Summer is here with its warmer weather and fun outdoor activities! Whether you are on a staycation or vacationing, you can make sure your child’s smile thrives during this time when routines change and slow down. You still want to make sure your child’s smile doesn’t take a break from healthy habits, no matter what you’re doing! While summer is a great break from day-to-day responsibilities and activities, you still want to keep cavities and gum disease away all year round.

Maintain Daily Dental Hygiene Routines

Your child still needs to brush twice a day and floss at least once, no matter how late they go to bed or how late they wake up during the lazy summer days. You want their back-to-school dental cleaning and exam to get stars, not cavities! Supply them with flavored, ADA-approved toothpaste to help keep their tooth enamel strong and resist cavity formation. Give them a flossing tool they will enjoy using, like an interdental cleaner or water flosser, so they will want to use it! ​Create a daily dental hygiene calendar to mark off your child’s accomplishment of these tasks with fun stickers to help you track their goals and stay the course. Earning a weekly tooth-friendly treat like an activity, toy or outing (or a similar reward for teens) can help them maintain their motivation for a healthier smile.

Making Daily Dental Care Fun

For younger children, brushing and flossing with mom or dad can make it fun and something they look forward to even as you create memories with them. Doing by example is a great motivator, no matter how old your child is. Seeing you value your smile helps them want the same for their teeth and gums. Consider letting them choose their own child-size themed toothbrush and replace it every three months as the bristles start to fray, along with their favorite flavored toothpaste. Check to make sure these dental tools carry the ADA seal of acceptance, so you know they do what they claim to do. Hint: children love using electric toothbrushes as much as grownups do, and parents love how thoroughly they clean little teeth!

Limit Sweets

Summer’s bounty often involves sugary foods and drinks. Be sure your child has plentiful access to water for optimal hydration and keep sports drinks, juices, and soda to a minimum. Milk with meals provides much-needed calcium, and fluoridated water adds extra toothy protection. If your child is sitting around the house, stock the fridge with fruits or other healthy snacks. Cheese sticks, lunch meat, fresh fruits and chopped veggies can hit the spot without harming their teeth. Even limiting snacking can help keep food particles and harmful plaque to a minimum.

Bring Dental Supplies on Vacation

If you are traveling this summer, be sure that each family member’s oral health kit is stocked with the daily necessities. A travel-friendly toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste, flossing tool, and antibacterial mouthwash can keep your child’s smile bright and healthy wherever they go. Keep germs away from toothbrushes with their own toothbrush holder and fun travel case, so they stay sanitary and less likely to be lost.

Schedule Back-to-School Dental Cleanings

With its flexible schedule, summer is an ideal time to squeeze in one of your child’s twice-yearly dental cleanings to stay on top of developing cavities or other oral health issues. Healthier teeth mean that your child will have one less reason to miss a school day (or more) from dental problems. Help your child look forward to their dental visits by making them fun. Seeing your enthusiasm when it’s time for their next cleaning and exam can boost their desire to go too. Our pediatric dental team looks forward to helping your child have a great, tooth-friendly summer experience!

Extra Fun

Check out the Coloring and Activity Sheets on the Mouth Healthy page of the ADA American Dental Association. Your child will love these!

https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/resources/activity-sheets

• Fourth of July
• 2021 Brushing Calendar
• Sports Safety
• National Nutrition Month
• Choose Water for a Sparkling Smile
• Back to School
• Tooth Fairy
• Sugar Wars
• Defeat Monster Mouth
• Color and Count
• Puzzles
• Oral Health Made Easy
• Sesame Street

The post Protect Your Child’s Smile This Summer With Our Healthy Tips and Tools! first appeared on Pediatric Dental Associates & Orthodontics.

Summer is a busy time when active children love to get outside to run and play, ride their bikes, and swim. Along with this energetic season comes the potential for accidents or injuries to occur. But you can get your household ready so that you have what you need to handle an oral injury that may come up.

First up is taking steps to keep accidents from happening in the first place. You can help keep your child’s smile safe by making sure of the following:

• Helping them understand that chewing hard foods like popcorn kernels and ice can chip or break their teeth.
• Making sure your child is in a car seat while your older kid wears a seatbelt when driving around.
• Childproofing your stairs to keep your child from accidentally falling down them.
• Giving your child a mouthguard to wear when they play contact sports.
• Showing your child how to keep toothaches away by brushing and flossing every day, no excuses.

