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One of the most common types of traumatic injuries is a fractured tooth. It is extremely important to have the oral injury evaluated as soon as possible. Dr. Herer or Dr. Patenio can be reached on a 24-hour basis.
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Children's Dentistry Group Newsletter |
Greetings! 
Along with sunshine, flip flops and cookouts, our fourth newsletter is another reason to start celebrating the new season. We want to wish everyone a happy and safe summer! Even though the start of the new school year seems far off, we all know how fast summer flies by, so schedule dental exams early.
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 The Children's Dentistry Group Team is pleased to announce that we are now network providers for Aetna PPO, Cigna PPO, Delta Dental Premier/PPO, Guardian PPO, Humana PPO and will soon be for MetLife PPO!!! There are several other carriers we are looking into... If you don't see your insurance carrier, please contact our office for more information.
We also accept VISA, Mastercard, Discover, Care Credit, Chase HealthAdvance and cash/checks. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please do not hesitate to contact our office. |
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Traumatic Oral Injuries  Children are bound to fall and get scraped up during the summer. That's part of being a kid. For this reason, we'll discuss traumatic injuries and the importance of mouth guards. Traumatic injuries to the teeth and mouth may not seem very serious, but teeth have the lowest potential of any tissue for returning to a normal, healthy state after injury. These types of injuries occur for a variety of reasons. Most injuries sustained by infants or toddlers are caused by falls. School-age children get mouth injuries from bicycle and playground accidents. Teenagers get injuries from athletic activities and young adults from car accidents. The common theme between all the age groups is that most of the time traumatic oral injuries are accidental. For this reason it is important to have a basic understanding of these injuries and to know what to do if they occur.
Teeth and soft tissue can sustain a variety of injuries. Teeth injuries can involve the enamel, dentin, and/or pulp. Soft tissue injuries can affect the gum tissue, tongue, and cheeks. Even if it appears the injury only damaged one tooth, other teeth can be affected, along with the jaw. Swelling and inability to open the mouth are signs of a traumatic oral injury. The most important thing to do if your child has an oral injury is to call our office. Either Dr. Herer or Dr. Patenio can be reached on a 24-hour basis. It is extremely important to have the oral injury evaluated as soon as possible to determine the extent of the injury and what care would be appropriate to treat it.
One of the most common types of traumatic injuries is a fractured tooth. This can occur from the above stated reasons, or any other kind of accident, like biting down on a hard object. Drs. Herer and Patenio use a bonded resin restoration to repair fractured or broken teeth. The restorations are made up of a composite filling, which is mixture of a glass or quartz filler in a resin (plastic) material that creates a tooth-colored filling. Composite fillings are extremely durable and can withstand significant chewing pressure, making them very resistant to fractures. In future newsletters we will discuss other types of traumatic injuries and their treatment. |
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Mouth Guards
 A great way to prevent traumatic mouth injuries in children, teenagers, and young adults is to wear a mouth guard during all sporting activities. Mouth guards cover the top and sides of the teeth and act as a cushion when there is a blow to the face. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), mouth guards minimize the risk of broken teeth and injuries to the soft tissues of the tongue, lips, and cheek lining. It is also essential to note that mouth guards can be worn even if your child has braces. It is especially important for people with orthodontic appliances to wear a mouth protector.
There are many different types of mouth guards: custom and stock being the main two. Drs. Herer and Patenio will consult with you about the best choice for your child.  |
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The Autistic Dental Patient
 There is a growing number of children being diagnosed with autism in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 110 children in the U.S. have clinical signs of autism. Autistic children are high risk dental patients for many reasons. Their diet is often a main contributor to tooth problems and proper oral hygiene is very difficult for parents to maintain. They are orally sensitive and parents tend to postpone dental exams because of this. On top of these reasons, a short attention span, cooperation, and communication limitations pose special challenges to pediatric dentists. Drs. Herer, Patenio and our entire team are specially trained to treat autistic, as well as all special needs patients. Providing a calm, non-threatening environment is essential for the autistic child. We feel going slowly with these patients, following a tell, show, and do approach makes these children feel comfortable at our office. We recommend seeing these children, as with any child, between the ages of 12 and 18 months for their first visit. This helps make the child's dental experience a positive one. | |
The Continuity of your Child's Dental Health
In previous newsletters we have discussed the importance of preventive dental care to ensure optimal oral health for your child. In these hard economic times, it is still vital to stay on track with your child's dental visits. Children should be seen by a dentist twice a year to prevent any problems from arising and also to catch any irregularities before they get too severe. There are many financial responsibilities with children, which prove especially difficult in this economy, but providing children with proper dental care is extremely important. Many people choose to eliminate dental visits from their financial plan because of costs or lack of insurance. This could pose more problems in the future for your child.
The preventive dental visit includes a thorough examination, a dental cleaning (prophylaxis) and topical fluoride application. If the child is more than four years old, we would recommend radiographs (x-rays) on a yearly basis. The costs for providing quality preventive care only amount to about 65 cents per day for each child. This is much less than the cup of coffee we buy each morning. Even though it is money you have to put up twice a year, the costs are much less than what you could incur from a dental crisis caused by lack of proper dental care.
It can get very costly if your child acquires a cavity, abscess or any other dental emergency. There is a higher chance of your child acquiring these problems when they are not seen by a dentist regularly. According to the Center for ease Control, American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, children who receive consistent dental visits with proper oral hygiene and diet can go through their child and teenage years caries free. Taking your child to regular dental visits saves you a lot of time, money and stress in the future.
Please don't let financial burdens be the obstacle to quality healthcare for your child. If you have any concerns, please contact our office and we will be happy to work with you.
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Please Don't Be Bashful
If you have any questions regarding pediatric dental health, please feel free to contact us by phone: 847-726-0300 or by email: info@childrensdentistrygroup.com. If you have a family member or friend with a child, please feel free to forward this newsletter to them. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Dr. Paul D. Herer, Dr. Melissa J. Patenio
and the CDG Team
Children's Dentistry Group, LLC
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