Articles

Preparing Your Child for the First Trip to the Dentist

Many parents are nervous about their child’s first visit to the dentist. Here are a few tips for making the first trip easier on your child.

• Tell them about what they will see and hear in the office. Positively talk through what happens at a typical visit to the dentist.
• Visit the library to look for positive children’s books about going to the dentist.
• Look at this website with your child so they can see pictures of our office and staff before coming in.
• Sometimes it is helpful for a younger sibling to watch their older sibling’s appointment first. Of course, this is only true if the older sibling is comfortable with the dentist.
• Let them ask the dentist and hygienist a couple questions.
• After the appointment, try to avoid asking negative questions like “Did it hurt?” or “Did you get a shot?”. Please give us a chance to give your children a positive experience first.
• Most importantly, be positive and encouraging about the whole experience.

Dental Nightguards

The increased stress levels of our fast-paced lives has led to a growing concern in dentistry: damage to teeth caused by nighttime grinding. Many people are unaware of this habit which can cause premature wear of their back teeth. When this problem matures, the front teeth may even begin to chip and crack. If left untreated, tooth wear and grinding can lead to broken fillings, broken teeth, and premature tooth loss necessitating crowns. Other symptoms of nighttime grinding include a dull morning headache and jaw tenderness.

Dr. Logan feels so strongly about the need for Dental Nightguards, that he has found a new high quality nightguard material that is much more cost-effective for his patients. The simple step of wearing a Dental Nightguard can help insure against possible high dental costs in the future and help protect your teeth for a lifetime. If you think you may benefit from a Dental Nightguard, make an appointment at our office located in the WingHaven area of O‘Fallon.