As a parent, you are faced with many responsibilities to ensure your child’s continuing health, safety, and happiness. Among those responsibilities are helping your child navigate oral health problems. To help you in your endeavor to keep your child’s mouth healthy, your Arlington dentist, Dr. Quinn Smith, has created this quiz so that you can prepare yourself for many of the dental situations your child may face.
Take the Quiz
1. True or False: Cavities do not require fillings if they are in baby teeth.
2. True or False: A knocked-out tooth should be handled by the crown rather than the root.
3. True or False: Teeth grinding does not often require treatment in children.
Check Your Answers
1. False. All cavities require dental care. Although it may seem that a cavity in a baby tooth can go untreated because a secondary tooth is waiting to take its place, it’s not true. An untreated cavity can result in an infection capable of spreading into the rest of the mouth and the jawbone, resulting in serious oral health problems. Additionally, the infection can spread into the rest of the body and cause illness.
2. True. The root of a knocked-out tooth needs to remain moist if the tooth is to be saved. Once a tooth has been knocked out, there is a window of about 30 minutes to an hour to save the tooth. The best chance of keeping the root moist is to rinse it clean with water and replace it in its socket before seeking emergencydental care.
3. True. The forces generated by bruxism (teeth grinding) in children are not a sufficient threat to teeth to warrant treatment. The habit is very common in children, usually beginning at age three and ending around age six. However, if the habit lingers well past the age of six, or if your child complains of persistently sensitive teeth and a sore jaw, notify your Arlington family dentist, Dr. Smith.
Schedule a Visit with Your Arlington Family Dentist
Regular dental visits can help keep your child’s mouth healthy. If more than six months have passed since your child’s last dental visit, contactyour Arlington family dentist, Dr. Smith, today by calling 972-262-5111. We welcome patients from Grand Prairie, Arlington, South Dallas, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, and surrounding communities.
