Chicago Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics Blog

People know from experience that kids can have health emergencies. Whether it’s from a physical injury, an illness, or something else, minors sometimes need urgent help from a medical professional. However, those situations don’t always lead to the hospital — some result in an emergency dental visit. That said, concerned parents will want to know what happens at such an appointment. Luckily, your Chicago pediatric dentists are here to help! Read on to learn three things you and your little ones can expect from emergency dental care.

As a parent of a young child, you’re accustomed to giving encouragement and praise for the little things they do. Going to the bathroom and using the potty may seem routine for older children, but it is a big deal while they are still learning, and rewarding their successes with praise can motivate them to continue progressing. The same concept applies to brushing teeth!

In this post, you’ll learn why developing this habit early in life is essential, why praise is important in the process, and how to properly encourage your child to brush for the full two minutes twice every day.

In your group of mom friends, you talk about your nursing woes and find validation and support. You’re not alone! From other moms who have experienced issues, you learn that the cause of the problem could be a lip or tongue tie in the baby’s mouth, which requires a procedure called a laser frenectomy. Maybe a few have even had it done!

 Although this procedure can sound a little intimidating at first, it can quickly and painlessly take care of the tight, short, or thick tissue that restricts tongue movement, and it can enable your baby to nurse properly. Frenectomies seem to be on the rise in recent years, but there are plenty of good reasons for this. Read on to find out what those reasons are!

As a responsible, caring parent, you are concerned about your child’s health, but you also worry about finances. Every dollar counts, and you don’t want to waste anything. Did you know that you can make sure your child has a strong smile and make the most of your insurance dollars at the same time? In this post, you’ll learn more about how children’s dental insurance coverage works and how to maximize your benefits to help your little one stay healthy.

The internet is a wonderful thing. In just a matter of seconds, you can have a wealth of information available. However, it can be challenging to decipher what’s true and what’s not. For instance, there have been many myths about metal braces circulating that simply aren’t true. Read on to learn why you shouldn’t always believe what you hear or read on the internet about braces.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone has tried to do as much as possible from the comfort and safety of home. In most cases, working, grocery shopping, and other tasks can be done remotely or online, but some things require seeing an expert in person. Likewise, as much fun as it can be to try DIY home projects or cooking from home, some things are best handled with the close attention of a professional.

At this point in your binge watching, you’ve probably seen the ads for clear aligners that come directly to you in the mail without having to visit a dental office. Marketed as a cheaper alternative to Invisalign, these mail-in aligners may seem attractive at first glance, but they can have serious negative consequences for your smile. Here are five solid reasons why working with an orthodontist to realign your teeth with Invisalign is still the smartest approach to take.

As you get ready in the morning, you look in the mirror at your misaligned smile for one last time. Today’s the day you’re finally going to get braces and fix the problem. You can’t wait to see what your teeth will look like when you’re finished!

You’ve looked forward to starting orthodontic treatment for a long time, but now that it’s here you may find yourself feeling nervous about the unknown. What will braces be like? How will it feel to have the brackets and wires on your teeth? What can you expect? Read on to learn the answers to these questions and more!

Your sweet, perfect little baby is struggling to gain weight and breastfeed properly—naturally, as a caring parent, you’re concerned. Are you doing something wrong? As it turns out, your baby has a lip and tongue tie preventing them from feeding efficiently. To fix it, they’ll need to undergo a procedure called a frenectomy, where the excess tissue is severed. That may sound scary, but the good news is that your pediatric dentist can perform the frenectomy with a soft tissue laser!

Because of this amazing technology, this procedure is much faster, gentler, and easier to recover from than it used to be. However, your baby will still require your special attention for a while afterward. Here are some tips for infant oral care following a frenectomy that will help them get back on track.   

Did you know that a shark has thousands of teeth throughout its lifetime? In fact, sharks usually have five rows and up to 3,000 teeth at one time! In contrast, humans typically only have one row of teeth. So it’s natural to feel very concerned if your child seems to be growing a second. Normally, children lose their primary or baby teeth, and then the permanent teeth erupt in the gap. However, sometimes “shark teeth” pop up before the baby teeth have come out. Does this mean something is wrong with your child’s smile? What should you do about it? When should your pediatric dentist get involved? Read on to find out!

During the COVID-19 crisis, you’ve been doing your part to keep your family safe by staying home. Although this has protected you from infection, it has also given you all cabin fever, and your kids are getting rowdier by the hour. While they wrestle in the other room, you hear one of them shout in pain and come running to you holding a tooth and bleeding. What should you do? Where should you turn? Do you need to take your child to a pediatric dentist right away? Get the answers to these and other important questions here!