Oral Surgery - Near You in Palatine, IL

Child Dental Emergencies

Uh-oh! A Dental Emergency! If a dental emergency should happen to your child, please remember to act quickly. Stay calm - a parent's apprehension can be transmitted to the child. Bring the child to us with the tooth replanted or kept moist in transit. We'll take care of you immediately.

A child, learning to ride a two-wheeled bicycled, loses her balance, falls, hits a rock and knocks out a front tooth. What do you do?

If the tooth is replaced in the tooth socket immediately, the chances are good that this tooth can be maintained for many years.

Do something and do it now

The success of this replantation procedure is directly related to how soon the tooth is replaced in its socket. If possible, just rinse the tooth with tap water and gently replace the tooth in its socket and come to the office. Otherwise, wrap the tooth in a clean, moistened cloth-or put it in a cup of water or milk-and get to the dentist, now. Never scrape the tooth or allow it to dry out.

Remember, time is of the essence

If the tooth is left out of the mouth for more than 30 minutes, the chance for successful replantation drops significantly.

We consider replantation successful if we can keep the tooth in position at least during a child's growth period. By maintaining the space, the replanted tooth prevents tipping of adjacent teeth. If it's necessary to replace the injured tooth, it's much easier to do it when the child is older - when all the permanent teeth are in.

The good news is that we have bonding and dental implant techniques today for tooth replacement-and new materials to fill in for a lost tooth.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

New Dentistry, A Partnership For Your Health And Well Being

A world of opportunities for dental health awaits us in the new dentistry. Using the old dentistry, dental professionals did their best to provide a high quality of service given the state of knowledge and technology at that time. Through advancements in treatment, research, and the desire of the dental profession to do more and do it better, the new dentistry has emerged. It is based on a foundation with specific characteristics that are of great benefit to us as consumers.

• Efficiency: Your time and your resources are valuable to you, and your dental professional recognizes this. New treatment techniques and methods have considerably reduced the amount of time that the dental care now takes. The return on your investment in dental health is excellent.
• Comfort: Not only are the dental chairs and the office environments more comfortable and pleasant, improvements in the use of local anesthetics and new equipment provide more comfort than ever before.
• Collaboration: The dental relationship is now based on the value that you can derive from your dental team and what you want for your dental future rather than just on the techniques and procedures your dentist can do. Through continuing education, your dentist has the skills and knowledge to help you make decisions for your dental health in a positive and informed way.
• Predictability: New materials and advances in treatment provide you with opportunities to maintain your dental health throughout your life. With the innovative cosmetic dentistry and specialized approaches to reclaiming teeth that formally would be lost, your dental professional can help create and maintain teeth and gums. Predictable treatment, effective prevention methods, and the longevity of treatment are now part of any treatment plan.
• Thoroughness: Advances in assessment and diagnosis now enable dentists to make thorough evaluations of your overall dental and oral health. The outcome is a plan for your health that will give you peace of mind, knowing you can have a well-informed dental plan in place.
• Prevention: This characteristic of the new dentistry has received much publicity in recent years. It has been proven over and over again that there are several measures that you can take as a consumer of dental care to create and maintain your dental health in collaboration with your dental team. It bears repeating again - flossing and brushing combined with regular dental hygiene checks are your greatest allies in maintaining your teeth and a bright smile.
• Precision: The new dentistry utilizes instruments and technologies that are far advanced from what was available even 15 years ago. Both general dental professionals and specialists have access to technologies that provide precision in diagnosis and treatment. The value for you is higher quality care.

The dental profession has established a strong foundation for a pleasant smile and a healthy dental future for all of us. Improvements are continuously being made to this foundation. You can choose to avail yourself of these improvements by asking your dentist, "What can help me to maintain my dental health?" They have the knowledge and the desire to help you, including information about a wide range of dental payment plans.

By Brian DesRoches, PhD

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.