Preparing For Your Child's First Dental Visit

A child's first trip to the dentist is always a big step for both child and parent. However, this step needn't be a scary one for your child as there are many things that you can do to make it as pleasant and positive an experience for them as possible.

First off, it is important to set the precedent that the dentist office is a fun and safe place to go. One very effective way of achieving this is to take your child along to one of your own dental visits first (a simple cleaning might be better than, say, a root canal...), before it is time for him or her to have their own appointment. By showing your child that you are not afraid of the dentist, and letting him or her become acclimated to the environment of the office early on, your child will be more relaxed when it comes his or her turn to meet the dentist for the first time.

Scheduling is another important factor when it comes to making this maiden voyage go as smooth as possible. More than likely, the best time for your child's first appointment will be in the morning, when he or she is well rested and has already had breakfast, and is thus less likely to feel tired and cranky.

However, more important than anything else is how you plan on explaining to your child what a trip to the dentist means in the first place. For this maneuver, there are many different approaches that one can use. One might be that the child is going on a "field trip" to the dentist's office. Another might be swapping the word "appointment" with "adventure". You probably want to avoid using words like "examination" or even "cleaning" (we all know how some kids hate taking baths!). Emphasize how nice and kind that the dentist you're going to is, and maybe even say that the dentist chair moves up and down like a carnival ride. No matter what, it is important that you instill in your child early on the idea that going to the dentist is a good thing to do, and that it might even be fun! For this first visit it is important to save the more serious stuff for later; after you get them through that first visit you can then move on to explaining that going to the dentist makes it so that you are protecting your teeth from "getting sick".

The final tip we have for making your child's first dental examination as pleasant as possible can be summed up in one simple word: distraction. The old standby of prizes waiting at the end of the dental tunnel for your child is of definite importance, so make sure the office you go to provides this for the young ones (and if not, bring some yourself). However, why not get your child something new to distract them while on the way to the appointment? This may seem at first like "spoiling" them, but, after all, "a spoon full of sugar does make the medicine go down." Thus, if your child has a new toy in his or her hand upon entering the dentist office, there is a good chance that this will remain in the forefront of their consciousness most of the way toward climbing up into the chair.

So, parents be brave! With a little forethought and creativity, you can turn your child's first dental appointment into a positive, fun experience, and create a solid foundation for your child to establish a healthy attitude about taking care of their teeth as well.

Getting Your Teeth Whitened the Right Way

Let's face it, almost everyone in the world would like to have whiter teeth. And why not? Having white teeth makes people feel more confident, appear healthier and look younger to those around them. Plus, perhaps most fundamentally, it makes you want to smile more often! But, when your teeth have lost some of their luster and shine, what is the best way to go about turning back the hands of time and brightening back up your smile?

Of course, before we talk about the best way to whiten your teeth, it is important to emphasize that the first line of defense in keeping your teeth white and healthy is to make sure that you cover all of your preventative bases, and that means keeping up with your dental responsibilities! Brushing, flossing and regular trips to the dentist all help us keep our pearly whites pearly white. And, of course, avoiding damaging behaviors like smoking cigarettes, drinking too much coffee and sipping too much black tea, is also a necessity if you want to keep your smile shining bright through the years.

However, no matter how much we might manage to control these factors, and live the healthiest lifestyle we can possibly muster, it's a sad but true fact that teeth do simply get less white as we age. Factors that play into this include everything from simple wear and tear on the enamel of the teeth, to more extreme examples of tooth darkening that can happen when the root of a tooth is injured or removed, as in root canal therapy.

So, when the need arises, what is the best way to get your teeth whitened?

Upon visiting the dental care aisle in any grocery or drug store, you will undoubtedly find yourself presented with an overwhelming cornucopia of products claiming all sorts of teeth whitening powers. And, when it comes down to it, a lot of these OTC remedies probably can help out a bit, maybe whitening your teeth a shade or two. However, most of these products come with a hidden extra cost. Many of today's over the counter whitening products, including whitening toothpastes, use abrasive substances to scrub away stains, and these substances can also do damage to the enamel of the teeth, especially if used over long periods time. Also, while over the counter bleaching agents can help with some stains, they usually prove useless when trying to whiten badly darkened teeth and are unwise to use if you've had any dental restorative work, like crowns or bonding.

Consequently, the best way to effectively and safely whiten your teeth is to have the job handled by a professional, and, luckily, most dentists nowadays have an arsenal of proven methods for whitening your teeth. These include bonding, which is a thin, plastic-based coating (usually used to fix chipped or broken teeth) that can be used to cover imperfections, dental veneers, which are a more stain-resistant method of covering up the teeth, and finally the most popular method of tooth whitening; bleaching.

When it comes to whitening your teeth with bleach, the dentist office is definitely the place to go. Like we said before, most over the counter bleaching systems are pretty ineffective, and if used incorrectly can even be damaging to the teeth as well. By having your teeth bleached by a dentist, you can be assured that you will not end up with unevenly whitened teeth, and that he or she will be applying the bleach in the safest, most effective way possible. Also, it is important to keep in mind that bleaching of the teeth is a long-term process that is most effectively carried out gradually and carefully, and by having it done by a professional you are ensuring that this will be the case.

