The Tooth of the Matter: A Dental Blog
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The Tooth of the Matter: A Dental Blog

You only have one set of adult teeth, and they need to last until you are 80, 90, or beyond. The actions you take towards your teeth today will either benefit you or harm you in the future. Of course, good dental care starts with seeing a dentist regularly. You should go in for cleanings and checkups, and any other time you think something might be amiss with your teeth. Education is important when it comes to any aspect of your health, so start reading the articles on this website to educate yourself about dentists and dental care. We promise that when you're 80 and you still have your teeth, you won't regret the time spent.

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The Tooth of the Matter: A Dental Blog

Pediatric Dentists Help Children With Cracked Baby Teeth From Popcorn

Sofia Curtis

Eating popcorn at the movies when going to a kids' movie is often a fun way for parents and children to bond. However, this situation can become a real issue if the child cracks their baby teeth on a popcorn kernel. The pain that this causes can be quite hard for them to tolerate. Thankfully, a trip to a pediatric dentist can help to manage this problem surprisingly well.

Baby Teeth Can Easily Crack

Popcorn is often quite hard, even when it is fully popped. And a child's baby tooth may be prone to cracking because it is close to falling out and lacks the kind of strength that other teeth possess. Unfortunately, these cracks can become quite a problem because plaque and bacteria can get between them, spread to the gums, and cause other infections that are often quite painful to tolerate.

As a result, the crack may not seem like a big deal to the child or the parent at first. But over time, the crack may become very painful and inflamed and may threaten adult teeth that have grown in the child's mouth. Therefore, parents in this situation need to do what they can to avoid this complication. Simply put, they must visit a pediatric dentist to avoid any possible issues.

How Pediatric Dentists Help

Pediatric dentists are trained to work not only with baby teeth but also adult teeth as well. As a result, they can provide full-mouth care to a child with both types in their mouth. And they can easily identify where a crack began and take steps to manage it. Usually, this process requires a temporary bonding agent or a similar item to hold the tooth together until it falls out of the mouth later.

Dentists usually don't want to do extensive treatments or care on a baby tooth because it is often going to fall out very shortly anyway. In fact, some might even want to pull out the tooth if it is cracked enough and the pain is too severe. This process is best done if the child gets a sleeping agent. These gases help the child stay focused and prevents fear and other problems from affecting them.

As a result, parents who love eating popcorn with their children need to keep their pediatric dentist's number close by at all times. These professionals will take the time to examine the state of the child's mouth and do what is necessary to help manage their crack. Then, they can help give the child tips on how to eat popcorn without cracking their teeth.


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