Do You Need Your Wisdom Teeth Removed?

Wisdom teeth are the third and final molars to develop in the mouth between the ages of 17-22. For a very lucky few, these teeth come in with no problems: fully through the gums and properly aligned. Oftentimes though, wisdom teeth come in misaligned or impacted. This is where complications develop and the need for their removal is vital. The experienced dentists at Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces in Pheonix, AZ, provide wisdom teeth removal for patients.

Your trusted dentist recommends that you not wait too long to get your wisdom teeth removed since infection can easily set in. The younger you are, the easier the procedure will be since the wisdom teeth roots aren’t fully developed by that time. This will also help with quicker recovery time.

Before making any decisions to extract wisdom teeth, your dentist will first examine your mouth and take an X-ray. Under the care of the expert team at Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces, you and your family will rest easy knowing that you are in safe hands throughout your visit. We understand that wisdom teeth extraction may sound scary, but it’s best to have them removed to avoid headaches, constant pain in the back of the mouth, and damage to the surrounding teeth.

Do you think it’s time to have your wisdom teeth removed? We are happy to address any questions or concerns that come up. Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces has three separate offices in the Phoenix, AZ, area for your convenience. For more information about our services or to schedule an appointment, please visit kidzconnextion.com. You can also call 623-232-0749 for our N. 75th St. office, 480-666-5984 for the N. 24th St. office, and 480-405-4714 for the E. Baseline Rd. office.

What Soda Does to Your Teeth

Who doesn’t love a cold, bubbly soft drink on a hot day? In fact, half of the American population drinks soda regularly. We at Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces in Phoenix, AZ, have seen the gruesome effects of constant soda consumption on teeth. This is why we are committed to educating our patients about cutting back on soft drinks and maintaining good oral hygiene. If soda is something you can’t give up, limiting your consumption of it can definitely make a difference.

So how does soda actually damage your teeth? Well, there are actually two major ways: by erosion and cavities. Erosion begins when the acids in your favorite soda meet with your healthy tooth enamel. The acids reduce the hardness of the enamel, making the teeth more brittle and thus susceptible to chipping or breaking. Soda can also cause cavities since it can eat through the layer after enamel, dentin, and even damage fillings.


Help prevent the damaging effects of drinking soda by:

- Using a straw

- Getting regular dental cleanings

- Avoiding soda before bed

- Drinking in moderation

- Drinking your soft drink quickly, so as to not let it linger on your teeth

- Waiting thirty to sixty minutes before brushing your teeth after consumption


We are happy to address any questions or concerns you might have. Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces has three separate offices in the Phoenix, AZ, area for your convenience. For more information about our services or to schedule an appointment, please visit kidzconnextion.com. You can also call 623-232-0749 for our N. 75th Ave. office, 480-666-5984 for the N. 24th St. office, and 480-405-4714 for the E. Baseline Rd. office.

Tips for Tongue Hygiene

So you brush and floss your teeth two to three times a day as is recommended. That’s great! But did you know that you should also be brushing your tongue? Just as your teeth and braces are covered in food and bacteria throughout the day, so is your tongue. Your tongue has its own nooks and crannies that it could be carrying just as much bacteria as your teeth. This creates the perfect environment for bad breath. We at Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces in Phoenix, AZ, have a couple of tips to get you on the right track to good tongue hygiene.

We know what you’re thinking, “isn’t my tongue cleaned enough with toothpaste and a good rinse?” Unfortunately, like your teeth need a good scrubbing to get them clean, so does your tongue. That buildup on your tongue is so tough to remove that even mouthwash doesn’t always do the job. If anything, mouthwash successfully removes the top layer of bacteria, but what’s underneath can still thrive. The bacteria can lead to not only bad breath but tooth damage.

Every time you brush your teeth, brush back and forth and side to side on your tongue to remove some of that buildup, then rinse with water. Be careful not to over brush though, it would be very uncomfortable if you broke the skin! Just a gentle yet thorough brushing will do the trick. Some people prefer tongue scrapers, though there is no proven evidence that tongue scrapers prevent bad breath.


We are happy to address any questions or concerns you might have. Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces has three separate offices in the Phoenix, AZ, area for your convenience. For more information about our services or to schedule an appointment, please visit kidzconnextion.com. You can also call 623-232-0749 for our N. 75th Ave. office, 480-666-5984 for the N. 24th St. office, and 480-405-4714 for the E. Baseline Rd. office.

Extraction Site Preservation

Sometimes pulling teeth is a necessary procedure for overcrowding in the mouth or infection due to tooth decay. It isn’t a procedure to be taken lightly. Like wisdom teeth removal, where the teeth are located in the back of the mouth and sutures are used, the tooth extraction site essentially becomes an open wound and one that needs to be monitored and given time to heal. We at Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces in Phoenix, AZ, understand that getting a tooth pulled isn’t very pleasant, but we are committed to making the procedure and healing process as comfortable as possible for all patients.


