Toothbrush Care

Toothbrushes are essential tools for removing decay-causing bacteria and their food sources. But how do you clean the tool you use for cleaning? And how do you know when you need a replacement? At Kidz Connextion in Phoenix, our patients receive a toothbrush with each regular appointment, but if they’re using them properly, they’ll need to switch toothbrushes more frequently than that. Fortunately, taking care of a toothbrush is usually easy.

 

Each time a toothbrush is used, it should be run under tap water afterward to rinse away some of the bacteria and debris it accumulates. Following that, it should be allowed to air dry in an upright position. Leaving toothbrushes inside travel caps will keep them damp, allowing mold to grow on them. Putting them in an upright position will allow moisture to drain out of them, and keeping them in separated holders will prevent cross-contamination. Besides avoiding contact with other people’s toothbrushes, your child may want to keep their toothbrushes separate if they have different ones for their teeth and oral appliances such as retainers and mouthguards. Plastic sometimes requires gentler toothpaste than enamel, and grit leftover in a toothbrush could leave scratches in a retainer.

 

A toothbrush will need to be replaced when it flares outward too much to reach into crevices between the teeth. This typically happens after about three months of use, regardless of whether it is manual or electric. However, if the user has recently suffered a nasal or respiratory infection, they should dispose of the toothbrush after recovering. Toothbrushes also need to be replaced if they become warped or damaged in a way that would allow mold to colonize cracks in their handles. For this reason, we recommend not running toothbrushes in the dishwasher or storing them anywhere they could easily melt.

Kidz Connextion has three convenient locations in Phoenix, Arizona. To schedule an appointment at 2533 N 75th St, text 623-232-0749. For our office at 2046 N 24th St, text 480-666-5984. For our office at 524 E Baseline Rd, text 480-405-4714. Or, visit Kidz Connextion on our website.

4 Reasons to Clean Your Tongue

Brushing and flossing shouldn’t be the only steps included in your dental hygiene routine. Recent studies suggest tongue cleaning reduces harmful bacteria in your mouth. At Kidz Connextion located in Phoenix, your dentist is passionate about dental hygiene, including the importance of tongue cleaning. Here are four reasons to clean your tongue.

Combat Bad Breath

Do you suffer stinky breath and have tried everything from special toothpaste to mouthwash with no results? A 2014 study by the Journal of Periodontology revealed that cleaning your tongue is one solution to reduce bad breath. The study discovered tongue cleaning removes up to 75 percent of the compounds that cause bad breath versus a toothbrush only removes 45 percent of the tongue’s compounds.

Eliminate White Tongue

A white tongue is a condition that results from poor hygiene, trapping bacteria and debris into the tongue’s tiny bumps, or papillae. Your Phoenix, AZ dentists advise a gentle scraping of the tongue to solve this usually harmless condition.

Reduce Plaque

Plaque is a thin sticky film of bacteria typically found on your teeth and tongue. Regular flossing and brushing removes this bacteria on your teeth, but what about your tongue? That’s why tongue cleaning is important for removing these harmful bacteria and preventing plaque from spreading across your body through your saliva. 

Improve Taste

It’s no wonder your tongue’s build-up of bacteria and plaque has a profound effect on taste. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, taste sensations improved significantly after two weeks of tongue cleaning using a tongue scraper. 

Kidz Connextion has three convenient locations in Phoenix, Arizona. To schedule an appointment at 2533 N 75th St, text 623-232-0749. For our office at 2046 N 24th St, text 480-666-5984. For our office at 524 E Baseline Rd, text 480-405-4714. Or, visit Kidz Connextion on our website.

Electric Toothbrushes For Children

Electric toothbrushes are a great investment for everybody, even children! These appliances are easy to use while providing you with a superior brushing experience. At Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces, located in Phoenix, AZ, we often get parents asking about electric toothbrushes. That’s why we’ve created this short guide. To learn more, contact our office today.

Getting your child an electric toothbrush is a surefire way to make brushing fun and exciting. It guarantees a lifetime of healthy habits and superior brushing. Children over the age of three can use these appliances.

There are a few great benefits right off the bat. First, electric toothbrushes are super easy to use! It does all the heavy lifting for your child. It provides a thorough brushing throughout the entire mouth. Your child just has to move the toothbrush to the correct areas. Some even come with built-in timers! There is also the matter of plaque removal. Research shows that electric toothbrushes remove more plaque than manual ones. This is because of the consistency of the brushing and how easily it cleans the harder areas.

The best part about electric toothbrushes: they’re fun! Your child will enjoy the novelty and magic of them. They are sold in many colors, along with the styles of your child’s favorite characters. Ranging from Star Wars to Disney, the options are endless.

Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces are located in three offices in the Phoenix, AZ, area. For N. 75th Avenue, call 623-232-0749. For N. 24th Street, call 480-666-5984. Lastly, for E. Baseline Road, dial 480-405-4714. Learn more about our services by visiting our website at https://www.kidzconnextion.com/

Cleaning Your Children's Teeth

At Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces we advise patients to brush their children’s baby teeth as soon as they develop. Good dental hygiene starts at a young age and installs good habits in your children. Before your baby’s teeth come in, we encourage you to clean your baby’s gums with a warm cloth to clean off excess food and to keep their gums clean.

