Our Blog

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, your child should visit a dentist, like Dr. Jennifer Wells and Dr. Erik Wells, when his or her first tooth pops through the gum, or by time they are one year old.

Children do not always want to brush their teeth. In fact, the average child has three cavities by the time they reach their third birthday. However, if you make brushing fun for them, they will look forward to it, and develop a lifelong habit of good oral hygiene.

How to Make Brushing Fun

• Let them pick out their own toothbrush, like one with their favorite cartoon character.
• Allow your child to choose their own special toothpaste, as long as it adheres to AAPD guidelines for safety.
• Brush to a fun song that is two to three minutes long. When the music stops they are done brushing.
• Brush your teeth with them. Make it a family affair!
• Toddlers may be afraid of having their teeth brushed or brushing them by themselves. Allow them watch as you brush your teeth; this will help them to see that brushing their own teeth will not hurt them.
• Reward systems are great incentives for children, just don’t overdo it. You’re trying to instill good brushing habits, not simply reward them for something they need to do.
• Try an app on your phone; you’ll be surprised how many there are and how much fun your child will have using them.
• It’s important to make sure every tooth gets brushed, so as you child brushes their teeth, count them. Then when they are finished ask them how many teeth they have. You can switch it up a little by giving each tooth a silly name or make up a short rhyme about each tooth as your child brushes.
• Use educational tools, such as the movie “The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth.”
• Read books to your child about brushing their teeth and good oral hygiene.

All you need is a little imagination to help your child learn to love brushing their teeth!

Is every trip to the dentist a difficult one because your child suffers from dental anxiety? Or has difficulty sitting still in our chair? Or needs a first filling, or another unfamiliar procedure that you are concerned might be upsetting? If so, consider dental sedation for your child’s next visit.

Nitrous oxide, often called laughing gas, has been used for more than a hundred years in dentistry. A very safe process, inhalation sedation leaves your child happy and relaxed. He or she will remain awake and responsive, and able to follow our instructions.

The mixture of nitrous oxide gas and oxygen is administered through a child-sized mask. When your child breathes in through the nose, the gas begins to work at once. As soon as the mask is removed, the effects begin to disappear immediately. Because nitrous oxide is non-irritating, starts and ends working quickly, and allows your child to remain conscious and breathe easily, it is the most common form of pediatric sedation.

Dr. Jennifer Wells and Dr. Erik Wells and our team are concerned with your child’s safety above all, and we are carefully trained in any of the sedation procedures we offer. We always take into account your child’s age and weight, health history, medications, and any conditions that could have an impact on the sedation experience. We will talk to you and your child about what to do to prepare before the visit, and what will take place during and after treatment.

An important part of our work as children’s dental caregivers is setting them up for success in future visits. If you feel nitrous oxide sedation can help your child overcome anxiety, sit calmly to help make procedures go smoothly, or prevent unpleasant reactions to new or longer procedures, please talk to us about inhalation sedation during your next visit to our Watkinsville office. Our goal is to make each visit positive and worry-free for both child and parent!

After hours of juggling a wailing baby, you’re probably desperate to address teething pain. If your baby is irritable, drooling, and chewing on hard objects, he or she is likely teething. Although some discomfort while your baby is teething is inevitable, learning a few basic approaches can ease painful gums and soothe your frazzled nerves.

• Offer your finger. Simply chewing on your nice, plump finger may be enough to ease your little one’s pain. Make sure you clean your finger before placing it in your baby’s mouth.
• Use a teething ring. A firm rubber teething ring allows your child to gnaw, and alleviates pain. If your baby seems to like sucking on a bottle, replace the milk or formula with water during teething periods. This reduces sugar intake and decreases the risk of tooth decay.
• Cool it down. Stick a clean, moist washcloth in the freezer (place it on a tray for cleanliness) and offer that to your baby. The cooler temperature of the chilled cloth eases the pain of teeth erupting through the gums. Soaking the washcloth in non-caffeinated tea, such as chamomile, may reduce inflammation associated with teething.
• Grab some hard foods. Certain foods allow your kiddo to gnaw, and can ease teething pain. For example, frozen bananas, large chunks of chilled carrots, an apple, or frozen bagels make good teething pain relievers. If you’re offering your child solid food, watch carefully to ensure that your infant doesn’t bite off a piece and choke.
• Try a natural remedy. Years of grandmotherly wisdom suggest that home remedies might help with teething. Try rubbing clove oil, peeled ginger root, or vanilla extract onto your child’s gums. Although there isn’t scientific evidence to prove these remedies are effective, they may help your little one through the painful teething process. Just remember to test the method out on your own gums first to ensure any tingling or numbing is bearable for your child.
• Use medications. If your baby seems to be especially uncomfortable, over-the-counter medications may be appropriate. Giving an age-appropriate dose of acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) may reduce discomfort. Make sure you check with your child’s pediatrician or our office first to ensure the medication is safe.

If nothing seems to be helping your child’s teething pain, you can always schedule an appointment with Dr. Jennifer Wells and Dr. Erik Wells. Our team at Healthy Smiles understands the unique health needs of your little one, and are more than happy to help ensure he or she grows up with a beautiful smile.

For more information about teething, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jennifer Wells and Dr. Erik Wells, please give us a call at our convenient Watkinsville office today!

Two studies – one conducted in Washington State, and whose findings were published in the Journal of Pediatric Dentistry in 2004, and another conducted in Madrid, Spain, and whose findings were reported in 2012 in Science Daily, reinforce earlier findings that show a direct relationship between parental dental fear and that of their children.

The Washington study looked at dental fear among 421 children whose ages ranged from 0.8 to 12.8 years. The children were all patients at 21 different private pediatric dental practices in Western Washington State. The Spanish study looked at 183 children between the ages of seven and 12, and their parents in Madrid.

The Washington study used the Dental Sub-scale of the Child Fear Survey Schedule. The survey responses came from either parents, or other parties charged with taking care of the children. The people responsible for each child filled out the survey, which consisted of 15 questions to which answers were given based on the child’s level of fear. The scale used was one to five, with one meaning the child wasn’t afraid at all, and five indicating the child was terrified. The maximum possible points (based on the greatest fear) was 75.

Spanish researchers found that like past studies, there is a direct connection between parental dental fear levels and those of their kids. The most important new discovery from the study conducted in Madrid, was that the more anxiety and fear a father has of going to the dentist, the higher the fear levels among the other family members.

Parents, but especially fathers, who suffer from fear of going to the dentist and fear of dental procedures in general pass those fears on to every member of the family. While parents may not feel like they have control over those fears, the best way to help your child understand the importance of going to the dentist is by not expressing your fears in front of them – or around the rest of the family.

Dr. Jennifer Wells and Dr. Erik Wells and our team understand that some patients are more fearful than others when it comes to visitingour Watkinsville office. We work hard to make our practice as comfortable for our patients, both children and adults.