Why All Smiles Require Preventive Dental Care
You likely already know that it’s important to care for your own smile in order to prevent cavities and other dental issues, like gum disease. You may even be hyper vigilant about brushing and flossing your teeth, in addition to seeing the dentist regularly for checkups and cleanings. But as a new parent, you may not be aware of how much your kids need dental care, too. Even babies require preventive care, in order to protect their gums and any teeth that might be visible from dental health threats. So, if you want to help raise kids with healthy smiles, and the knowledge how they can preserve them as they grow, it’s important to understand the basics in any effective preventive dental care routine! (more…)
Are You Celebrating National Children’s Dental Health Month?
Did you and your kids have a great time celebrating Valentine’s Day? Perhaps Groundhog Day is your family’s favorite, or the Super Bowl is the main event, of note, in your home each February. As a parent, though, it can be helpful to know that February is also National Children’s Dental Health Month, a time dedicated to helping children learn about the importance of oral care and how they can best protect their smiles. This year’s initiative is particularly straightforward. Organizers are emphasizing the importance of drinking more water, and specifically the smile benefits that can come when kids – and their parents – pick good old tap water! (more…)
How Can You Help Your Kids Protect Their Smiles? Part Two
If you are determined to help your kids keep their smiles healthy, this year, you may have already taken some steps to protect those pearly whites. Brushing and flossing are important, for instance, because they help to remove plaque bacteria from the mouth. That said, there are other simple steps parents can take to keep those precious young smiles healthy. From what they eat to how often they see the dentist, here is what your pediatric dentist wants you to know about dental care for kids. (more…)
How Can You Help Your Kids Protect Their Smiles? Part One
Are you the mom who persistently makes sure her kids wear helmets when riding their bikes, and that insists they eat their vegetables, no matter how much they complain? If so, it is clear that you care about keeping your kids healthy and safe. What about their smiles, though? Have you taken steps to ensure they enjoy healthy teeth and gums? Preventive dental care is crucial for kids and adults, alike. Fortunately, dental care isn’t complicated. You just need to help your kids form some healthy habits, early in life, so they can enjoy years of great dental health! (more…)
Can You Help Your Kids Prevent Cavities? Part Two
No parent wants to see his or her kids struggle with painful dental cavities. Even fewer like the idea of seeing their children require numerous restorative dental treatments, brought on by progressed dental decay. Over time, even minor erosion can advance to the point of painful infections that could require root canal therapy or even extraction. Fortunately, there is a lot you can do to help your kids prevent cavities, in the first place. That means spending less time and money on dental care. Perhaps best of all, excellent preventive care means you can spend less time worrying about your kids’ teeth and gums. (more…)
What Is Xylitol and Is It Good for Your Kids?
Have your kids struggled with several cavities over the years? In fact, do they seem even more prone to dental decay than other kids their age? Genetics, hygiene habits, and diet can all affect a child’s likelihood of developing cavities. Fortunately, recent studies indicate that your children’s pediatric dentist might be able to help them prevent tooth decay through the use of a product called xylitol. Not only has this been shown to help minimize tooth sensitivity, it is now being studied as a means of preventing decay, in the first place. (more…)
Can You Do More to Help Your Kids Prevent Cavities?
In your quest to keep your kids’ smiles healthy and beautiful, do you ever feel like you’ve gone to great lengths, only to see them struggle with cavity after cavity? Sadly, some children and adults are more susceptible to dental decay, either due to genetic factors, underlying health concerns, medications being taken, or dietary factors. So while in most cases a healthy diet, daily hygiene and preventive checkups and cleanings can generally help prevent acidic erosion, there is still benefit in seeking other ways to help protect the smile, as well. Dental sealants are one option, which many pediatric dentists offer and even recommend. Fortunately, there may be another “secret weapon” in the fight against cavities, and that is a product called xylitol, which is a natural sugar substitute. (more…)
Can Fluoride Be a Substitute for Children’s Fillings?
Do you spend a great deal of time worrying about your kids’ teeth, namely whether or not they will struggle with cavities? In fact, have your school-aged children already experienced troubling or uncomfortable tooth decay? Sadly, some studies indicate that nearly one third of the children in American will deal with decay before they have even reached adolescence. Fortunately, many pediatric dentists now offer an alternative to traditional metal fillings, for helping kids cope with cavities. In fact, you might be pleasantly surprised, as a parent, to learn how a product called silver diamine fluoride (SDF) could help ensure your kids can enjoy their meals, again, without pesky dental discomfort getting in the way. (more…)
Fun Alternatives to Playing Smile Sheriff with Your Kids
Are you getting tired of feeling like the bad guy, or the sheriff, in your house, because of how much time and energy you have to expend encouraging your kids to brush their teeth? Many young children complain about having to care for their teeth, but this does not have to be the dynamic in your home. If you want to help ensure your kids’ smiles are getting the care they need, but without having to police their every movie, consider your pediatric dentist’s tips for helping to make smile care more fun for the whole family, including you! (more…)
Are Your Baby’s Teeth Healthy?
Now that your bundle of joy has come home from the hospital, your house is likely a bustle of feedings and diaper changes, and all the adjustments that come with being a parent of a newborn. Over the next few months, your baby will be growing daily and changing faster than you can believe, and one of the changes you will see is your baby’s first few teeth erupting. While it might be tempting to ignore their dental health, knowing those baby teeth will fall out eventually, it is actually incredibly important to care for your child’s baby teeth, and your pediatric dentist can help you understand why. (more…)