Caring For Your Retainer

Many orthodontic patients require a retainer at the end of orthodontic treatment.  Removable retainers are an easy step to take to preserve a straight smile. Kidz Connextion provides retainers for patients, and caring for your retainer properly is important so that it functions and lasts as long as possible.  A silly but common mistake people make with their retainers is trying to cut corners -- don’t try to clean or brush your retainer while it’s still in your mouth!  You can’t quickly scrub your retainer while brushing your teeth -- the retainer cannot be completely cleaned of debris this way, and toothpaste can also be abrasive to the plastic of the retainer.  Always remove your retainer before cleaning thoroughly with water and your toothbrush, and use a mild dish or hand soap to help clean off debris, never abrasive toothpaste.

You should clean your retainer daily, and also treat it weekly by soaking.  Soaking helps maintain the cleanliness of the retainer and keep it from drying out.  To soak the retainer, dissolve denture cleaning tablets in water or add a little baking soda to water to make a solution.  Storing your retainer properly is also important for its longevity.  Get in the habit of always using and carrying a case.  Too retainers have disappeared after being folded up in napkins!

Kidz Connextion Dental Care maintains offices around Phoenix.  To find out more, visit our website at Kidzconnextion.com.

Water Flossing with Orthodontics

A little floss goes a long way when it comes to oral health.  Flossing is an important step to remove food particles that have been left behind after brushing. Flossing can significantly reduce periodontal disease and cavity-causing causing bacteria that leads to tooth decay, but sometimes the act of flossing is difficult for a patient with orthodontics. If you have trouble adjusting to flossing with your new braces, Kidz Connextion dentists may suggest using a water flosser for those hard to reach places!

A safe, easy, and effective way to remove plaque around dental braces is to use a water flosser. A water flosser is a handheld device that sprays streams of water in steady pulses. Not only is this beneficial to patients with traditional braces, water flossers are also an option for people who have trouble controlling traditional floss by hand. You should never get by on flossing alone. It’s important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once a day to reap the maximum benefits of a healthy mouth.

Kidz Connextion Dental Care maintains offices around Phoenix.  To find out more, visit our website at Kidzconnextion.com.

Drink More Water in 2019

Drinking water is important for your health at all ages and is something simple families can pledge to do together in the New Year.  Kidz Connextion dentists know that plenty of adult patients are guilty of not drinking enough water, so it can be tough to monitor if kids are getting enough too.  We want to encourage you and the kids in your family to stay hydrated and healthy, and drinking more water is a simple resolution that has more benefits for your teeth than you realize!

We all know kids love drinking juice and soda, but we forget that these beverages leave unwanted sugar behind on the teeth.  The type of bacteria that causes cavities feeds on sugar, and produces acid that wears away enamel. Enamel is not replaceable, so it’s important to take care of it even from a young age.  When kids drink juice or soda, it is helpful just to drink some water afterwards to dilute acids and wash away food particles and residue. You and your children should be drinking at least eight 8oz glasses of water each day.  Drinking tap water with fluoride is important to help prevent cavities.  If you want to keep your mouths and bodies healthy, come see us to discuss tips that can help your whole family drink more water in 2019!

Kidz Connextion Dental Care maintains offices around Phoenix.  To find out more, visit our website at Kidzconnextion.com.

Have You Had a Cleaning This Year?

Dentists at Kidz Connextion encourage all our patients to maintain a great oral health routine at home, but it is still important to come into the office for regular professional cleanings.  During the holidays, we want everyone looking forward to the New Year and maintaining great oral hygiene!  However much you brush and floss, some harmful bacteria grow in your mouth that cause gum disease and can only be removed by a dental professional. 

It’s important to see a professional regularly not just to clean your teeth, but also to locate and monitor areas in the mouth that may need special attention, and a dentist can tell you if you may be missing a spot or skipping an important step in your regular oral care routine.  During a teeth cleaning, a hygienist thoroughly clean the area above and below the gum line with scaling tools to rid them of plaque and tartar. After the surfaces of the teeth are cleaned, the hygienist flosses between every one of your teeth and may apply fluoride if recommended by the dentist. Come see us for a cleaning to make a great impression during the holidays, and start the year off with your best smile!

To learn more about dental health and all the services provided at the practice, visit our website at Kidzconnextion.com.

Bite Checks

One of the most important parts of children’s bi-annual appointments is a bite check. At the Kidz Connextion Dental and Braces offices in Phoenix, we’re expanding the services we offer so that we can provide better treatment of patients in a setting they’re already comfortable with. The bite check lets us know whether a child might need orthodontic care or dental extractions and helps us to identify the cause of any discomfort they may be experiencing.

Children’s jaws are softer than those of adults, and the upper jaw does not fully fuse together until puberty. The wisdom teeth often do not erupt until near the end of adolescence. For this reason, children have a lot of misalignment issues that can be corrected much more easily than in adults. Misalignments may be due to the teeth being slightly tilted, twisted, or otherwise out of place, or it could be due to misshapen or mismatched jaw bones.

The digital x-ray machines in our offices allow us to closely monitor jaw and tooth placement without subjecting children to dangerous radiation or requiring them to hold film in their mouths. We’ll also examine their teeth at each appointment for unusual patterns of wear and make sure children are able to close their jaws together. It is usually possible by the time a child’s permanent molars start coming in around the age of seven to do an orthodontic assessment.

Kidz Connextion Dental and Braces maintains offices around Phoenix. To find out more, visit our website at Kidz Connextion.