We have all seen commercials about how sports drinks help replenishes you after sports. What isn’t told is the sugar content in sports drinks. Please research this yourself. Some are worse than others. Find out the amount of sugar before you drink. Water is a good choice for replenishment without the added sugar content. Your teeth will thank you.

At your dental exam, an X-ray may be taken to evaluate your wisdom teeth. The X-ray will show the Dentist how your wisdom teeth have developed and the positioning of the teeth.

​The dentist may recommend that you have your wisdom teeth extracted to prevent future problems. Removing wisdom teeth at the proper time will prevent complications that could arise if done at a later time. Removal of wisdom teeth at a younger age is usually easier, this is due to the roots not being fully developed and bone is less dense than adult bone. The healing process tends to be shorter for younger people.

The difficulty of the removal process depends upon the development and positioning of teeth. If the tooth is present above the gum, it tends to be easier to remove. If a tooth is below gum and embedded in bone, it can be difficult to remove. The dentist may remove the tooth in smaller pieces to make it easier to remove.

Healing time for the extractions depend on several different factors, 1. The difficulty of extraction 2. Your general health 3. The compliance of following post-operative instructions.

The dentist will give you post-operative instructions when the extractions are completed. Please follow the guidelines he/she gives you. They may include liquid/soft foods, no rinsing, no drinking from straw, no smoking, avoiding hot beverages and taking medications as directed. There may be more depending on your unique situation.

If you have questions about the removal of your wisdom teeth, call our office and we can help answer for you. We want you to feel comfortable and informed before the removal of your wisdom teeth.

What’s baby bottle tooth decay?

Baby bottle tooth decay is caused by the frequent and long-term exposure of a child's teeth to liquids containing sugars. Among these liquids are milk, formula, fruit juice, sodas and other sweetened drinks. The sugars in these liquids pool around the infant's teeth and gums, feeding the bacteria that cause plaque. Every time a child consumes a sugary liquid, acid attacks the teeth and gums. After numerous attacks, tooth decay can begin.
The condition also is associated with breast-fed infants who have prolonged feeding habits or with children whose pacifiers are frequently dipped in honey, sugar or syrup. The sweet fluids left in the mouth increases the chance of cavities while the infant is sleeping.

How can I prevent baby bottle tooth decay?

First, never allow children to fall asleep with a bottle containing milk, formula, juice or other sweetened liquids. Make sure to clean and massage the baby's gums once a day to help create healthy teeth and to assist in teething. Wrap a moistened washcloth around the finger and gently massage the gums and tissues.
Brushing should begin when the first baby tooth erupts. When brushing a child's teeth, use a soft toothbrush and a pea-shaped amount of toothpaste. Before a child can spit, be sure to use non-fluoride toothpaste. However, once a child is able to spit, you should use fluoride toothpaste. Parents should first bring their child to the dentist when the child is between 6 and 12 months old.

Will changes in my child's diet help prevent baby bottle tooth decay?

Preventing baby bottle tooth decay can involve changes in a child's diet. A series of small changes over a period of time is usually easier, and eventually leads to better oral health.

To incorporate these changes:

• Gradually dilute the bottle contents with water over a period of two to three weeks.
• Once that period is over, if you give a child a bottle, fill it with water or give the child a clean pacifier recommended by a dentist. The only safe liquid to put in a bottle to prevent baby bottle tooth decay is water.
• Decrease consumption of sugar, especially between meals.
• Children should be weaned from the bottle as soon as they can drink from a cup, but the bottle should not be taken away too soon, since the sucking motion aids in the development of facial muscles, as well as the tongue.

Why should I be worried about baby bottle tooth decay?

Giving an infant a sugary drink at nap or nighttime is harmful because during sleep, the flow of saliva decreases, allowing the sugary liquids to linger on the child's teeth for an extended period of time. If left untreated, pain and infection can result. Severely decayed teeth may need to be extracted. If teeth are infected or lost too early due to baby bottle tooth decay, your child may develop poor eating habits, speech problems, crooked teeth and damaged adult teeth. Healthy baby teeth will usually result in healthy permanent teeth.
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If you want to know more about the dental health of your child, please call our office (719) 564-6464

Wear your retainer faithfully. Your orthodontist will give you specific instructions on how to wear your retainer, the length of time, care instructions and more at the removal appointment. Teeth will tend to gravitate to original alignment, wearing your retainer will keep them in position.

​The top reasons people do not wear retainers are:

• They lose their retainer (this happens often)
• The retainer breaks
• The retainer gets old, and they don’t want to put it in their mouth (you will need to replace retainer occasionally)
• They haven’t worn it in a while and can’t get it into place anymore-this happens quickly (even a couple of nights without retainer)
• It wears out over time and doesn’t hold their teeth in the right place

If any of the above problems arise, please visit your orthodontist or dentist ASAP. A new retainer could be made to keep teeth from shifting any further. Who wants to go through another round of orthodontics??