Stocking Your Dental First Aid Kit

You can put together an emergency care kit for your children. Be sure to get some clean gauze, a small cup you can use for mouthwash (those plastic measuring cups that come with some medications work well), some kid-friendly mouthwash, cold compress, and a small tooth preservation cup or a small container with a lid.

In case of injury, you can also make the incident less traumatic by doing the following:

• Checking the area for bleeding and applying pressure to the injury to staunch the blood flow.
• Gently washing the injured area using some salt water or an antiseptic rinse.
• If there is swelling surrounding the injury, gently applying an ice pack (or cool compress) can help lower any swelling.
• Calling our office if the injury is serious, so your child can see the dentist as soon as possible.

Potential Injuries and Their Treatment at Home

Handling a Toothache: Not all toothaches need immediate attention. Sometimes it’s just bits of food trapped between teeth, making the gums hurt. Flossing gently and rinsing well can often take care of that. If they still feel pain and you give them a mild pain reliever and a cold compress to soothe the area, they may need to be seen by our dentist. In that case, please give us a call to see what to do next.

Biting the Cheek, Lip, or Tongue: A cold compress may be all you need to help soothe bleeding, pain and swelling. Rinsing the area with water can also help. You do want to make sure the bleeding stops, however, and if it doesn’t, you may need to call us for an emergency appointment.

Losing a Baby Tooth: Don’t worry if your child accidentally loses a baby tooth prematurely, as long as the bleeding stops. Gently pick up the tooth, place it in a container of milk, saliva, or a tooth preservation container, and have your child bite gently on some sterile gauze. The sooner your child can be seen, the better chances of the tooth being reattached. We can help prevent infection, control the bleeding, check out their bite, and assess whether a mouth spacer needs to be placed.

Call to Schedule Your Child’s Next Visit

By being prepared for potential oral injuries this summer, your child can go outside with confidence and enjoy the fruits of the season while you have peace of mind. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s growing smile, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. We are always here to make sure your child gets the best pediatric dental care possible!

The post This Summer, Be Prepared for Dental Emergencies That Can Happen With Your Child! first appeared on Pediatric Dental Associates & Orthodontics.

When you visit the dentist, we always know when you have not been flossing your teeth regularly, and the same goes for your child’s smile! It is because when your child neglects their daily oral care, harmful oral bacteria builds up around the gum line and adding insult to injury by hardening (mineralizing) into tartar or calculus, making them vulnerable to gum disease. A great way to avoid cavities and gum disease is by flossing, and nothing is easier than using a water flosser that does most of the work for you!

Water Flossers for the Win!

The great thing about water flossers is that they are a point-and-shoot super soaker instead of trying to maneuver dental floss, string, or tape around the teeth and gumline. Instead, flossers squirt the water stream at the teeth and gum areas. This targeted stream of water gets into crevices to flush out plaque and oral debris left behind after brushing. It is easy and fun to use, and it doesn’t require manual dexterity or skill.

If you have a child who doesn’t like flossing and avoids doing it to the point that you are noticing bloody gums, arming them with a water flosser can save their smile. They will have no more excuses to floss! While not as powerful as flossing traditionally, they are definitely more effective than not flossing at all, which many parents face. By helping them find an effective tool, your child will more likely learn to practice this daily habit. It sets the foundation for a lifetime of healthier teeth and gums.

Bonus Round – Why You Should Get Your Child a Water Flosser?

• Water flossers are inherently easy to maneuver: All they need to do is put the flossing tip in-between their teeth and press a button, and the cleaning will commence!
• Water flossers can be part of their bathing routine: Portable flossers do fine when your child flosses in the bath or shower, so it fits right into their nightly bedtime routine.
• Fun for the kids: Your child would not be the first to see it as a smaller super soaker for their mouth! The water stream is fun to apply and usually feels good in their mouth. Just make sure they don’t use it to target their younger siblings!
• Water flossers are easy to use: Fill up the reservoir with some warm water, have your child pick the tip of their choice, and set the water pressure to a comfortable setting. Show your child how to point the tip between their teeth and how to move along the gum line at a 90-degree angle. Show them a few times how to work it then they will easily be able to take over for themselves.
• Water flossers are perfect for braces: Food tends to get stuck in your child’s braces, and it is hard to remove trapped food particles and dental plaque, leading to tooth decay and gum disease. The water flosser is great for cleaning around each braces bracket, especially using the appropriate tip designed to clean around them. Flushing out any leftover bits of food will effectively remove harmful plaque. Water flossing also works for kids with sensitive teeth.

