Why it’s important to teach your child good oral hygiene

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month--an important time to focus on and teach your child the necessity of good oral hygiene. Maintaining a healthy mouth is vital for all ages, but is especially essential for youngsters when their mouth is vulnerable and adult teeth are coming in. In fact, more than half of children will be affected by tooth decay before the age of five, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Poor oral hygiene can also lead to future health issues and costly bills, something that can be difficult to explain to a child, but can also be prevented or reduced with the proper care.

Brushing at least twice a day and regular flossing can seem like an unnecessary chore to kids. Here are some ways to teach your children good oral hygiene habits and the importance of a healthy mouth: 

Be a good role model.  Kids learn from example, so be sure that they see their parents regularly brushing and flossing. Show them how long to brush, what areas and the best way to floss. Explain that brushing will get rid of bacteria while flossing gets all of the food and gunk out of your teeth. You may want to help your kids with flossing until they get the hang of it.

Make it fun.  Oral hygiene doesn’t have to be boring. Teach your kids about the importance of oral hygiene with fun activities. For example, putting an egg in soda for 24 hours will stain it and show what sugar can do to enamel. Encourage your children to brush the egg with toothpaste and explain what happened to the egg and what happens in the mouth. Other activities and worksheets are available online for continued education.

Motivate with music. Everyone should brush for at least two full minutes, but unfortunately that is rarely the case. To teach kids to brush thoroughly and take their time, music can be a great motivator. Check out the information on our Family Services page that includes a link to a list of songs for kids to brush to.

Schedule regular cleanings. Staying accountable is an important part of teaching your child good oral hygiene. Make sure to book regular teeth cleanings to build a positive relationship between your child and their dentist.

Explaining to kids what cavities and gum disease are beginning at an early age and meeting with a dentist to learn what the treatment is like will help them keep oral hygiene a priority. Challenge your kids to take the 2-2-2 pledge in the month of February and beyond: Brush twice a day for two minutes and floss twice a day. Healthy treats and fun outings can be rewards for good oral hygiene. Instilling good habits with your children from the beginning will stick with them as they become adults,  and ultimately help determine their future health.

Children should begin to visit the dentist regularly by the age of 3. At Artistic Dental we provide comprehensive dental care for all ages. To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. John Dougherty or Dr. Prabhidi Adhikari, contact us today at (602) 840 – 5400.

What is endodontics?

Unless you’ve needed a specialty dental procedure in the past, you probably haven’t heard of endodontics. So what is endodontics, and when might you need an endodontic procedure?

Endodontics is the branch of dentistry concerning dental pulp and tissues surrounding the roots of a tooth. “Endo” is the Greek word for “inside” and “odont” is Greek for “tooth.” Dentists who are trained in endodontics, like Dr. John Dougherty go through additional training and take continued education that focuses solely on the study of the dental pulp, and the treatments and procedures, such as root canals needed to keep gums and teeth healthy

The goal of endodontic treatments is to help you maintain a healthy, natural smile. Through endodontic treatment of the inside of the tooth, the dentist can help save a diseased tooth that would ordinarily need to be pulled.

Many people get fidgety just from hearing the word root canal, but often it is the only way to relieve severe tooth pain and treat infection, while saving the tooth. If infection is left untreated, not only can it continue to be extremely painful, the infection can spread from inside the tooth to the jawbone and can cause more serious problems including an abscess, bone density loss, and eventually, tooth loss.

During a root canal, the diseased inner tooth material is removed, the inside of the tooth is cleaned and treated, and then the tooth is sealed up to prevent further infection in the future. The procedure has a very high degree of success, up to 90%, and can help relieve your pain and keep your smile healthy and beautiful.

In addition to root canals, other endodontic procedures include apexification, which stimulates a tooth to continue to grow in a child that has suffered a traumatic incident, like a fall, that causes growth to stop. Doctors with training in endodontics also perform endodontic surgery and are specially trained to diagnose the cause of tooth pain, and put together treatment plans for tricky or specialized cases. In more extreme cases, Dr. Dougherty and Dr. Adhikari may recommend a patient consult with an endodontist if the issue requires surgery.

If you are taking care of your teeth and gums with regular brushing, flossing and dental check-ups, you are taking steps that will reduce the chances of ever needing an endodontic treatment, but if you ever find yourself with severe tooth pain, you will be glad to have a dentist with training and experience in this area

At Artistic Dental, we are proud to be able to offer endodontic services in house, as well as cosmetic and family dentistry, and orthodontics. If you are experiencing tooth pain, or have questions about a dental procedure, call and make an appointment today!

What is the difference between DDS and DMD

The medical field uses dozens of acronyms and abbreviations that stand for the various titles and certifications a medical professional has earned or achieved. Some are very familiar —like MD for medical doctor and RN for registered nurse, while others are not as recognizable to the general public. In the dental industry, you will most often see DDS or DMD following a dentist’s name. The only difference between a DMD vs DDS title is where the dentist attended school and earned their degree in dentistry.

The training of DMD and DDS dentist are essentially the same. DMD stands for “Dentariae Medicinae Doctorae,” meaning Doctor of Dental Medicine in Latin. Harvard University was the first to offer a DMD degree. A Doctor of Dental Surgery or DDS has to pass the same licensing examinations as a DMD and vice versa. 

Both Dr. Dougherty and Dr. Adhikari earned a DDS degree from their respective universities. Dr. Dougherty attended Creighton University for his graduate degree in dentistry, while Dr. Adhikari graduated from New York University College of Dentistry. In addition, they are both dedicated to continuing education to stay abreast of the latest treatments and provide the best care options to Artistic Dental patients. 

In 2012, Dr. Dougherty earned his Master Academy of General Dentistry or MAGD, which only 3 percent of dentist in the U.S. have achieved. Dr. Adhikari is in the process of earning her MAGD and has currently earned a Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry (FAGD), meaning she has completed at least 500 hours of additional dental education credits. An MAGD requires 1000 hours of additional education. 

Given their extensive training, Dr. Dougherty and Dr. Adhikari are able to offer patients comprehensive list of services treatments including:

• Restorative dentistry (Oral surgery, root canal therapy, tooth filling)

• Cosmetic dentistry (veneers, teeth whitening, orthodontics, dental implants and more)

• Preventative care (Dental check-ups, x-rays, oral cancer screenings)

You may wonder after reading this, why do the two different titles exist, if they mean the same thing? The simple answer is that the titles hold significance to the universities that have used them for years. In other words, the universities don’t have a reason to change it. There has been some debate about establishing one general dentist title, but for now DDS and DMD will remain the official designations. 

A couple of other titles that you may see include Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) and Certified Dental Assistant (CDA). The education and certification for a hygienist is more extensive, but both individuals will work with the dentists in the overall care of patients.

 If you would like to learn more about the services and treatments we provide at Artistic Dental you can call (602)840-5400 to book a complimentary consultation or visit our website.