Wisdom teeth are molars that typically erupt in early adulthood, at around 17-21 years of age. Because they come in so much later than other teeth, they are notorious for causing problems when they make their first appearance, as many adults don’t have enough space for them without disrupting the existing teeth around them. For this reason, our League City dentist may recommend your wisdom teeth be extracted, or pulled, either before or shortly after they erupt. In this article, we’ll explain wisdom teeth and why our League City pediatric dentist may remove them.
Wisdom Teeth Explained by Our League City Dentist
Each adult typically has four wisdom teeth, two on the top of your mouth and two on the bottom. Interestingly enough, many adults are missing their wisdom teeth, but those who do have them will often be required to have them removed. This is because many adult mouths simply do not have room to support these molars, especially since they make their first appearance much later than other adult teeth and after orthodontic treatment, like braces, has occurred.
Reasons Our League City Kids Dentist May Remove Wisdom Teeth
Given the aforementioned issues regarding proper space for wisdom teeth to come in without affecting existing molars, it’s common for our League City dentist to extract them to prevent these problems. Other reasons our League City pediatric dentist may recommend wisdom teeth extraction are as follows:
- Damage to surrounding teeth
- Infection or cavities
- Presence of cysts
- Bone loss
All of these potential problems could cause significant long-term damage to the teeth, gums, and jaw, so removal is typically the best precaution against further risk.
What To Expect from Wisdom Teeth Extraction
If our League City dentist has recommended you or your child’s wisdom teeth be removed, the procedure usually takes one of two forms:
- Non-surgical extraction: if your wisdom teeth are above the gumline, a simple extraction is possible. In this procedure, our League City dentist numbs the area surrounding the tooth or teeth and then wiggles them loose before removing them with forceps.
- Surgical extraction: For wisdom teeth that haven’t erupted yet and still sit below the gumline, surgical extraction may be necessary. This process begins with anesthesia that will allow you to fall asleep before our League City pediatric dentist cuts the gum open to access the tooth so it can be removed.
Both surgical and nonsurgical extraction of wisdom teeth are safe and common procedures. You may experience discomfort while the gums heal, but most patients are able to return to their regular activities the following day. Painkillers, either prescribed by our League City dentist or over-the-counter, will alleviate any lingering discomfort or soreness.
Trust Our League City Dentist with Your Wisdom Teeth Extraction
If you believe you or your child may need wisdom teeth extracted, schedule an appointment with our League City family dentist. We’ll provide a thorough dental exam to determine the best course of treatment for each individual patient and ensure your comfort throughout. Don’t put off this important preventative measure and risk more significant problems down the road.
The new year is in full swing and most of us have settled into the recently-established routines that may have accompanied the start of 2022. If you haven’t yet done so, our League City pediatric dentist encourages you to include your family’s dental checkups into these new routines in order to fully support your child’s oral health and model the importance of regular visits to our League City dentist.
Why Dental Cleanings with Our League City Pediatric Dentist Are So Important
Certain foods and drinks, especially those containing excessive sugar, cause our tooth enamel to break down and decay, and for plaque to accumulate on and in between teeth. Given the prevalence of sugary treats during the recent holiday season, it’s the perfect time of year to ensure your child’s teeth are healthy and identify any cavities as early as possible. We recommend your child receive a League City dental cleaning every six months, which will help maintain overall dental health by removing plaque and spotting cavities before they grow larger, leading to more significant problems that may require further treatments, such a crowns or root canals.
The Dental Cleaning Process with Our League City Family Dentist
Cleanings with our League City pediatric dentist typically involve the following:
- Oral exam: we’ll check the surface of your child’s tooth surfaces, checking for signs of decay and/or inflammation with the help of a small mirror.
- Teeth scaling: scaling removes plaque buildup from your child’s teeth, keeping them healthy and bright until their next cleaning.
- Cleaning and polishing: After scaling, we’ll use a high-powered electric toothbrush and a gritty toothpaste to reach cracks and crevices between teeth that your child may miss while brushing at home, leaving them clean and polished.
- Flossing: Flossing helps remove any particles, plaque, or toothpaste left behind from the aforementioned steps in our League City dental cleaning process.
- Fluoride: Sometimes our League City family dentist will give your child a fluoride rinse to strengthen their teeth and prevent cavities. Kids typically enjoy this step, as our fluoride rinse comes in flavors most children enjoy!
