If you are a teenager or the parent of a teenager, today’s Dental Care Today PC – E. Dale Behner DDS post is for you. Today’s post discusses dental issues of special concern to adolescents. Dental risks for teens include both developmental and lifestyle-related factors.
We see dental caries and gum disease far too often in teens. Possible causes and complicating circumstances include insufficient dental hygiene, unhealthy diet, malocclusion (misaligned bite), smoking, hormonal changes, tooth grinding, mouth breathing, eating disorders, and side effects of medications.
As children become more independent, some get lax about brushing and flossing. In addition, some teens’ diets become worse when they have more freedom to choose what to eat. Few parents let their four year-old drink an energy drink, but they are consumed frequently by older children–presumably without their parents’ knowledge.
Malocclusion can make proper brushing and flossing difficult, leaving even vigilant brushers with decay from food particles that are almost impossible to remove. Malocclusion can also trigger TMD (Temporomandibular disorder). If you suspect that your teen’s bite is not aligned properly, or if your teen notices a clicking sound in the jaw joint, call Dental Care Today PC – E. Dale Behner DDS at 317-842-2337 to schedule an exam.
In spite of numerous public service campaigns aimed at preventing teen smoking, many youth take up the dangerous habit even before they graduate from high school. Smoking wrecks teeth as surely as it wrecks lungs.
Fishers parents of adolescents are well aware that puberty has a significant impact on physical and emotional health. Puberty causes all sorts of changes in the body, and the mouth is no exception. Increased hormone levels (especially in females) can cause the body to react to a very small amount of plaque, triggering inflammation of gum tissue and increased risk of the more advanced form of gum disease known as periodontitis. Your dentist can counsel you if more frequent professional cleanings are necessary to preserve gum health.
If you visit any soccer field or basketball court in Indiana, you will see that many young athletes fail to protect their teeth. If your adolescent participates in a contact sport, meet with us about custom athletic mouthguards.
One of the teen dental issues that impacts most young men and women is wisdom teeth. It’s best to start monitoring your teen’s wisdom teeth early so they can be treated before they lead to issues with the jaw or surrounding teeth. And you certainly don’t want to send your high-school grad to an out-of-state college without addressing his or her third molars. If problems develop, your youth won’t be near their regular dentist, will probably miss class, and will either need to come home or use an out-of-network dentist or oral surgeon. If you don’t yet have a family dentist, we’ll examine your teen and evaluate X-rays to guide you on the best course of action for his or her wisdom teeth.
This article is by no means exhaustive on the vital subject of adolescent oral health. Future posts will discuss orthodontia, oral piercings, eating disorders, and abnormal teeth growth.
If you are looking for a family dentist in the Fishers area, I invite you to schedule an appointment at Dental Care Today PC – E. Dale Behner DDS by calling 317-842-2337. We have been providing quality dental care to Fishers families since 1985. For more details about teen dental health or porcelain veneers, dental crowns, or dentures, call today.
Contact Dental Care Today PC – E. Dale Behner DDS:
317-842-2337
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
9744 Lantern Rd
Fishers, Indiana
46037
