You have the responsibility to take care of your children. That’s a very broad term, but it generally means you have to help them grow up right. At first, that often includes making sure they’re being healthy and safe. But at some point, your kids need to take on their own responsibility.
That’s why it’s crucial to help your kids’ dental health by giving them the right dental habits. For example, you can’t always be there to remind them about brushing and flossing.
Call our Winnipeg, MB dental office today at 204-977-8515 and make your next family dentistry appointment. Our Winnipeg dentists know how to work with children, and because establishing those habits are so important, children three years old and younger can have a free initial visit.
Turning A Good Idea Into A Habit
When they grow up, your children should be able to live independently. Sure, they need to stay in touch with mom and dad! But they also need to function without help. That means giving them great habits. But how do you turn a good idea into a habit?
The keys here are repetition and consistency.
- Repetition means your kids have to do the same activity over and over again. It’s not enough to tell your kids to brush. You have to make sure they keep brushing twice each day — once in the morning and once before bed — repeatedly.
- Consistency means your kids have to repeat these actions for days, weeks, even months in a row. Missing one day is not going to ruin this process, but the more consistent your kids are with these actions, the more likely they will stop thinking about them and accept them as regular parts of their daily lives.
Tips For Giving Great Dental Habits
Here are some ideas for helping your kids have great dental habits that improve their dental health and take a little pressure off the parents.
– Treat fruit juice and diet soda as rare treats.
While it’s true that juice has plenty of vitamins, it also has plenty of sugar. Even the unsweetened kind is bad for your kids’ teeth because sugar feeds the bacteria behind cavities and gum disease. Although diet soda has no sugar, it’s highly acidic. That acid will erode enamel and weaken teeth.
That’s why it’s best to treat both drinks as rare treats to enjoy on special occasions instead of any go-to drink. That way, they don’t get into the habit of drinking stuff that hurts their smiles.
– Make sure your kids see you brushing and flossing.
Children love playing “grown up.” They’re eager to grow up and act like an adult. But that doesn’t just mean they copy what you do — they also avoid doing what they never see you do. If you tell them to brush and floss but they never see you doing the same, they can easily believe dental care is just for children.
You don’t have to stage a big production out of it. But every now and then, make sure your kids see that you brush and floss just like you want them to. This can help turn this into a habit.
– Let your children pick out their own toothbrush.
Because they’re so young, kids cannot have too much control over their lives. Otherwise, they’d eat nothing but junk food and would never get enough sleep. You can take advantage of that to build a great dental habit.
Take your kids to the store and let them pick out their own toothbrush. Giving them a little control over this choice can help make it special to them. This means they’ll be more likely to consistently brush their teeth.
– Make your family’s dental visits around the same time.
As with letting your kids see you brush and floss, you can build great dental habits by making appointments with our Winnipeg, MB dental office for you and your kids around the same time. By seeing you visit a dentist regularly, they’re more likely to view such visits as a normal part of life. That means they’ll visit a dentist regularly themselves.
Call Lakewood Dental Centre today at 204-977-8515 or use our online form to make your next appointment for family dentistry.
Sometimes, you don’t realize how bad your smile has gotten. That’s often because changes happen slowly. That’s certainly true for orthodontics. But a straight smile is more than just important to how you look. Crooked teeth can lead to worn enamel, TMJ problems, and more.
That’s why you need to call our Winnipeg, MB dental office today at 204-977-8515. Our Winnipeg dentists can help with traditional braces, Invisalign, and more orthodontic treatments.
You didn’t notice how dark your smile had gotten until you saw that old photo of you. That night, you look in the mirror, and there it is. Your teeth are dull, dingy, and even brownish. Suddenly, you are self-conscious about smiling at people.
That’s why you need to call our Winnipeg, MB dental office at 204-977-8515 and make an appointment for teeth whitening. Cosmetic dentistry can do a lot for your smile, and Dr. Dhillon and Dr. McDermid are both highly trained at using professional-strength teeth whitening systems.
How You Can Benefit From Teeth Whitening
According to the CDA, teeth whitening treatments are safe when used by a trained dentist. And there are some health conditions where teeth whitening is not advised. That said, our Winnipeg dentists are skilled and experienced in using cosmetic dentistry treatments like these to improve how your smile looks. And when your smile looks better, you get other benefits as well.
- You can find it easier to speak to people and groups.
- Your self-esteem can get a boost.
- You can look younger.
- You can make better first impressions.
By calling Lakewood Dental Centre today, you can be one step closer to getting your teeth several shades lighter with professional-strength teeth whitening.
Problems With Teeth Whitening Kits
You’ve probably noticed there are some teeth whitening kits available in stores. These work … to some degree. However, there are often problems with these store-bought kits.
The biggest one is that the results aren’t as dramatic or powerful as what you can get from a dentist. That’s because dentists have the training and approval to use professional-strength whitening. These teeth whitening kits have to be made weaker because there is no professional supervision for their use.
That’s another drawback. With these store-bought kits, you have to be the dentist. While you aren’t likely to run into any major problems while using them, it’s still very different from having a highly trained professional on hand.
