How Stress Affects Your Dental Health

When it comes to stress, mental or emotional strain may be the first thought to come to mind, but stress also greatly impacts a person’s dental health. At Kids Connextion located in Phoenix, AZ, your dentists pride themselves in treating all things teeth, including any stress-induced condition you may face. Here are a few ways stress affects your dental health. 

Teeth Grinding

Bruxism or clenching and grinding of the teeth can be caused by stress and anxiety. Oftentimes, you’re unaware you’re even grinding since occurs during sleep, leading to enamel damage and even jaw soreness and headaches. To protect your teeth from the damaging effects of grinding, your Phoenix, AZ dentists recommend a dental night guard to wear. 

Gum Disease

Another condition potentially caused by stress is gum disease. If you’re under extreme stress, you are more inclined to snacking on sugary food or even forgetting to take care of your teeth. Failure to brush or floss regularly increases your risk of tooth decay and gum disease.

Canker Sores

Wondering why those pesky and painful spots appear in your mouth? Canker sores or mouth ulcers are also thought to be triggered by stress or a decreased immune system. These shallow wounds occur around the insides of your lips and make it difficult to eat or talk. These sores naturally disappear after 7-10 days, but if your sores are recurring, your dentists at Kids Connextion in Phoenix, AZ, will provide other forms of treatment.

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.

Flossing Technique

From the moment our first teeth come in, flossing is essential for oral hygiene. Learning to floss properly is a major milestone for children in their self-care, and parents need to understand how to do it for them until then. There are a few details about flossing that are important to get right for it to be effective, so we wanted to remind everyone of what those are so they won’t figure out the hard way that they’ve been flossing wrong.

 

The first step of proper flossing is to not be stingy; you’ll need about a fifteen-inch long strand. Wrap the floss around your middle fingers and pull it taut so that you can maneuver it with your thumb and index fingers. Slide it along each side of each tooth, pulling it toward the tooth so it bends in a c-shape, and slide it as far along as is possible without causing gum pain. Wiggle it back and forth on the way out so as much plaque is caught as possible, and keep doing this until no more plaque remains. As you go, you’ll unspool fresh thread and spool up the other end of the floss to ensure you’re not spreading plaque from one tooth to another.

 

Flossing isn’t just about removing large chunks of food debris; it’s also about clearing residue from tooth surfaces. It’s important to remember to floss the backs of the back teeth, as well. Prosthetic crowns also need to be flossed. In a healthy mouth, flossing should not cause bleeding. If it does, schedule an appointment with us so we can perform a treatment for gingivitis.

 

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.

Children & Gingivitis

Baby teeth are much softer than adult teeth. This puts them at a higher risk of dental complications, including periodontal (gum) disease. Gingivitis is the first phase. You’ll notice that your child’s gums are swollen and red, along with small amounts of blood when they rinse. You need to contact Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces right away. Treating gingivitis is a simple process that requires changes to your child’s at-home care. Learn more by contacting our offices in Phoenix, AZ.

Gingivitis is caused by an accumulation of plaque on the teeth. This is the same substance that creates cavities. When you don’t brush your teeth well or enough, and neglect flossing and dental check-ups, it gathers in large amounts. The first thing you need to do is evaluate your child’s dental hygiene habits.

First, examine their brushing habits. Children should brush after breakfast and before bed. Children over the age of five can brush by themselves. Just monitor them to make sure they are doing so correctly. Younger children need parent’s help when brushing. Make sure their toothbrush matches their age range. Replace the brush every 3-4 months.

Flossing is another task that needs to be done daily. Children over the age of ten can floss by themselves. Otherwise, you need to help your child remove excess plaque. Take about 18 inches of floss from the package. Carefully wrap it in a C shape around the tooth. Move it up and down slowly, rubbing the teeth clean. Do this for each of your child’s teeth.

Everyone should visit the dentist twice a year, every 6 months. This also goes for children. Your Phoenix, AZ, dental staff will help reverse your child’s gingivitis. They remove the plaque and polish the teeth. This makes the mouth significantly healthier.

Gum disease is a very serious condition. If left untreated, tooth loss is inevitable. Contact Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces right away. We are located across the Phoenix, AZ, area. To schedule an appointment at the office on N. 75th street, call 623-232-0749. For N. 24th St., dial 480-666-5984. Lastly, for the E. Baseline Road office, contact us at 480-405-4714. You can also visit our website at https://www.kidzconnextion.com/.

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.

 

Gingivitis

Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease, and though it is reversible, this doesn’t mean that we encourage you to neglect your teeth. Gingivitis causes gums to be swollen, inflamed, and tender to touch. If gingivitis is left untreated, it can advance to periodontitis and lead to tooth loss. To prevent gingivitis, you should visit our doctors at Kidz Connextion at least twice a year for professional cleanings.

Gingivitis is an infection that occurs when harmful bacteria invade the soft tissues and bone adjacent to teeth. The warm, moist environment is a breeding ground for these bacteria. To get rid of them, you’ll need to practice proper oral hygiene habits. This includes brushing at least twice a day and flossing at least twice a day in addition to visiting us for dental exams.

If you have questions or concerns regarding gum disease, 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.