Bottom Line

Teach your child that flossing with any tool is only half of the job. Brushing is their first line of defense against cavities and gum disease, supported by twice-yearly visits to the dentist for professional cleanings and checkups. We have often stressed that your child should visit the dentist once their first tooth erupts so we can keep an eye on their development and keep track of unique dental needs. A confident smile starts with a healthy one that will set the foundation for a lifetime of smiles!

The post A Water Flosser Is an Easy Tool Kids and Teens Will Love! first appeared on Pediatric Dental Associates & Orthodontics.

Your child’s developing smile depends on a variety of things: their diet, oral health habits and even their family tree. Their day-to-day habits can impact their smile if they develop problems because of thumb, finger, pacifier or lip sucking. This sucking is a natural reflex for babies as it helps them feel comfortable and secure and begins before your child is finally born.

As your child grows, prolonged thumb sucking or pacifier use can lead to your child developing “buck teeth” where the front teeth tend to stick out. It can make it difficult for them to close their mouth and lips together, arresting proper speech development. If this effect on their teeth and jaw becomes noticeable, it can also affect their social growth and make them feel shy about speaking.

Sense of Security

Your child’s sucking on their thumb, finger, or pacifier is a common and ordinary way for them to feel secure from the time they are in the womb. It is normal behavior as they grow, and most children do stop on their own between two and four years of age. However, when they don’t stop, this can lead to dental problems (such as protruding front teeth, an open bite, or a crossbite). Their upper front teeth may lean toward the lip or not properly come in at all. It can affect their bite and how their jaws and bones grow, which support their tiny chompers.

Pediatric Observation

Our pediatric dentist can observe your child’s developing smile to keep an eye on how their teeth are erupting and how their jaws are growing. Your child might need help stopping their oral sucking habits, whether from you or our pediatric dental team. When they are old enough to understand, we can explain what can happen to their growing teeth and jaws if your child continues their now unhealthy sucking habit. Your ongoing gentle reminders at home can also help increase their awareness. Sometimes it might be necessary for your child to wear an oral appliance that gets in the way of their habitual sucking patterns.

While normal thumb sucking and pacifier dependence are soothing when your child is an infant, it is a good idea to help them discontinue this habit as they grow to avoid the long-term effects on their growing teeth and jaws. If your child is still in the habit of sucking their thumb finger or pacifier, we welcome you to see our dentist for help.

Our goal is to treat problems early to correct the problem and prevent further issues in your child’s facial development. Guiding the jaw growth helps them better develop their growing smile to avert dental problems by correcting harmful oral habits that can prevent trauma to their front teeth later. Ultimately, you want your child’s teeth to come in straight – not slanted – and their teeth-supporting bone and jaw to be correctly aligned.

Please Call Today!

Our pediatric dentist is happy to keep a watchful eye on your child’s smile development and may recommend intervention when needed. Our dental team will work with your child to understand why they need to give up their sucking habits if they become destructive. We gladly support your efforts to help your child stop sucking their thumb, fingers and pacifier.

If your child is struggling to overcome this bad habit, we welcome you to give us a call today. We offer tips or can schedule a visit where we can meet with your child and check out any problems that could be developing. We are here to help your child have healthy developing teeth and gums for a confident smile!

The post What Can You Do if Your Child Has an Ongoing Thumb, Finger, or Pacifier Habit? first appeared on Pediatric Dental Associates & Orthodontics.

When it comes to your children’s smile, there are many things you can do to help them develop healthier teeth and gums. We support the American Dental Association’s (ADA) slogan for 2021’s National Children’s Dental Health Month this February. The slogan is “Water, Nature’s Drink” and encourages all to make water your first drink of choice!

Water is crucial for your child’s body, brain development, and dental health, especially when trying to keep cavities away. Cavities form when your child consumes sugary drinks that allow the oral bacteria to turn the sugar into acid, which weakens their teeth and leads to white spots that can also turn into cavities and serious infections from the decay.