- Checkup with our League City pediatric dentist: The last step of our dental cleaning involves a thorough examination with our League City pediatric dentist, who will assess the health of your child’s teeth and identify any issues that may require treatment.
Our League City Pediatric Dentist Will Help Your Child Feel At Ease
Your child may be anxious about an upcoming dental checkup, especially if it’s been some time since their last visit to our League City kids dentist. This is relatively common and is best addressed with open communication so your child knows exactly what to expect. Our League City family dentist wants your family to feel comfortable in our office, so we employ child psychology techniques to communicate clearly and warmly in order to calm patient fears. One of our top priorities is establishing a relationship between your child and our League City pediatric dentist that is built on trust and respect.
Schedule Your Cleaning with our League City Pediatric Dentist Today!
If you haven’t already done so, schedule your child’s dental cleaning with our League City kids dentist today. We pride ourselves in cultivating a warm, yet modern atmosphere intended to keep our patients comfortable and eager to return. Your entire family deserves the very best in dental care and we’d be honored to provide it for you.
It’s quite common to learn that your child or teen needs dental braces, and that’s because alignment issues become apparent to our League City pediatric dentist once all baby teeth have fallen out and adult teeth have erupted. And since kids’ and teens’ teeth are easier to move than adults because their jaws are still growing, we will usually recommend League City dental braces treatment begin sooner rather than later. But parents are realizing that their children have more options than they did when they were younger, thanks to advances in the field of orthodontics. But if you’ve found that more options are accompanied by more questions, you’ve come to the right place!
Our League City pediatric dentist is often asked to explain the differences between the braces we offer and which one is the right one for their child. The two most common choices are traditional metal braces and Invisalign, so our League city dentist discusses how these two treatments compare.
What Are Metal Dental Braces and When Are They Needed?
Dental braces are designed to gradually straighten your child’s teeth through a combination of wires and metal brackets, which our League City pediatric dentist tightens periodically. When tightened, pressure is placed on the teeth and they slowly move in response. Our League City kids dentist recommends braces for issues like crowded and crooked teeth, underbite, and overbite. Because of their composition, our League City dentist can correct virtually any severity or form of malocclusion with metal dental braces, making them the most popular choice for treating this issue. Proper metal braces hygiene is of the utmost importance, however, so you'll have to monitor your child's brushng and flossing techniques to ensure food stuck under or between wires and brackets is removed effectively or it could lead to decay.
What is League City Invisalign?
Invisalign is another option offered by our League City kids dentist, which is essentially a series of clear, flexible plastic aligners that are worn over the teeth to gradually straighten them, much like dental braces do. Many parents and teens prefer Invisalign because the aligners are virtually invisible and can be removed when eating, drinking, and for special occasions. They do have limitations, however, as not every young patient is a good candidate for League City Invisalign. Also, since the aligners are removed when eating, younger patients sometimes have trouble remembering to put them back in after eating and brushing, or misplace them altogether. In order for League City Invisalign to be an effective treatment, the aligners must be worn regularly, for 22 hours each day.
Our League City Kids Dentist Can Help You Decide Whether Metal Braces or Invisalign Is Right for your child
When it comes to selecting the right treatment plan for your child’s individual needs, a visit to our League City pediatric dentist will provide the professional insight you need. Our modern, state-of-the-art office help kids feel comfortable and allows parents to know their child is receiving the best care possible. Call us today to schedule an appointment with our League City pediatric dentist and determine whether metal dental braces or Invisalign is the best treatment plan for your child.
A new year brings with it a chance to reset and refocus, especially in terms of our health. We’re all familiar with the traditional resolutions to eat better and get more exercise, and parents know the importance of modeling healthy routines and self-care so that their children can adopt the same lifestyle. Another way to foster that mindset is to remind your child that caring for their teeth is an important part of their overall health, which means that now is the best time to schedule a dental cleaning with our League City pediatric dentist.
The Importance of Dental Cleanings with Our League City Pediatric Dentist
What we eat and drink takes a toll on our teeth, causing the breakdown of tooth enamel and accumulation of plaque on and in between teeth. This is why your child should receive a League City dental cleaning every six months, which will help maintain overall dental health by removing plaque and identifying cavities shortly after they’ve developed. If left untreated, cavities will grow larger and could lead to more significant problems.