If you think that a night or two without the retainer is not going to affect the teeth—think again. The retainer may not fit even after a couple of nights without wearing. If this happens, again please call your orthodontist and do not procrastinate.

If any questions arise, please call your orthodontist.

For special needs children, especially children with autism, a trip to the dentist can be a great challenge. Children with certain developmental disabilities are at a higher risk for oral health conditions, so finding a dentist experienced in working with and treating these children may be the answer. Our staff has taken additional education on care for children with special needs. Preparing your special needs child for a dentist visit is paramount for having a positive experience (for everyone!). How much preparation you do beforehand depends on your child’s particular emotional and physical needs. Regardless of how much preparation you have done, the first appointment still may be a challenging one, but at least you, the dentist, and your child will know what to expect.

What can I tell the Dentist about my child’s needs?

• Discuss any problems regarding your child’s chewing, tooth pain, gum irritation, or any troubles in maintaining healthy oral hygiene;
  
• Describe your child’s diet;
• Briefly present your child’s medical history, reveal any allergies to medication and medications your child may be taking currently or routinely;
• Discuss your child’s obsessive routines, repetitive behaviors, unpredictable body movements, or self-injurious behavior that could complicate the dental examination or procedures.
  

When you visit the Dentist

• Ask the dentist to describe the procedures he/she will be performing on the first visit, so you may prepare your child with expectations of what is going to happen.
  
• Schedule appointment times when your child feels the most relaxed and rested and when the office will not be crowded—usually the first or last appointment of the day.
• Before your scheduled appointment, take your child to meet the dentist and staff, see the equipment the dentist uses, and even lie in the chair—a “practice run” so to speak. Let the child ask questions or voice his/her concerns to the dentist if at all possible.
• Before your “practice run” and scheduled appointment, go to the dentist’s office and fill out all necessary paperwork, medical history, insurance forms, etc. instead of waiting until you arrive with an anxious child.
• Tell your child positive stories about visiting the dentist when you were a child and about your current visits as an adult. If your child’s behavior is such that you would expect, or the dentist feels, the child may need sedation, discuss options for sedation at length prior to your scheduled visit. If your child is taking routine medication, the dentist must be aware of this, so he/she may determine the best sedative that will not interfere with your child’s current prescription(s).
  

A visit to the doctor or dentist seems to trigger more anxiety for a child with autism than others with special needs. Because the dentist is very invasive of your personal space, children with autism or Asperger Syndrome may become agitated—even combative. Children with oral defensiveness and sensitivity become distressed when the dentist touches their face or mouth which, in turn, makes the cleaning and brushing of the teeth and checkups more difficult. Parents and caregivers may have to brush the child’s teeth at home because the child refuses to do so. Sensitivity to sounds of machinery, cold metal tools touching sensitive areas of the mouth, other patients’ cries or sounds of distress, and light sources commonly found in the dentist’s office may also trigger behaviors of aggression or agitation. Even the taste of toothpastes, cleaners, and mouthwashes can be intolerable. For some children, the experience is so distressing that sedation may be necessary. Remember that the dentist has your child’s best interest at heart. Everyone involved with your child’s care will already be aware and prepared with the proper and necessary accommodations since you have already discussed this with the dentist beforehand.  When your child goes to sit in the dentist chair for the first time, let him/her take along a book or favorite small toy. Our office is a very child-friendly office, it is decorated in themes that appeal to children with TVs and video monitors to look at while the dentist is working. Our dentists are “masters of distraction!” this help with getting the child comfortable with their surroundings and limit stress levels.

Come meet our staff and dentists today.

Let us get your child ready for a lifetime of smiles.

Our goal is to provide your child with the best possible dental experience. Often times a visit to the dentist can be a terrifying for young children. The whirling sound of the drill or the uncomfortable feeling of pressure on their teeth can make children anxious.

One of the most common ways to ease a child’s anxiety and relax them for their dental treatment is from Nitrous Oxide sedation. This is commonly referred to as laughing gas and is the most popular sedation method in dentistry. It is used quite frequently in our office because it is recommended for children who need small amounts of dental treatment. Sleep Sedation Dentistry For those children with phobias of visiting the dentist or children that require extensive work, general anesthesia – commonly called sleep sedation – can be a good option. 

Younger children who need a lot of dental work benefit most from being put to sleep because the dentist can do all of the treatment at once without leaving the child traumatized from the visit. Some older children with inexplicable fear of the dentist who need wisdom teeth extractions or extensive work can also benefit from being put to sleep. Our doctors typically perform dental procedures for children under general anesthesia at our affiliated dental surgery center.

​The Pueblo Dental Surgery Center - located a few blocks away – was built to provide a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere for our patients opting moderate to deep sedation for their dental procedures. We can discuss with you the best option for your child based on his or her individual dental needs.