If you ever think your healing process doesn’t feel normal, you should contact our office. Signs of complications include:

- Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain

- Severe nausea or vomiting

- Redness, swelling, or excessive discharge from the extraction site

- Signs of infection, such as fever and chills


Something else to keep in mind when removing teeth is what to do with that open space once it has healed. If a tooth is removed and nothing is done to the extraction site, your jaw bone will degenerate and change shape while the site heals. This can create problems in your bite and may affect chewing and speaking. Make sure you and your dentist come up with a plan to fill this space.


We are happy to address any questions or concerns you might have. Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces has three separate offices in the Phoenix, AZ, area for your convenience. For more information about our services or to schedule an appointment, please visit kidzconnextion.com. You can also call 623-232-0749 for our N. 75th Ave. office, 480-666-5984 for the N. 24th St. office, and 480-405-4714 for the E. Baseline Rd. office.

Digital X-Rays

The advancements in dental technology make it easier for dentists to deliver efficient care and diagnoses to their patients. One such advancement is digital x-rays, which are a staple in dental practices all over the country. We at Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces in Phoenix, AZ, are always looking to stay up to date with the latest technology, products, and treatments. Digital x-rays allow dentists to look more closely at your teeth than ever before!

A digital x-ray takes an image of your teeth and puts it into an imaging program. With special tools exclusive to this imaging program, your dedicated dentist can take a closer look at your teeth with impeccable accuracy. Digital x-rays emit 80% less radiation than a standard x-ray since they are actually sensitive to radiation. This is a great benefit since the patient is exposed to less radiation. Digital x-rays can be classified as intraoral (inside the mouth) or extraoral (outside the mouth), though intraoral x-rays are the most commonly taken.

Intraoral x-rays allow us to:

- Observe the status of developing teeth
- Monitor tooth health
- Look at the tooth roots
- Find cavities
- Check the health of the bony area around the tooth
- Determine if there are signs of periodontal disease

We are happy to address any questions or concerns you might have. Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces has three separate offices in the Phoenix, AZ, area for your convenience. For more information about our services or to schedule an appointment, please visit kidzconnextion.com. You can also call 623-232-0749 for our N. 75th Ave. office, 480-666-5984 for the N. 24th St. office, and 480-405-4714 for the E. Baseline Rd. office.

Space Maintainers

If your child loses a baby tooth earlier than expected or needs it removed due to other complications, they will require a Space Maintainer. These keep the space secure for when the adult tooth does erupt from the gum line. If your child needs a space maintainer, contact Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces right away. We have various offices in the Phoenix, AZ, area that can accommodate your needs.

It’s important to understand why exactly your child requires a space maintainer before having it done. The baby teeth are important for the healthy development of the mouth. The baby tooth is what guides its adult counterpart into place. When it’s missing, other teeth will try to accommodate for the gap. Teeth that move or partially obstruct the gum prevent the adult tooth from erupting normally. The space maintainer prevents all of that from happening.

There are two types of space maintainers available: removable and fixed. Your Phoenix, AZ, dentist will recommend which is best for your child. Removable maintainers are often made of acrylic and are very similar to orthodontic apparatuses. Fixed maintainers come in four separate kinds: unilateral, crown and loop, lingual, and distal shoe.

The unilateral and crown and loop space maintainers work similarly. These are placed on one side of the mouth to keep the space open. A crown and loop consist of an actual crown placed on an adjacent tooth. The loop attaches to the crown and extends over the space, protecting it from other teeth. The unilateral wraps around the perimeter of the nearby tooth and use a metal loop to keep the space clear.

The distal shoe is a more advanced space maintainer, commonly used with molars. The end of the maintainer is inserted into the gum line.

The lingual space maintainer connects the molars to the front tire with a wire.

Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces top-tier pediatric dental services. We have three separate offices located in the Phoenix, AZ, area. Visit https://www.kidzconnextion.com/ 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 Socket

Children, just like adults, can require a tooth extraction. Parents need to take good care of their child’s extraction site afterward, otherwise, they are at risk of developing a dry socket. A dry socket is when the blood clot doesn’t form normally after tooth removal. The best thing you can do is follow all the instructions given by your dental team at Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces. Located in various offices across the Phoenix, AZ, area, our professional pediatric dentists are here for you.

You need a proper blood socket to form after an extraction. This is what keeps out harmful bacteria and pathogens. Your Phoenix, AZ, dentist will give you pain medication to administer to your child. Pay attention to complaints of severe pain that doesn’t diminish. This can indicate the development of a dry socket. Look for these symptoms:

-A visible lack of a blood clot in the socket
-Low-grade fever
-Bad breath
-Pain radiating from the tooth into other areas of the face, head, and neck

The best treatment for dry sockets is prevention. Avoid letting your child drink anything with a straw. Also, try to have them avoid spitting. Contact us right away with symptoms of a dry socket. We may advise a change in their prescriptions, along with providing them medical gauze for the socket.

Kidz Connextion Dental & Braces top-tier pediatric dental services. We have three separate offices located in the Phoenix, AZ, area. Visit https://www.kidzconnextion.com/ 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.