But healthy habits taught and ingrained when a child is young can serve them with a healthier smile spanning their lifetime. And a lifetime habit of turning to water with meals or in between meals can help keep their teeth healthier and brighter as they reach adulthood!

As your child’s smile grows, you want to make sure they brush their teeth at least twice a day using toothpaste. Be sure they floss between their teeth once a day to clear away the oral debris their toothbrush cannot reach. Do not forget to provide them with nutritious food that limits their sweet drinks and snack intake. This daily care, combined with their routine dental checkups, can help your child have a healthier mouth and body.

Why Drink Water?

Your child’s body is made of 60% water. Hydrating with this clear beverage removes waste while distributing nutrients via the bloodstream, regulating their body temperature and helping keep their muscles moving. Water, especially fluoridated water, can help your child’s teeth remain strong. When they drink water, you are giving them nature’s “cavity fighter.” Unlike juices, sodas, and sports drinks, water leaves no unhealthy residue behind that can feed the cavity-causing bacteria in their mouth that wears down tooth enamel.

Clean Their Mouth With Every Sip

In contrast, plain water will help clean their teeth and gums every time they take a sip while diluting harmful acids created by oral bacteria. Water is also your children’s best proponent of saliva production. Saliva acts as their first line of defense against cavities by protecting their smile by fighting dry mouth. Saliva allows them to normally swallow while bathing their chompers in enamel-strengthening proteins and minerals like calcium and phosphate. It also helps balance the Ph level of the mouth. Unlike sweetened drinks that often lead to tooth decay, water protects your children’s growing smile!

If your child likes drinking juice, remember that juices are not always healthy. They are filled with concentrated levels of sugar, providing little in the realm of nutrients. Instead, why not give your child the fruit itself, like apples, pears, grapes, or oranges, so they can get those nutrients along with a healthy dose of fiber. They are especially healthy when combined with tooth-friendly cheeses and fresh vegetables. Every time your child drinks water, it helps remove those stray bits of food particles and oral bacteria that otherwise thrive in the mouth when sugar is consumed. Drinking water is a great way for your child to rinse their mouth between normal daily brushing and flossing.

Join us in celebrating National Children’s Dental Health Month with this year’s slogan, “Water, Nature’s Drink!” to support and promote better oral healthcare. As part of this month’s national health observance, we unite with all professionals, healthcare providers, and educators for your child’s best oral health. Please give us a call if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s developing smile. We look forward to helping create healthy habits for a lifetime of healthier smiles!

Just For Fun: Download the ADA’s 2021’s National Children’s Dental Health Month Activity Sheets for Kids “Water, Nature’s Drink!”

The post Celebrate National Children’s Dental Health Month Promoting Water as Nature’s Drink! first appeared on Pediatric Dental Associates & Orthodontics.

Did you know that the earlier your child has regular dental checkups, the healthier their mouths will be as they grow? Just like you, they need routine dental checkups and cleanings to protect their developing smile from cavities and tooth decay.

Not just for adults

Even your child’s baby teeth are important since they are the placeholders for the permanent teeth coming in behind them. Lack of preventative oral care early on can result in painful teeth, having trouble focusing, chewing, and even talking clearly as your child’s speech develops. Tooth decay in children can lead to a variety of problems, including:

• Dental emergencies
• Missed classes in school
• Lower self-esteem
• Unhealthy tooth development
• Dental anxiety from getting dental fillings
• Poor sleep quality from tooth pain
• Difficulty eating and speaking properly

How often should your child see the dentist?

Once your child’s first tooth erupts, they should be seen by our dentist. Believe it or not, it does not take long for tooth decay to set in, especially if their mouth is not cleaned properly every day. It is important for their teeth to be monitored as they grow to make sure any oral health issues are promptly addressed and corrected. The best way to ensure this is to bring them in every six months for their dental exam.

Avoiding tooth decay in your child’s growing smile can be accomplished by regular dental visits, brushing and the right toothbrush. A good toothbrush fits their mouth perfectly for ease of cleaning and limiting their consumption of sugary or acidic beverages and snacks. The following ages are a general guideline for your child to have their dental exams:

Ages 6 months to 1 year:

Your baby should see the dentist after their first tooth comes in and no later than their first birthday. At their visit, their teeth and gums will be checked, any oral health issues addressed, and their daily oral hygiene routine assessed and updated.