At the age of three, you can use a dab of toothpaste to brush your child’s teeth and just water and a soft-bristled toothbrush before they turn three. Preventing cavities is important because baby teeth act as placeholders for permanent teeth.

Remember to brush or wipe your baby’s teeth after every meal to prevent tooth decay. When tooth decay forms, it can lead to gum disease and then gingivitis which can cause spacing problems for their permanent teeth.

When your children are old enough, show them how to brush their teeth themselves. The younger children know how to brush and floss the more likely they are to carry those habits for the rest of their life.

To schedule an appointment, please visit one of the Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces offices located around the Phoenix area, or visit our website or call our offices.

Tips for Halloween

With Halloween here and the rest of the holidays to look forward to, many parents are wondering how to protect their children’s teeth. At Kidz Connextion in Phoenix, we share their concerns, but parents may have some mistaken ideas about where the risk for tooth decay actually comes from. We wanted to correct it and provide some ideas for keeping the holidays fun without risking toothaches.

Both simple sugars and starches can fuel acid-producing bacterial growth if they are left on the teeth for too long. But while candies that are high in sugar are unhealthy, the length of exposure to sugar makes more of a difference to the teeth than the amount of sugar. For this reason, sticky candies that get stuck in hard-to-reach places are an obvious risk, as are hard candies that have to be sucked on for a long time. But sugary drinks such as apple cider and hot chocolate can also create a risk if their residue is not washed away, as can soft cookies and seasonal starchy foods such as winter squash.

Regular brushing and flossing will combat tooth decay, but in between meals, children can also dislodge food by chewing sugar-free gum. If they only eat candy at meals, they will be inclined to eat less of it and their mouths will be producing more saliva, which will wash away the sugary residue. Regular sips of water also help to clean out the mouth, so it’s a good idea to have water containers on hand during festivities.

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

White Spot Lesions

Do you know how to recognize a cavity in its first stage? If you’ve ever seen an unusually white spot on a tooth, that may have been what dentists call and “incipient lesion.” Also known as white spot lesions, these spots occur when a tooth is beginning to lose minerals.

Tooth decay is the result of acid being caught in tartar, the sticky film that clings to the outside of teeth. When bacteria in the mouth have bits of food to feed on, they are able to grow and multiply quickly, producing large amounts of acid. This is not the only way acid can harm the teeth; in people with acid reflux, acid burns the enamel of the upper back teeth. But when acid is caused by bacterial infection, the signs of decay are usually found near the gum line, on the sides of teeth, or around orthodontic brackets.

When a person sees a white spot, it means they need to do a better job of brushing in that area. White spots can form in as little as thirty days, but if the infection is killed in time, the enamel will be able to remineralize. People with braces, especially, need to pay attention to the condition of the enamel surrounding their brackets, or they may be left with hollow square-shaped white spots when their braces come off.

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

 

Fluoride Toothpaste

At Kidz Connextion Dental Care in Phoenix, we want our patients to understand how to protect their oral health. Brushing their teeth is often one of the first self-care skills children learn, and when properly done, it can prevent a lot of health and comfort issues throughout life. Using fluoridated toothpaste properly is a major component of that.

Fluoride boosts teeth’s protection from the acids bacteria secrete as they eat food residue. During a standard tooth-brushing session of two minutes, children should be sure to brush all over every tooth surface. They should do this using a soft-bristled brush that will not cause irritation to the gums since they will begin brushing at the gum line and work their way to the tip of each crown. (They should also brush their tongues to prevent bad breath.)

Fluoride is commonly supplied through the water and people who drink it have significantly better dental health. However, people who consume too much fluoride are at risk for tooth discoloration, which is why toothpaste should be spat out. For this reason and to ensure they brush thoroughly, we recommend that children not be left to brush alone until they are about seven. They also should not use fluoride toothpaste on retainers or other oral appliances, as this may scratch them.

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

 

Toothbrush Abrasion

At Kidz Connextion, our doctors make it a goal to get your child excited about his or her oral hygiene routine, after all, brushing on a daily basis is critical for pediatric pearly whites. It’s important to observe how your child brushes his or her teeth because you don’t want them to brush too hard. Brushing too hard can not only cause damage to their toothbrush but their teeth and gums as well.

It’s important to understand that your child doesn’t need to brush with all of their might to maintain a healthy smile. What’s vital is brushing your teeth, period. Brushing too hard will lead to tooth sensitivity and will cause the gums to recede resulting in damage that isn’t reversible. Our doctors recommend using a soft-bristled toothbrush when practicing proper oral hygiene. Aim for brushing for two minutes at least twice a day and floss at least once a day.

If you have questions or concerns about pediatric oral care, please give us a call. To learn more about our pediatric services here at the office visit www.kidzconnextion.com for more information. To schedule an appointment in Phoenix AZ, call 623-223-1001.