So, next time you are visiting our office, don't be embarrassed to ask your dentist what your best tooth-whitening options may be. Or, how about simply learning more about our cosmetic dentistry services online? After all, if something is worth doing, it is worth doing right, and no one is more prepared to help you have the brightest smile possible than your dentist.

Five Famous Dentists Throughout History

Some of you may find the concept of "famous dentists throughout history" to be a rather strange one. However, we feel that the history of dentistry is just as important to our society as that of any other medical profession. Therefore, we would like to present our picks for the Top Five Famous Dentists Throughout History:

First off, no rundown of famous dentists would be complete without mentioning John Henry "Doc" Holliday, the mysterious and much-storied wild-west dentist who played a part in many famous stories from the days of the old West, mainly, of course, "the gunfight at the O.K. Corral." However, regardless of the fact that Holliday is mostly known as a extravagant gambler and expert gunslinger, his profession was nonetheless that of being a dentist. His first dental office was located in Atlanta, and then he rambled out to Dallas, Texas where he discovered that he could make more money gambling than practicing dentistry. After that, he ended up in the Wild West where he solidified his place in history by being enmeshed in the turbulent times that were happening there.

Norman W. Kingsley is often called "The Father of Orthodontics", and for good reason. Back in 1880, he wrote "Treatise on Oral Deformities," which was hugely influential on the field of dentistry as a whole. On top of being a pioneering dentist, he also was an artist, writer of fiction and sculptor. His 1880 book is still referenced today. He was also the founder of the New York State Dental Society in 1868.

Another famous dentist was originally a psychiatrist. However, Sir James Crichton-Browne, was most famous for his work in connection with the field of dentistry, specifically pediatric dentistry. Besides being an early advocate of dental care for children, this dentist was responsible for the discovery of the benefits of fluorine to fight tooth decay, which was about a half-century ahead of being officially confirmed by dentists worldwide.

Pierre Fauchard, an important French physician, wrote "The Surgeon Dentist" in 1728. This was truly a ground-breaking book that documented thoroughly everything from basic oral anatomy and oral pathology, to methods of treatment for removing tooth decay, orthodontics, replacement of missing teeth, etc., and earned him the title of "The Father of Modern Dentistry."

Finally, another groundbreaking dentist was Thomas Curtis, the first African-American dentist in Alabama. He served both the dental and African-American communities as a model of what being a dentist should be, and was a huge proponent and advocate for equal rights when it came to the practice and availability of the dental resources for all people.

We here at the Oakville Place Dental Office blog feel that these (and other famous, important dentists) often go under appreciated as far as their historical significance is concerned. So, next time you're in the dental chair, why not do a little name dropping and mention to your dentist one of these names you've learned today. After all, he or she spends so much time every day working on everyone else's smile, why not try seeing if you can make their smile a little bit brighter too?

Getting the Most Out of Going to the Dentist Office

When it comes to being fully informed about keeping your teeth healthy and all other things dental, there is obviously no one better to talk to than a dentist. However, many of us find ourselves "freezing up" a bit once we actually arrive at a dental office for a variety of reasons, even perhaps due to having some amount of "odotophobia" (as mentioned in a previous blog entry). Unfortunately, the end result of our "freezing up" is that we don't end up fully communicating to our dentists all of our dental needs. Here are a few examples of what I mean...

First off, it is important that you remember that dentists are people too, and therefore they are all different. They all have different approaches in how they treat patients, i.e. they all have different "bedside manners." Therefore, it is always good to get to know your dentist's style before you dive too deep into your dental care with him or her. So before getting to the point when it might be time to undergo a major dental procedure, be sure to schedule a routine visit with your dentist first. This way, you can get to know your dentist and have the potential of building a more trusting relationship with him or her. And remember, if your dentist's approach doesn't sit right with you, you may want to consider going to someone else for dental care that you can feel more comfortable with.

Secondly, once you know that you are with a dentist that you do indeed feel comfortable with, it is important to make sure to share all of your potentially pertinent medical information with him or her. This means telling your dentist about things like any prescription medications that you may be taking and of any medical conditions that you might have. You would be surprised to know how many different medical conditions can make it so that certain special precautions should be taken upon undergoing any major dental procedure. Additionally, you should definitely express to your dentist any mental concerns or fears that you may have regarding the undergoing of any procedure, even if it is just that you have an overall fear of going to the dentist itself. Don't be shy! Your dentist would much rather know of your feelings and concerns beforehand, so that he or she can do a better job making you feel as comfortable as possible.

Lastly, it is extremely important to keep your dentist fully informed of any pain, sensitivity, or other symptoms that you may have regarding your teeth. Many patients don't want to do this because they fear that they will be getting themselves into more "trouble" by revealing to the dentist new problems that will then have to be dealt with. However, it is important to keep in mind that you are at the dentist office in the first place in order to get rid of (and/or prevent) any potential dental problems that you might have. So why would you want to keep anything like that a secret? Also, by choosing to keep quiet about any tooth pain, you may just end up having to undergo a more serious dental procedure later instead.

So, be sure to communicate clearly and thoroughly with your dentist about everything we've talked about here. By making sure that you keep him or her as fully informed as possible, you will be guaranteed to get the most out of all your future trips to the dentist office.