Toddlers, children and teens:

A good rule of thumb means seeing the dentist every six months unless otherwise indicated. Our pediatric dentist is trained and experienced in oral care for children, no matter their age! Our skilled team and our office are geared specifically towards children to help them have the most positive experiences during their time with us, setting the foundation for a lifetime of healthy smiles.

If needed, dental X-rays or other diagnostics may be taken before reviewing your child’s oral hygiene habits, their general health, what they consume on a daily basis, and their current risk of cavities.

We will also make sure to get rid of unsightly stains or plaque deposits. We might show you (or your child) how best to clean their teeth and gums. Fluoride and dental sealants might be recommended to protect their teeth, and their mouth will be checked for sores or bumps. If needed, cavities will be recommended to be fixed, tooth defects addressed, and their upper and lower bite patterns evaluated. As needed, wearing an oral device or having orthodontic treatment may be recommended to correct teeth or bite problems.

As your child enters their teen years, their still-developing smile needs consistent care. Along with maintaining healthy brushing and flossing habits, good dietary habits, the prevention of other oral habits that can harm their dental health may also be addressed. It might include discussing the dangers of smoking or tobacco chewing, oral piercings, eating disorders that destroy tooth enamel, etc. Having their wisdom teeth removed may also be recommended when your teen is 16 or older.

Schedule their next exam today!

As you can see, your child’s dental exams are crucial to a healthy smile as they continue to age. If your child has not been to the dentist in the last six months, now is the perfect time to have them come in and start their year off right! We are happy to schedule their next appointment for you!

The post When Was Your Child’s Last Dental Exam? Start the Year off Right by Scheduling Their Next Visit! first appeared on Pediatric Dental Associates & Orthodontics.

With the holidays in full swing, many of us are making the season more festive for our children this year by indulging their sweet tooth in treats like mouth-watering pies, home-baked cookies, and decorated cupcakes!

The problem is what our children eat will affect their oral health. A good rule of thumb is to monitor and limit their intake of sugar throughout the year as their smiles continue to grow and develop.

Your child’s smile is vulnerable to sugary treats as their oral bacteria break down sugar, releasing a by-product of acids that wears down tooth enamel until decay and cavities take over, not to mention gingivitis! Thankfully, you can remove excess sugar from your child’s diet even during the holidays to keep tooth decay and gum disease from taking over their smile.

Pro Dental Tip: instead of giving your child hard candies like a candy cane to snack on, offer them a chocolate bar instead that dissolves quickly without keeping their teeth bathed in sugar as long as a sticky treat. You can also serve chocolate-covered strawberries for vitamin C and lower the sugar content by substituting milk chocolate with dark chocolate.

Fortunately, many popular holiday treats can be made healthier by tweaking the ingredients or making less sugary substitutions. One easy tip is to switch from refined white sugar to fruit and nuts that are nutritional and less acidic than sugar! If your kids love hot chocolate, try using semi-sweet or dark hot chocolate with peppermint extract to lessen the amount of sugar.

Healthier Holiday Cookies and Pies

• Gingerbread cookies: Gingerbread cookies taste delicious with half the amount of sugar that sugar cookies are laden with, and adding pumpkin puree to the mix boosts the fiber content and benefits teeth!
• Oatmeal cookies: Adding oatmeal to sugar cookies while substituting applesauce for refined white sugar is scrumptiously healthy for their smile!
• Almond cookies: Almonds are naturally full of protein as well as healthy fats. Just add almond slivers as a topping to boost nutritional intake.
• Pumpkin pie: Pumpkin pies add healthy fiber to every slice! Just halve the amount of sugar and stick to sugar-free whipped topping.
• Nut-based pies: Adding Macadamia nuts, almonds or pecans is great for your child’s smile!

Fruit to the Rescue

Fruits are a healthy substitution when your child is craving sweets, especially vitamin or antioxidant-rich choices like oranges, strawberries, melons, berries, and pears. And even though dried fruit is high in sugar, dried cranberries and oranges make a tasty alternative to candied treats when eaten in moderation.

