November 5th, 2013
If you have been thinking about getting a piercing, or if you already have one or more, there are some health risks our team at Just 4 Kids Pediatric Dentistry wants you to know about. It's important to know the risks involved with oral piercing, including infection, chipped teeth, gum damage, nerve damage, loss of taste, or tooth loss that could occur as a result.
Your mouth contains millions of bacteria, and infection is a common complication of oral piercing. Many people who have piercings tend to regularly touch them, paving the way for bacteria to enter piercing sites. Also, food particles that collect around piercing sites can lead to infection.
Besides hindering your ability to talk and eat, oral piercing also leads people to develop a habit of biting or playing with their piercings, which can lead to cracked or fractured teeth. While the fracture can be confined to the enamel of the tooth and require a simple filling, you also run the risk of the fracture going deep into the tooth, which may require a root canal, tooth extraction, and additional dental treatment.
If you still decide to get an oral piercing, you should realize that it will take some time to heal (anywhere between four to six weeks) and it may be very uncomfortable. Also please keep in mind that it will be an added responsibility to your life, as it will require regular upkeep. We want you to make sure that you’re committed to the task of taking care of it for the full healing period and beyond.
We encourage you to clean the piercing with antiseptic mouthwash after eating, and brush the jewelry each time you brush your teeth. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to give us a call!
October 29th, 2013
Halloween is fast approaching, and Dr. Tang wanted to be sure to wish our patients a happy day, no matter how you might celebrate this holiday. The Halloween that is familiar to most people today bears little resemblance to the original Halloween; back in the “old days” it wasn’t even called Halloween!
Festival of the Dead
Halloween started out as a Celtic festival of the dead that honored departed loved ones and signified a change in the cycle of the seasons. The Celtic people viewed Halloween, then called “Samhain,” as a very special day – almost like our New Years day in fact, as their new calendar year began on November 1st. Samhain was the last day of autumn, so it was the time to harvest the last of the season’s crops, store food away for winter, and situate livestock comfortably for the upcoming cold weather. The Celts believed that during this day, the last day of winter, the veil between this world and the spirit world is the thinnest, and that the living could communicate with departed loved ones most effectively on Samhain due to this.
Modern Halloween
Today, Halloween has evolved into a day devoted purely to fun, candy, and kids. What a change from its origins! We encourage all of our patients to have fun during the holiday, but be safe with the treats. Consider giving apples or sugar-free candy to the kids instead of gummies, toffees or sticky candy that is potentially damaging to the teeth.
Remind kids to limit their candy and brush after eating it! Sweets can cause major tooth decay, so to avoid extra visits to our Surrey, BC office, make your Halloween a safe one! And don’t’ forget to check out our annual Halloween candy buy-back program (see website for details).
October 22nd, 2013
With Halloween in just a couple days, the big question is: what do you do with all that candy? Well, we’ll buy it back from you!
We are running our 7th annual Halloween Candy Buy Back Program this year, in conjunction with our friends at Panorama Orthodontics. Bring your unwanted or excess treats and candy into either dental office in November, and we will buy your candy back for $1 per pound, and also make a $2 donation to our neighbourhood Tong Louie YMCA. Last year, we collected a whopping 225 pounds of candy! Let’s see if we can beat our total collection this year – we’ll be more than happy to increase our donation to the YMCA!
Everyone in the neighbourhood is welcome – you do not have to be a patient at Just4Kids or Panorama Orthodontics. Just stop by, say hello, and bring your piles of candy! Some people bring 1 or 2 lbs; some children have brought up to 10 lbs of candy! Tell all your siblings, cousins, friends, neighbours, and classmates – don’t let all that excess candy go to waste.
Lastly, most people wonder… what happens to all that candy? We donate the candy to our local food banks, drug rehabilitation centres, and other organizations in the Lower Mainland so it can be used in a positive manner.
What’s the goal of the Candy Buy Back Program?
- We are teaching children to have healthier dietary habits, with reduced intake of refined sugars.
- We are teaching children how to help out in the community, with their donations to the YMCA – some children in the past have even donated THEIR OWN portion of the buy back to the YMCA as well!
- We are keeping our patients’ teeth and braces healthier by avoiding unfriendly candy
- We are helping out other organizations in the Lower Mainland who use the candy in a positive manner
Happy Halloween!
October 22nd, 2013
Our team at Just 4 Kids Pediatric Dentistry hears this question a lot. According to our friends at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), pediatric dentistry is “an age-defined specialty that provides both primary and comprehensive preventive and therapeutic oral healthcare for infants and children through adolescence, including those with special healthcare needs.”
Pediatric dentists, such as Dr. Tang, are dedicated to the oral health of our young patients from infancy through their teen years. Our team at Just 4 Kids Pediatric Dentistry has the experience and qualifications to care for your child’s teeth, gums, and mouth throughout his or her various stages of childhood.
Pediatric dentists complete at least four years of dental school, including an additional two additional years of residency training in dentistry for infants, children, teens, and children with special needs.
At Just 4 Kids Pediatric Dentistry, we know children are not born with a fear of the dentist, but they can fear the unknown. And that is why Dr. Tang and our team know how to examine and treat children in ways that make them relaxed and comfortable.
To learn more about pediatric dentistry, or to schedule your child’s next visit at our Surrey, BC office, please give us a call today!
