As kids grow up, how and when to plan for dental needs

This paid piece is sponsored by Siouxland Oral Surgery.

With the summer slowly coming to an end and the school year rapidly approaching many families are trying to figure out what is the best time for routine dental care and oral surgery for their family.

The short answer is that your oral health depends on regular maintenance. That generally means twice a year visits to your dentist and, if you have ongoing problems, maybe three to five times per year. There are certain additional visits that occur especially for kids as they grow older. These visits include seeing the orthodontist to help straighten the teeth, and then also to the oral surgeon to remove or manage teeth that don’t erupt normally.

For surgical cases, the worst discomfort occurs usually during the first three days after surgery, but the patient may remain sore or tender for one or two weeks afterwards. When planning for a surgical procedure, make certain to leave three to five days between surgery and resuming your normal routine. This is especially important if you have wisdom teeth removed or certain (but not all) bone grafting procedures.

We’ve found that the prime times for most people to plan surgery are the summer months, around or during the winter holidays, spring break, or simply whenever your local schools have days off. It’s best to plan early, as these timeframes can book up quickly with everyone wanting to schedule during these popular breaks.

Another aspect of care to consider is the different insurance cycles. While this may seem elementary at first glance, it’s certainly a factor for many people. Most insurance plans revolve around a calendar year, however there are some that revolve around the industry’s fiscal year which can oftentimes be quite different.

School breaks and insurance aside, the most important detail is steadfast planning based on the development of the dentition and facial growth. Generally, removal of wisdom teeth is recommended around the ages of 15 to 17 before the roots are one third to halfway formed. That growth, however, can sometimes occur as young as 12 years old and as late as 22 years old! The most accurate way to determine growth is by taking a panoramic x-ray, which allows the full view of the mouth including the wisdom teeth.

If dental implants are needed in children, it becomes even more important to know when facial growth has stopped or slowed down to a low level. This usually happens around the ages of 17 or 18 with females routinely completing this process before males. Taking a CT scan one year apart can oftentimes determine the velocity of this growth. There are, however, always exceptions to every guideline which need to be evaluated.

For adults, without a doubt, prevention is the greatest key. If oral surgery is in your future, try to time it during a period when you are able to take some time off to properly recover. It is crucial to avoid delaying procedures, such as biopsies, if there is a “growth” or abnormal spot that your dentist is concerned about. Sometimes these areas turn out to be nothing, while other times they can be a form of pre-cancer or active malignancy that you certainly don’t want to ignore or allow to proliferate.

While it may seem like a lot of information at first, the points are very practical. Apply these concepts to your dental care and oral surgery needs as it pays to be safe, prudent, and of course thorough.

Please look for our future monthly articles covering a variety of dental and surgical topics. To learn more about Siouxland Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, go to https://www.siouxlandoralsurgery.com/.