Dairy Choices

You can soften the sugary effects when your child indulges in sweets by pairing them with soft cheeses or milk. It creates a buffer against the acids released by harmful oral bacteria when consuming sugar. Cheese has less sugar, while dairy can neutralize bacterial acid in the mouth that can weaken precious tooth enamel. Cheese also stimulates saliva flow to wash away food particles, and you can serve it with whole-grain crackers or crisp vegetables.

Stocking Stuffers

You can even treat your child to non-sugary options when it comes to gifts and stocking stuffers. Fun toothbrushes, puzzles, games, small toys, colorful crayons or pencils, books, and stickers are great ways to take your child’s focus off of sugar!

Start the New Year off Right

Limiting your child’s sugar consumption can mean allowing sweet treats after they’ve eaten a meal, followed by brushing and flossing. If they can’t brush and floss right away, rinsing their mouth or drinking water helps neutralize oral acids. During the indulgent holiday season, you can up your child’s oral hygiene game by having them brush three times a day instead of two. The goal is to enjoy this festive season while keeping their smiles healthy and strong for the year to come!

The post You Can Help Your Child Enjoy Healthier Sweets During the Festive Holiday Season! first appeared on Pediatric Dental Associates & Orthodontics.

As your child’s smile develops, the last adult teeth to show up are the molars in the back of the mouth, aka the wisdom teeth. These teeth may erupt on the top and bottom of their mouth on both sides. They typically come in anytime between ages 17 and 21. While it’s always nice to have enough molars to chew food, sometimes there isn’t enough room in their jaws for their wisdom teeth to stay. They may have jawbone or soft tissue impeding the tooth’s emergence, or their presence can crowd the rest of the teeth and alter their overall bite. Neither are good for their oral health.

Impacted Wisdom Teeth

When your child’s wisdom teeth impact their smile, we will generally recommend taking them out with oral surgery. Rest assured, wisdom tooth removal is a common treatment, and after your child recovers, they will be glad they are removed. Impaction happens when they haven’t erupted yet from their gums, so you can’t see them. Unfortunately, impacted wisdom teeth can cause problems.

• Overcrowding: We mentioned this already, but this can leave your child’s teeth crooked and change their bite pattern. It can eventually lead to cavities, damage their teeth, and even cause bruxism or TMJ issues.
• Pericoronitis: This is an infection in their gums from not being able to clean the partially erupted wisdom tooth. The combination of harmful oral bacteria, bits of food and dental plaque building up around the tooth can leave them with localized infection.
• Cyst development: Impaction and infection can result in a growing fluid-filled sac if left untreated. Over time, the cyst can start destroying the necessary jawbone and require a surgical bone graft to fix.
• Damaging nearby teeth: During a wisdom tooth’s eruption, if your child’s teeth are coming in angling sideways, it can damage their adjacent teeth as they push at those teeth, leaving them with problems taking place below the gum line.

Best Age for Wisdom Tooth Removal

We recommend removing your child’s impacted wisdom teeth at a young age when possible. It can help ensure that their mouth and bite stays healthy. Sometimes baby teeth may loosen and tighten up again, blocking the emergence of the adult tooth behind it, so removing it makes space for that tooth to come in all the way. When primary teeth are not taken out, the chances of wisdom teeth coming through above the primary teeth increase. Orthodontic care may be needed to correct alignment.

Removing a baby tooth begins with taking X-rays of your child’s smile to see the roots and bone structure around the wisdom tooth. Then we can plan their extraction. Your child will be made comfortable with the help of local anesthesia during the removal process. We can administer a sedative. Call us to discuss our sedative options. Then the tooth is removed using tiny instruments, making sure the surrounding bone stays intact. Stitches usually are used to close the area.

Post-Surgery

Keeping your child comfortable after their wisdom tooth removal may be done using anti-inflammatory pain relievers. Ibuprofen, along with antibiotics, may be needed. You can use ice packs to manage inflammation on the outside of the affected area. It will be important for your child to stay well hydrated and stick to eating soft foods like smoothies, soup, cottage cheese, applesauce, and mashed potatoes (and occasionally ice cream). These are easy on the surgical site. Avoid hot foods as well as seeds and nuts. Do not let them use straws or spit harshly to protect the blood clot over the extraction site.

If you have any questions about your child’s wisdom teeth, please reach out to our team today!

