as teeth whitening treatments provided by your dentist.

     

     

    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!

    What Are Your Teeth Actually Made Of?

    Let’s take things step by step here. First and foremost, your teeth have several layers to them; each with a purpose. The hard outer shell of your teeth is called enamel. The purpose of enamel is to protect the inner layers of your teeth. So how strong is enamel, exactly? You might be surprised by this, but enamel is actually the hardest substance in your body! It’s even harder than your bones. So what’s underneath that hard, shiny armor? The next layer after the enamel is called dentin. Dentin protects the very inner layer of your teeth, known as pulp. It’s also a little less stronger than enamel but is just about as hard as your bones. So what’s this “pulp” we speak of and why does it need to be protected? Pulp contains the nerve endings of your teeth and is where the blood supply can be found that connects to each tooth to provide the nutrients needed for each. Pretty neat, huh? But we’re not done yet! What about the roots of your teeth? These substances, called cementum, anchor each tooth to the jawbone.

    Dr. Tim Verwest, DMD collects 930 lbs. of food for Harry Chapin Food Bank

    Pediatric Dentistry of Ft. Myers, Dr. Tim Verwest, DMD collected 930 lbs. of can-food donations during their “Touch-a-Truck’ event. All food collected will benefit the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida.

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