Sjorgren's Syndrome

There are certain medical conditions that have a direct impact on your oral health. Sjorgren’s syndrome is one of them. This is a systemic autoimmune condition that targets the tear and salivary glands. Dry mouth is a very common side effect. If you are struggling with a dry mouth or have been diagnosed with Sjorgren’s syndrome, schedule an appointment with Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces today. Your Phoenix, AZ, dentist helps you alleviate your symptoms.

Your entire body is affected when you have Sjorgren’s syndrome. Here is a list of the common oral complications:

-Dry mouth, throat, and lips
-A hoarse or scratchy sounding voice
-Chronic coughing or wheezing
-Problems swallowing
-Swollen salivary glands in the face and neck
-Frequent oral infections or cavities

There is no known cure for this condition. That doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to treat it! The first thing you need to do is get a diagnosis. Set up an appointment with your Phoenix, AZ, dentist. At your appointment, they will examine your salivary glands and flow. They can also help with any of your other symptoms, like cavities.

Treatment is customizable for each patient. You need to talk to your Primary Care Physician or General Practitioner about medication for your immune system. Your dentist focuses just on oral symptoms. The first thing you need to do is increase your salivary production. We recommend Artificial Saliva. This keeps your mouth moist when your body can’t. You can also invest in over-the-counter dry mouth treatments. These are available as both toothpaste and mouthwash.

Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces provide quality pediatric dental care. We have three offices spread across the Phoenix, AZ, area. Visit our website to learn more about our services or schedule an appointment. Call 623-232-0749 for our N. 75th AVe. office, 480-666-5984 for N. 24th St., and 480-405-4714 for E. Baseline Rd.

Dry Mouth in Children

It’s normal to have a parched mouth before you give a big presentation or job interview. It’s only when your mouth is dry all the time that it becomes an issue. This doesn’t differ when it comes to children. If your child complains of constant dryness, contact Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces right away. It’s important that we get to the root of the issue before your child’s dental health is negatively affected. Call any of our three offices in the Phoenix, AZ, area.

Recognizing dry mouth symptoms in your child is key. Look and pay attention to any complaints of a dry tongue, parched throat, cracked lips, and overall staleness. Children are much more sensitive to these symptoms. They also don’t have the same level of communication skills as adults do. That means it’s up to you as the parent to be aware of these things. Keep on the lookout for increased oral pain, higher frequency of tooth decay, and difficulties eating, drinking, and talking.

Your Phoenix, AZ, dentist offers a few reasons your child has dry mouth. The most common are medications and certain autoimmune diseases. Other medical treatments, like chemotherapy, is another option. It’s also possible that it’s just a normal part of the growing process. Even if this is the case, it’s best to have them examined by a dental professional.

If you can figure out the cause, then a remedy is easily available. There are a few things you can do in the meantime to improve the dryness. First, make sure that your child is getting enough water. When your body doesn’t produce enough saliva, dry mouth is the result. The wetter the mouth is the more saliva is produced. You should also minimize how much caffeine your child is ingesting. Sugar is known for drying out the mouth. Lastly, sugarless gum is also a good way to stimulate your child’s salivary glands. Talk to your pediatric dentist about dental products that target dry mouth symptoms. Your child can benefit from specialized toothpaste and mouthwash.

Schedule an appointment with Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces right away. If left untreated, dry mouth leads to cavities and even gum disease. We have three offices in the Phoenix, AZ, area to choose from. Visit our website to learn more! We’re also available for appointments over the phone. Call 623-232-0749 for our N. 75th Ave office, 480-666-5984 for N. 24th St., and 480-405-4714 for 7th St. and Baseline Rd.

Diabetes and Gum Disease

If it’s November it’s National Diabetes Awareness Month. This event is particularly important to dentists such as us at Kidz Connextion in Phoenix, because diabetes affects oral health in several ways. Diabetes can occur in children, so they and their parents need to know what additional challenges they may face.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that makes it difficult for people to process sugar. It has implications for the entire body, including inflammation and a weakened immune system. As a result, people with diabetes are particularly vulnerable to gum infections. They have periodontal disease at higher rates than the general population and are likelier to suffer from bleeding gums.

It is unclear whether children with diabetes are at increased risk for tooth decay, but their gums do become more inflamed when new teeth are erupting. Some research indicates that their teeth also erupt faster. People with high blood sugar also tend to have dry mouth more often, which is uncomfortable and deprives the body of saliva, another important defense against gum disease. It is especially important for children with diabetes to practice good oral hygiene and to have their teeth cleaned regularly. Chewing sugar-free gum is one way for them to stimulate more saliva production, and avoiding sugary drinks such as soda and juice will make them less vulnerable to dry mouth.

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

 

Reasons for Dental Check-Ups

Dentists highly recommend that everyone get their teeth professionally cleaned and examined every six months. If your kids are late for an appointment, the beginning of the school year is the perfect time to get caught up. Toothaches can have majorly detrimental impacts on kids’ education and if there’s a larger problem that needs addressing, it’s good to know when the child’s schedule is still somewhat flexible.

Children are likelier than people in other age brackets to have tooth decay. The exposure of dental nerves can be painful enough to discourage them from eating and delay speech development. It can also prevent them from getting enough sleep, causing them to have behavioral and cognition problems. We can remove tooth decay and provide mercury-free, naturally colored fillings. If a child has chronic tooth decay (or is brushing too hard and damaging their gums), we can teach them better brushing techniques.

There are a few other possible causes of toothaches that should be examined. If a tooth is impacted (unable to erupt), we may need to plan an extraction or refer a child for orthodontic treatment. Gum inflammation may also be a sign of another disease, such as diabetes. Lastly, dry mouth could be the result of certain medications and be creating an environment in which oral infections can thrive.

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

 

Bad Breath

When children have bad breath, it’s usually because their oral hygiene needs more attention. However, there are some other possible reasons parents should be aware of, most of which we can help determine and treat at Kidz Connextion.

Maintaining good oral hygiene includes brushing the tongue. It’s easy for bacteria to accumulate on it and contribute to bad breath. But another important component of oral hygiene is saliva production. Saliva washes away bacteria and food particles, and when it’s disrupted or the child’s mouth dries out, bacteria will be able to spread much more easily. Mouth breathing and not staying hydrated during exercise obviously cause dry mouth, but so do some medications, including ones used for anxiety and ADHD. There are also medications that cause bad breath directly.

If a cavity has developed, the smell of decay could cause bad breath, but that’s true of any kind of infection. Mouth sores and sinus infections are other potential culprits. Tonsils, too, are frequently traps for decaying material and can become inflamed. Young children also sometimes push things up their noses, which can cause nasal drip and create a bad smell.

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