The post How Can Extracting Your Child’s Impacted Wisdom Teeth Improve Their Teeth and Gums? first appeared on Pediatric Dental Associates & Orthodontics.

Halloween is lurking around the corner, but so is the coronavirus, making traditional Halloween parties trickier. This year, big parties and parades, creepy haunted houses, and gathering in crowds to trick-or-treat are off the table for many, or at the very least, downsized and held outdoors while social distancing. While the traditional ways of celebrating Halloween may look different this year, your family can still stock up on Halloween candy and dress up for some squeamishly spooky fun.

Treat Your Teeth

The problem with sweets is that all that sugary goodness can wreak havoc on teeth and gums. When you snack on sugary treats, be sure to rinse your mouth well with water afterward or brush your teeth if possible. Avoid hard, chewy, or extra sticky candies like the plague to avoid damaging dental plaque!

Eerie Count Chocula

Chocolate is a better choice when getting your sweets on, as it melts quickly and doesn’t stress the chompers like taffy, caramel, or other hard, sticky candies typically do. It’s easier to clean chocolate off the teeth unless they are filled with caramel or nougat fillings. Candy season can also be made more tooth-friendly by drinking plenty of water to keep saliva levels optimal. Saliva helps wash away oral debris to reduce harmful plaque. Supply your child with mini water bottles and sugar-free gum when brushing their teeth is not possible. Help your family stick to a healthy diet in general, so teeth and gums stay strong during the treat-laden holiday season for the next three months.

Frightful Family Fun

To protect your child’s wickedly cute smile during this pumpkin season, you can do what some parents do and limit daily candy consumption! Some spread out a trick-or-treating haul throughout the month and make sure they clean their teeth after eating sugary goodies. Others limit treats to a few days around Halloween itself. Having your family eat their candy right after a meal can help minimize plaque and tartar. Whatever works best for you and your family’s traditions, remember to instill in them the lifelong habit of cleaning their teeth after enjoying sweet treats.

Creating Safe Halloween Smiles

Here are some spooktacular ideas to enjoy scaring your loved ones with some wicked good fun!

Tip: If a costume comes with a mask, consider wearing a safety mask under it. Double the mask, double the protection!

• Go all out this year by making or buying fun costumes for your family and taking lots of pictures to share on social media, send to extended family, or display in an album or on the wall!
• Join friends and extended family in a “virtual costume contest” and award prizes and treats that can be dropped off or delivered by your favorite delivery company (Instacart, Walmart or Amazon).
• Host a cool Zoom Halloween party, complete with scary music, games, or dance party for older kids.
• Buy your child’s favorite Halloween candy, plastic spiders and bats, spooky stickers, Halloween-themed pencils, and mini tubes of toothpaste and flosses and let them trick-or-treat door-to-door INSIDE your house!
• Check out your neighbors’ Halloween decorations while driving around, or masking up and walking around to wave at them from the sidewalk. If the neighbors are game, you can use Facebook or NextDoor to vote on the best decorations.
• Paint scary pumpkins and place them around the house or by your doorstep. For extra spooky fun, paint teeth on them and practice “brushing” with your little ones armed with a new superhero or other character-inspired children’s toothbrush just for them.
• Have a Rotten Witch Teeth guessing contest! Fill a clear jar with candy corn and have your kids guess how many wicked witch “rotten teeth” there are!
• Take your family to a drive-thru Halloween haunt! Instead of Christmas lights, you’re getting spooked from frightful Halloween decorations.
• Have a haunted skull glow-in-the-dark scavenger hunt! Fill plastic skulls with mini dental floss and toothpaste, sugar-free candy or gum, glow sticks, bracelets or necklaces, vampire teeth, or plastic spider rings to hunt for in the yard. If you can’t find skulls, mini plastic pumpkins or mummies are also fun!
• Decorate a Halloween candy tree (artificial or real) with creepy lights and treats, including travel-sized dental floss, glow sticks, toothpaste, and more (see ideas above), so kids can grab their own goodies from your porch or yard.
• Parade your child through the neighborhood to show off their cool costume and wave at your neighbors. When you come home, treat your child to a Halloween toy or goody bag instead of trick-or-treating.
• Have some scary family movie nights or a Halloween night macabre marathon with healthy treats. Spooky apple smiles (cored and quartered apples decorated with blanched slivered almond “teeth”), Clementine pumpkins (peeled and topped with a celery stick stalk), and banana ghosts (peeled bananas with chocolate chips for eyes and mouth) are a fun way to enjoy sweet treats safely!
• Anonymously drop off a Halloween goodie bag or decorated pumpkin on the doorsteps of a few friends, family or neighbors to spread some spooky cheer, contact-free! After dark, tip-toe silently to the front door, ring the doorbell, and then “ghost” them by dropping off a ghoulish goodie and hiding or running away.

