Tackling Teething Terror: Relieving Your Baby’s Pain

Crankiness. Crying. Refusing to eat. These are just a few of the symptoms that your baby is teething, a process that typically begins around 6 months of age. Although teeth buds have been lying in wait in your child’s mouth since before birth, the teeth don’t actually start poking through the gums until the middle of the first year. When they start to come through, the pressure of the tooth breaking through the gum line can cause your child pain and discomfort, unleashing a whole host of ailments including

• uncontrollable drooling (often causing red cheeks or chin)
• an unwillingness to nurse or drink from a bottle (the sucking motion increases blood flow to the mouth, which can make the pain worse)
• pulling on the ears (due to “referred” pain)
• a desperate need to gnaw on anything and everything in sight

Some babies—and their parents—are lucky; teething can sometimes be a relatively painless process, and you may not even know teeth are on their way until you spot the telltale white nub in the front of your child’s mouth. But for many others, teething is a long and frustrating process.

The following tips can help ease this discomfort, though, and as soon as you learn what works for your individual child, the arrival of the next few teeth will be a much smoother process.

1. Chew the pain away. Allow your child to gnaw on teething toys, rings or a washcloth soaked in cold water. (Cold is good, but freezing can actually make things worse.) If your child is eating solids, a refrigerated cucumber or frozen bagel can also feel comforting (just watch carefully to avoid the risk of choking).
2. Massage your baby’s sore gums with a clean finger or soft cloth; the pressure will relieve some discomfort.
3. If all else fails, ask us about giving your child an over-the-counter pain reliever or an oral analgesic.

The duration of the teething period is actually quite short, although it can feel interminable. By following these suggestions, you can make this phase less painful for you and your child.

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Stuck Between Two Teeth

Many adults have experienced the irritation of an object trapped between their teeth. Children can suffer the same discomfort too, especially because of the large gaps between their developing teeth.

Young children like using their mouth to explore the world around them; often, the problem starts when a child uses his or her teeth to break apart an object or remove part of a toy. Most frequently, however, it is food that gets stuck between teeth. For some children, the object will be too large, and your efforts to dislodge it will fail. Then, an emergency trip to KiDDS Dental will be necessary.

In most cases, you can remove an object from between your child’s teeth with dental floss or a dental pick.

• Gently floss your child’s teeth as you normally would.
• Slide the floss up and down a few times until the object is removed.
• Rinse your child’s mouth with warm water.
• Never use a sharp instrument to remove objects.
• If you child has braces, apply the same techniques.

While you can’t always prevent objects from getting stuck between children’s teeth, you can start by limiting certain foods, such as popcorn, corn on the cob and hard candies. Having your child brush or floss after eating these foods can help. Some parents carry portable, individually wrapped flossing sticks for a quick fix when children get food lodged in their teeth.

If several attempts to remove the object fail, bring your child in to see Dr. Jared. Excessive or repeated force to remove an object could damage teeth and gums. Your child may be complaining of pain, which can be a sign the tooth is damaged. When your child has braces, a dental visit can reassure you that the braces are still fitted properly and the mouth isn’t injured.

If you find that your child frequently gets objects stuck between his or her teeth, the problem may be that the teeth have shifted or cavities are present. Usually, objects stuck between teeth will come out with floss, but when they don’t, we can come to the rescue.

Sweet Dreams: A Sweetener That Prevents Cavities

Children love sugar. It’s sweet and present in so many foods they like. But it comes with plenty of negative side effects, from tooth decay to weight gain to increased risk of diabetes. But knowing sugar is bad for children and getting them to stop wanting it are two very different things. Fortunately, sugar substitutes are available. One alternative, xylitol, is not only a sweet solution for a sweet tooth but may help prevent tooth decay.

Unlike the sugars found in molasses, honeys and nectars, xylitol is a “sugar alcohol” found in plants, including many fruits and vegetables. It comes in the form of a crystalline powder and can be purchased in bulk or in small packets, similar to sugar and other sugar substitutes. Xylitol is also found in gum, mints and hard candy.

So why is xylitol preferable to other sugar alternatives? Let’s start with calories. Xylitol actually has 40% fewer calories than traditional table sugar. Because it does not raise blood glucose or insulin levels, xylitol can be useful as a sugar substitute for people with diabetes. (However, they should still consult their physicians before use because some xylitol-based products may contain other chemicals not suitable for a diabetic diet.)

But most surprisingly, xylitol is a sweetener that may help prevent tooth decay.

• Eating xylitol-sweetened foods between meals helps to reduce the number of cavity-causing bacteria in your child’s mouth.
• Chewing xylitol gum inhibits the growth of plaque on teeth.
• Xylitol helps stimulate saliva flow, which helps protect and restore tooth enamel.

One important warning about xylitol, however: It is highly toxic to dogs. If your family owns a dog, make sure your children use and dispose of xylitol products responsibly. Store any products containing xylitol in a place where your dog can’t get to it.

If you have questions or concerns about xylitol and your children’s health, be sure to ask Dr. Jared during their next regularly scheduled checkup at KiDDS Dental.

Call us to schedule an appointment today!  509-891-7070.

Special-Needs Children Require Special Oral Health Strategies

While oral health is important to sustain a child’s overall good physical health, children with special needs—and their parents—often find necessary oral-care maintenance routines challenging.

At home, consistent, creative preparation can be very useful to keep toothbrushing time as stress-free as possible. If your child resists brushing in the bathroom, for instance, choose another room or setting. Make sure all objects you might need—everything from toothbrush to fresh water to swabs—are close at hand before beginning.

If a traditional toothbrush poses difficulties, you can buy or make an adaptive toothbrush that your child may be able to maneuver alone. The sense of independence this fosters will create positivity around the oral-health experience—something important for any special-needs child. If your child finds toothpaste difficult to tolerate, try using a very small amount (the size of half a pea) on the toothbrush.

Specific precautions can help prevent cavities that might be caused by taking certain liquid medications that contain sugar. Have your child rinse with water, if possible, after taking these medications, and ask your pharmacist if there are sugar-free variants for your child’s prescriptions. If your child experiences gastroesophageal reflux or another condition that causes frequent vomiting, you, your child and caregivers should understand that to get rid of even small amounts of residue, rinsing the mouth with water after an incident is crucial to preventing tooth decay.

Dr. Jared and his clinical team want to work with you and your child to make his or her dental care experiences as pleasant as possible. When you schedule your child’s appointment at KiDDS Dental, remind us of his or her special needs. If necessary, we can devote the first appointment—or even the first several appointments—to small steps that get your child acclimated to the office, the chair and the activities of a “real” visit. Then he or she will know what to expect during actual cleanings and care, and the chance of successful dental visits for years to come will rise exponentially.