Below is a list of most common what if’s! What if my child has…

Abscess

An abscess is an infection at the base of a tooth's root. An abscess typically occurs when the nerve of a tooth is infected. Infection is generally caused by deep decay or by some kind of accident that causes trauma to the tooth. An abscessed tooth requires either pulp therapy or extraction. An antibiotic may also be prescribed to prevent infection. An abscessed tooth can be sensitive or painful. Untreated abscesses can compromise immunity and in some cases can even cause life-threatening complications.

Bleeding Gums

Healthy gums rarely bleed. Bleeding gums are almost always due to an infection. Affected areas should be brushed and flossed thoroughly and regularly. Gum infection can lead to Gum Disease and, in extreme cases, loss of teeth. The beginning stages of gum infection are almost never painful, so bleeding gums may be your only clue that  Gum Disease is present.

Chipped or Broken Tooth

Minor procedures are available for chips and breaks that are not the result of recent trauma. Investing in smaller repairs now can prevent the need for more complicated procedures down the road.

Cavity (Tooth Decay)

Tooth Decay results when proteins in saliva combine with substances in food particles left on and between your teeth after you eat. This combination usually creates plaque which eats away at the enamel shell around your tooth. A hole appears in the enamel and a cavity then forms inside the tooth underneath the enamel. When cavities are detected early, usually nothing more than a Filling is necessary. Larger cavities can require a crown, pulp therapy, or extraction.

Impacted Tooth

Impacted teeth are teeth that have not emerged from the gum or have only partially emerged. Partial emergence or no emergence can be caused by:

• Crowding of teeth
• Teeth that have moved out of place
• Another tooth that has emerged into the wrong place
• Roots that have grown together

Wisdom teeth, also known as the third molars, are the teeth most likely to become impacted.

Loose Teeth

Loose teeth in children are most commonly caused by erupting (emerging) permanent teeth. When permanent teeth begin to emerge, the roots of the primary teeth shorten, and the baby teeth are pushed out.

Thumbsucking

Thumbsucking (or prolonged use of a pacifier) can cause problems with the proper growth of the mouth and proper tooth alignment. These problems, left uncorrected, can alter the structural appearance of a child's face.

When Should Thumbsucking Stop?

Children stop thumb sucking between the ages of 2 and 4.

If you need help putting a halt to your child's thumbsucking, we can give you child-friendly, age specific methods to help with this process.

Tooth Discoloration

Teeth become discolored for various reasons:

• Poor oral hygiene
• Drinking coffee, tea and colas.
• Some antibiotics
• Aging
• Using tobacco products, including cigarettes and smoke-free tobacco
• Trauma can cause the nerve in a tooth to die, and the tooth becomes dark.
• Root Canal Therapy can cause teeth to darken