Harrowing Halloween Fun for Families

Download one of these fun pumpkin carving stencils like Billy the Bicuspid, Count Bicuspid, Frankentooth’s molar, and more as well as Activity Sheets or Coloring Sheets:

https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/resources/activity-sheets/halloween

From our dental family to yours, no matter how you celebrate Halloween this year, make it safe, healthy, and fun for all!

The post Healthy Dental Tips For the Spooky Season! first appeared on Pediatric Dental Associates & Orthodontics.

With the summer of 2020 coming to a close, families have had to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic and conform with state and county regulations. Schooling has been one area where hard decisions have been made with new rules to keep others safe. Whether your child is attending classes in school or online, keeping their smile healthy is paramount no matter what else is going on around them.

Healthy Teeth, Healthy Smiles

School pictures are just one of the reasons why a great smile matters. You don’t want your child grimacing in photos because their teeth hurt! Likewise, if they feel good about their teeth, they will feel more confident to show it off.

Social distancing, wearing face masks, and frequent hand washing will likely keep your child focused and busy on top of their usual day-to-day school activities. Participation in sports, chorus or band practice, extracurricular activities, and social distancing with friends will also be a new arrangement for your children.

Keeping your child’s smile healthy will protect them from missing school from toothaches or other oral issues. If they haven’t already seen our dentist for their back-to-school dental cleanings and exams, now’s the time to catch them up. Addressing tooth problems early will lessen their discomfort, minimize treatment measures and cost less to treat.

Establishing a regular dental routine, no matter what their age, is necessary to keep out tooth decay and gum disease that could cause your child to miss school. Older kids will benefit from having a smile toolkit they can keep in their backpack, and younger kids will enjoy having easy rewards like a sticker chart near their toolkit to track and mark off daily. Preschoolers will also enjoy stepped up oral hygiene by singing two-minute songs with you as they brush. These daily dental habits can reward your children with healthier, happier smiles.

Back-To-School Toolkit

Don’t just fill their backpack with the normal school supplies like paper, notebooks, pens, and pencils; equip them with a smile toolkit for their dental health!

• Always start with products carrying the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance to ensure the product has been tested and is deemed both safe and effective.
• The new school year is a great time to replace their old toothbrush! Keep it gentle on their tooth enamel (and gums!) by making sure it has soft bristles, and the head is compact enough to maneuver in their mouth easily and comfortably. If your child hates brushing their teeth, consider getting an electric toothbrush that makes the job easy and effective.
• Make sure they also have a dental flossing tool that they like using to clean those areas that a toothbrush might miss. Dental floss often comes in fun flavors appealing to children’s taste buds, and oral irrigators can help older children enjoy flossing more, especially if they are also wearing braces!
• Supplying a fluoride toothpaste helps keep tooth enamel strong, and if your child is cavity-prone or has a hard time cleaning their teeth, adding a mouthwash can help remove some of the bad oral bacteria.
• Don’t forget snacks! Replace sugary foods and drinks with more tooth-friendly options. Chopped crisp apples, raw carrots and celery can all help scrub plaque off their teeth. Even sugarless gum and mints can freshen breath while stimulating healthy saliva production.
• If your child is active in sports, don’t forget to add a protective mouth guard to their toolkit. A well-fitting, customized sports guard can keep their teeth and gums safe from injury during physical activities.

Your child’s daily oral habits and routine dental cleanings and exams will go a long way to helping their mouth stay healthy and their smile more attractive. School pictures or not, a cavity-free, pain-free smile will keep your child focused on the tasks in front of them, including their schoolwork. Help them have the best school year yet by giving them the oral health tools their smile needs!

The post Ready Your Child for the New School Year With a Back-To-School Oral Toolkit first appeared on Pediatric Dental Associates & Orthodontics.