Benefits Of Professional Teeth Whitening
Here are some of the benefits you get from getting teeth whitening from a dentist instead of a box.
You will get professional results
If you’re going to try teeth whitening, that means you want whiter teeth. That should be obvious, but then why go with a teeth whitening kit that likely will not get your teeth as white as a professional-strength system?
Our dentists are trained to use professional cosmetic dentistry systems that give you the whiter teeth you’re looking for in the first place.
It can be done in our Winnipeg dental office or at your home
One reason those kits are popular is that they can be done at home on your schedule. At Lakewood Dental Centre, you have the choice. You can come into our Winnipeg, MB dental office and have it done here, or you can get take-home versions of our professional-strength teeth whitening.
Three Professional Cosmetic Dentistry Treatments
Dr. Dhillon and Dr. McDermid are both trained in several cosmetic dentistry treatments. This way, you have choices for getting your teeth whiter.
ZOOM
Zoom can help your teeth get up to eight shades whiter in just one in-office treatment. This cosmetic dentistry treatment is also specifically designed to reduce any tooth or gum sensitivity that can happen as a side-effect of teeth whitening.
KöR TEETH WHITENING
This system is kept refrigerated until it’s ready to use, keeping it fresh and strong. Custom-made trays help prevent saliva from interfering with the process. The whitening agent is also made to reduce any tooth sensitivity you might otherwise experience.
OPALESCENCE
Opalescence uses a unique mix of fluoride and potassium nitrate in a gel. Our dentists expertly coat the front of your teeth with this gel. It helps protect your enamel during the teeth whitening process, but the gel also makes it easier to avoid getting anything on your gums that can irritate them.
Call Lakewood Dental Centre today at 204-977-8515 or use our online form to schedule your appointment for professional-strength teeth whitening.
A great dental office is more than just having the right technical training or location. You should also be able to find dentists who are friendly and warm. That’s exactly what you will find at Lakewood Dental Centre in Winnipeg, MB.
Call our Winnipeg dentists today at 204-977-8515 to schedule your next dental cleaning and dental exam.
When you’ve lost a tooth from your smile, it’s hard to hide it. But that’s often what you want to do. Smiling with a gap in your smile can easily be embarrassing.
By calling our Winnipeg, MB dental office today at 204-977-8515, you can get that missing tooth replaced with a dental bridge. This restorative dentistry treatment uses a dental crown as a natural-looking but durable replacement tooth. Our Winnipeg dentists are very well trained and experienced in dental bridge procedures, so they can help go from being embarrassed about your smile to feeling proud about it.
There are so many different kinds of toothpaste these days. Is there really a difference? In a word, yes. While many toothpastes are basically the same, what’s inside them can make a big difference. Teeth whitening toothpaste, for example, can help keep your teeth whiter than regular toothpaste.
Call our Winnipeg, MB dental office today at 204-977-8515 and schedule your next appointment. Even with high-tech ingredients in many toothpastes, you still need a regular dental cleaning and dental exam to make sure your smile is as healthy and beautiful as it can be.
Finally, the weather is starting to warm up and the sun is coming out more and more. That means summer is here, and it’s time to start getting some exercise outside. Running, hiking, or just playing around the pool at a friend’s house can be great fun this time of year.
But these can also dehydrate you. Even if you don’t drink too much alcohol or coffee, you sweat a lot more in summer. And dehydration can lead to more cavities and worse.
Call our Winnipeg, MB dental office today at 204-977-8515 and schedule your next appointment. A dental cleaning will help protect your teeth and gums, while a dental exam can determine if you have any problems that dehydration might make worse.
Why Wet Teeth Are Healthy Teeth
Getting dehydrated at any time of the year is a problem. You can feel dizzy, nauseous, tired, irritable and more. It also hurts your dental healthy because it leads to dry mouth.
Believe it or not, your teeth and gums depend on saliva to help keep them healthy. Here’s what your saliva does for your smile:
- Gets rid of food particles. Whenever you eat, tiny bits of food and drink are trapped on your teeth and gums. These feed harmful bacteria behind gum disease and cavities, but saliva helps wash them away.
- Help prevent stains. Dark foods and drinks leave behind tiny stains on your enamel that eventually turn your teeth dark. Saliva cannot stop all stains, but it can help keep some of them away from your teeth.
- Keep your breath nicer. When you’re mouth is dry, it’s more likely to have an odor. Saliva helps wash away some of what makes your breath smell, keeping it nicer.
- Protect your enamel. There’s a little amount of calcium and similar minerals in your saliva. These help keep your enamel strong.
How Dehydration Leads To Dental Problems
Here are some of the dental health problems that can happen to you when you’re dehydrated and have dry mouth.
DISCOLORED TEETH
When you eat dark foods and drinks (coffee, tomato sauce, tea, chocolate, etc.), a tiny amount gets trapped on your teeth. This leaves behind a stain that’s too small to see. But as times flies by, these stains build up until your teeth are dark and brown.
Normally, saliva helps prevent some of these stains from getting trapped on your enamel. But when you have dry mouth thanks to dehydration, the stains build up faster leading to discolored teeth.
