5 Tips for Preparing Your Children For Their First Dental Visit

While a child’s first dental visit might make them a little nervous, there are a variety of things you can do to help prepare them. By doing a little prep work, your little one won’t feel as anxious and may even see the visit as a fun trip. The great part is the right dentist can help make this a memorable visit your child will look forward to next time.

1. Explain What the Dentist Does

Ideally, try to wait until the week or even the day before the first dental visit to explain things to your child. The longer your child has to wait before the appointment, the more anxious they might be.

When you do explain things, do it simply. For example, tell your child the dentist checks their teeth and helps them have a healthier, happier smile. You can even use children’s books and videos about the dentist to help them better understand the concept.

2. Let Them Bring Their Favorite Stuffed Animal or Toy

Children might not want to go in alone. Some pediatric dentists will actually let the parent sit nearby to help soothe an anxious child. But, your child likely has a favorite stuffed animal or toy they like to hold to feel more comfortable. Ask your dentist if it’s okay to bring it along. Then, your child can hold it throughout the visit to feel safer and more confident.

This is especially important if you’re taking in your child around their first birthday, as they’re not old enough yet to understand an explanation from the dentist. The AAPD recommends starting as early as one year old or when the first tooth appears.

3. Play the Dentist Game

Pretend play can make your child’s first dental visit much easier. You’ve been to the dentist for years, so you know what to expect. Grab a few popsicle sticks and a child’s toothbrush and pretend to be a dentist. This helps show your child what the dentist will be doing. This also gets them more comfortable with someone messing with their mouth.

4. Stay Positive About the First Dental Visit

It’s common for adults to feel nervous about dental visits, even if they’ve never had a bad experience. However, no matter how you feel about it, don’t let your child hear you say anything negative. The more positive you are about going to the dentist, the more excited your child will be too.

5. Promise a Reward

While sugary rewards aren’t recommended for obvious reasons, promise your child a small reward for being brave during their first visit to the dentist. This could be a simple toy or going to their favorite place, like a park.

Make the first dental visit for your children a good one by picking a dentist specializing in oral health for kids. See how Avon Dental Care makes going to the dentist fun and easy for kids.

Bridges Vs. Crowns: Understanding the Difference

When dealing with damaged or missing teeth, your dentist might suggest bridges or crowns. But the two aren’t the same, and the best option varies based on your oral health and dental recommendations. While both help give you a better smile, they’re surprisingly different.

What Is a Crown?

Before explaining how a bridge works, it’s important to understand how crowns function. A crown works as a cap that goes over an existing tooth. The purpose is to hide a misshapen, cracked, worn, or otherwise damaged tooth. They also work well when your existing tooth can no longer support a filling. 

During the crowning procedure, your tooth’s outer layer is removed to allow the crown to fit securely over it. While they can be made of porcelain, gold, or a porcelain/metal mix, porcelain is usually the most popular option since it’ll best match your surrounding teeth.

When it comes to bridges vs. crowns, this is an important distinction. Crowns fix existing teeth versus replacing missing teeth. However, crowns play a pivotal role in bridge applications.

What Is a Bridge?

The easiest way to envision a bridge is to think of it as a partial set of false teeth. However, instead of a full set of removable dentures, dental bridges literally bridge the tooth gap created by one or more missing teeth. And once in place, bridges are not removable.

Understanding crowns first is essential since bridges use either crowns or implants to anchor the bridge in place. When crowns are used, they cap the teeth on either side of those you have missing, securing the bridge of artificial teeth in place. In some cases, implants are used if there isn’t an existing tooth viable for crown placement. 

Bridges vs. Crowns: Which Should You Choose?

Often, bridges and crowns both come up as treatment options when your dentist talks about repairing your smile. A good rule of thumb to remember is crowns are for damaged teeth, while bridges are used for missing teeth. However, crowns are used in conjunction with bridges to anchor them in place. So, for missing teeth, you’ll need both, a bridge with two crowns on either side. 

If you’re not sure about bridges vs. crowns, don’t worry. Your dentist will talk to you about your full range of options to see which best fits your needs and budget. 

Check out Avon Dental Care’s full range of restorative dental solutions to make your smile look better and keep your teeth healthier.

The 4 Things a Dental Implant Can Fix

A dental implant is a fantastic consideration and option for restoring your smile. But, you might not realize exactly who dental implants are for and what they’re capable of fixing. Implants can last for decades, so they’re perfect as a long-term solution. So, if something is missing in your smile, implants might be able to fix it.

1. A Single Missing Tooth

While you could get a bridge, you’d also need to get crowns on the surrounding teeth. Alternatively, a dental implant is implanted into the bone to serve as a root. A fake tooth that looks like the surrounding teeth is attached to this new root. The other teeth aren’t disturbed, and suddenly, no one can tell you have a missing tooth.

2. Replace Multiple Adjacent Teeth

Avoiding smiling might seem like a great way to mask several missing teeth in a row, but you deserve to smile. Plus, your jaw can weaken over time, and your remaining teeth may start shifting into gaps. 

Luckily, dental implants can work like a bridge as well. First, implants are generally placed on either end of the gap. Then, a bridge made of multiple cosmetic, false teeth is attached to the implants. This gives you a new set of teeth that look and function just like your other teeth.

3. A Full Mouth Dental Implant

If you have severe decay, an illness, or a trauma that’s caused or is causing most or all of your teeth to fall out, implants can be a great solution. Unlike dentures that can slip out, dental implants stay in place. Similarly with replacing adjacent teeth, multiple implants are implanted to hold in your new set of teeth. 

While these teeth look similar to dentures, once they’re attached to the implants, they aren’t removable. Plus, implants are the best option for preventing jawbone atrophy (weakening of the jawbone). So you can achieve a great smile without worrying about dentures falling out while eating or laughing.

4. Confidence

Outside of fixing or restoring missing teeth, implants help fix your confidence. Simply standing up straight and smiling without hesitation instantly makes you feel and look more confident. Don’t let missing teeth take away your confidence. An implant transforms your smile into one you’re proud to show off wherever you go.

Ready to fix your missing teeth? See what’s involved in our dental implant placement process.