A Typical Dental Cleaning with Our League City Family Dentist
Cleanings with our League City pediatric dentist typically involve the following:
- Oral Exam: we’ll inspect the surface of your child’s teeth, checking for signs of decay and/or inflammation with the help of a small mirror.
- Teeth scaling: scaling removes plaque buildup from your child’s teeth, keeping them healthy and bright until their next cleaning.
- Thorough cleaning and polishing: After scaling, we’ll use a high-powered electric toothbrush and a gritty toothpaste to reach cracks and crevices between teeth that your child may miss while brushing at home, leaving them clean and polished.
- Flossing: Flossing helps remove any particles, plaque, or toothpaste left behind from the aforementioned steps in our League City dental cleaning process.
- Fluoride: Sometimes our League City family dentist will give your child a fluoride rinse to strengthen their teeth and prevent cavities. Kids typically enjoy this step, as our fluoride rinse comes in flavors most children enjoy!
- Checkup with our League City pediatric dentist: The last step of our dental cleaning involves a thorough examination with our League City pediatric dentist, who will assess the health of your child’s teeth and identify any issues that may require treatment.
Talk With Your Child About Their Upcoming League City Dental Checkup
It is common for children to feel anxious before their visit, which is why our League City family dentist uses child psychology techniques to communicate openly and help calm their fears. It’s also helpful for parents to discuss the importance of regular dental cleanings, as well as an idea of what to expect. We want to ensure your child’s comfort, starting from their very first appointment. Establishing a relationship between your child and our League City pediatric dentist that is built on trust and respect is our top priority; we want our office to be a place your child looks forward to visiting.
Schedule Your Cleaning with our League City Pediatric Dentist Today!
Start the new year on the right foot by scheduling your child’s dental cleaning today. Our League City family dentist office features state-of-the-art technology in a modern environment, providing you with a comfortable experience and expert dental care. We look forward to giving you and your family a healthy smile going into 2022!
Regular dental checkups are imperative to your overall health, but choosing the right League City dentist to fit your needs can seem like a daunting task. There are many options to choose from, but we are confident that Autumn Family Dentistry is the best choice for you and your family thanks to a knowledgeable staff, welcoming environment, and a variety of services to meet nearly all of your oral health needs. Keep reading to learn why we are the best League City family dentist for you.
Experienced League City Dentist Dentists and League City Pediatric Dentists
We believe every member of your family should receive top-notch dental care. Not only is our League City dentist the expert for your dental health needs, but our League City pediatric dentist has years of experience working with children of all ages. We encourage kids to begin regular visits to our League City pediatric dentist beginning at around six months of age, which allows us to build a trusted relationship with you and your child. After that, children and adults should receive regular dental checkups twice a year to ensure proper oral hygiene and identify any problems as early as possible so they can be treated in a timely manner.
Because kids have unique dental needs, you want a dentist with the experience and education to meet these needs. Our League City family dentist provides the highest quality care thanks to open communication based on a knowledge of child psychology, allowing your child to feel comfortable, respected, and heard.
Our League City Dentist Offers Cosmetic Dentistry
We offer a variety of cosmetic and restorative procedures for our patients looking to improve their smiles. If you your teeth are crooked, missing, or discolored, our League City cosmetic dentist can provide the following treatments in our modern, comfortable office:
- Dental implants
- Dental veneers/lumineers
- Dental crowns
- Dental bridges
- Teeth whitening
- Dental braces
- Invisalign
We Feature Modern Dental Technology
While your visit to our League City dentist may not be as enjoyable as say, a trip to the spa, we want you to feel as comfortable as possible. Modern technology allows us to provide you with a streamlined, stress-free experience from check-in to check-out, as well as the highest quality of care. That’s why we’ve invested in certain technologies like digital X-rays, intra-oral cameras, and ceiling television screens, all of which contribute to an overall pleasant visit.
Choose Autumn To Be Your League City Family Dentist
Choosing the right dentist for you and your family is one of the most important choices you can make for your health. By forging a strong relationship with you and your family, as well as providing top-notch dental health care based on best practices, we are confident that our League City Family Dentist will be your choice for years to come. Call us today to schedule an appointment and see what sets us apart. We're confident we can brighten your entire family’s smiles in more ways than one.