WEAK ENAMEL
Because saliva has trace amounts of calcium and similar minerals, it can help keep your enamel strong. Saliva coats your teeth, and the minerals in it soak into the enamel, making it healthier. So when you’re dehydrated and have a dry mouth, your teeth aren’t getting the minerals they’re used to having.
CAVITIES
Tooth decay is caused by harmful bacteria that live in your mouth. They feed on food particles in your mouth, and they produce an acid that erodes holes (or cavities) in your enamel. So the more food particles there are in your mouth, the more cavities you eventually get.
Saliva is supposed to help wash away those food particles, but when you’re dehydrated, that’s not happening. That’s why you can get more cavities when you have a dry mouth.
GUM DISEASE
Cavities aren’t the only thing those bacteria can cause. When they live on your gums instead of your teeth, they still produce an acid. But instead of eroding holes in enamel, it irritates and damages your gum tissues. This leads to gum disease.
Because you don’t have the saliva you normally do, you are at a higher risk of getting gum disease through dehydration.
HALITOSIS (BAD BREATH)
If you’ve ever woken up dying of thirst, you probably had bad breath (also known as halitosis). That because a dry mouth doesn’t have any saliva to wash away stuff that makes your breath smell. Instead, it just sits in your mouth and causes halitosis.
Call Lakewood Dental Centre today at 204-977-8515 or use our online form to schedule your next appointment with our Winnipeg dentists — and make sure you drink plenty of water this summer.
If you are having any sort of dental emergency, call our Winnipeg, MB dental office immediately at 204-977-8515 for an emergency appointment. You can usually be seen the same day that you call.
It can be scary and confusing when you’re in the middle of a dental emergency. Such things are typically very painful and frightening. Even though you know you need to stay calm, that’s hard. What helps is to know what to do. Here are some general and specific ways to help during a dental emergency.
Big Tips For Any Dental Emergency
1. Stop The Bleeding First, And Go To The ER If You Cannot.
If you are cut in your mouth (cheeks, lips, gums, or tongue), your first priority is to stop the bleeding. Get something soft and sterile (like gauze) and apply direct pressure on the cut with it. If you can stop the bleeding, call our Winnipeg, MB dental office. If you cannot, then please visit your nearest emergency room. Stopping the bleeding must come first.
2. Put Our Number In Your Phone Today.
Calling Lakewood Dental Centre is absolutely necessary, but you don’t want to fumble around trying to find our phone number when there’s a dental emergency. That’s why you should put our number in your phone’s contact list today. Add 204-977-8515 under the name “Dental Emergency” so help is just a button away.
3. Create A Dental First Aid Kit For Your Home.
You probably have some sort of first aid kit at home for medical emergencies, so why not one for dental emergencies? Get a container of some kind and label it “Dental First Aid.” Then gather the following items and place them inside:
- A small bottle of non-aspirin pain reliever
- A small container with a sealable lid
- Sterile gauze
- Dental cement
- Plastic gloves
What To Do For Specific Dental Emergencies
Again, knowledge can be the thing to help you stay calm during a dental emergency. While you cannot predict exactly what will happen, here are some common dental emergencies and what to do for them.
BROKEN TOOTH
Stop any bleeding, and use non-aspirin pain relievers for any discomfort. Even if you have no pain, you still need to call us at 204-977-8515 and make an emergency appointment. If something is strong enough to break your enamel, it’s strong enough to damage the inside of your tooth that you cannot see.
LOST TOOTH
Pick up the tooth from the top and gently rinse it clean. Place the tooth in a small container with enough water or milk to cover it completely. Stop any bleeding, and then call Lakewood Dental Center for an emergency appointment. Bring the tooth with you. It might not be saved, but having it is better than not.
SEVERE TOOTHACHE
Whether you have a sudden toothache or a nagging one that’s gotten too much to deal with, take some non-aspirin pain relievers or use a numbing gel found in drugstores. Call our Winnipeg, MB dental office as soon as possible and explain if anything just happened to make that toothache so severe.
LOST CROWN OR LOST FILLING
If a dental crown came off, rinse it with plain water. Then use dental cement (available in most drugstores) as a temporary adhesive to stick the crown back on its tooth. If you have a lost filling, don’t worry about getting it. Instead, use dental cement as a temporary filling.
In both cases, call Lakewood Dental Centre and explain what happened. You’ll be seen at the next possible appointment. Dental cement can last 24-48 hours, but you need to come in and get work done sooner rather than later.
Call Lakewood Dental Centre today at 204-977-8515 immediately if you are having a dental emergency. Don’t worry about whether your situation counts as a “real” emergency or not. Call our dentists and explain what happened so you can get the help you need in a dental emergency.
Plaque and tartar are created by harmful bacteria. These discolor your teeth, but they can also irritate your gums and lead to gum disease. But plaque and tartar are hard to see on your teeth when they get below the gums, and even harder to clean at home.
That’s why you need to call our Winnipeg, MD dental office at 204-977-8515 for a gum disease treatment called scaling and root planing. This is when a dentist or hygienist carefully removes plaque and tartar down on the roots of the teeth, below the gumline. This can help prevent gum disease from getting worse.