Are Your Kids Really Caring for Their Smiles? Part Two

As a parent, you care a great deal about your kids’ health, and that certainly extends to their smiles. That’s why you struggle to get green vegetables off their plates and into their bodies, and why you consistently make sure they’re brushing their teeth. But do you sometimes worry that you should be doing more, to make sure their teeth and gums stay healthy? Oral health can affect a person’s overall wellbeing as well as his or her smile, since the gums and nerves carry blood from the mouth throughout the body. To keep your kids’ smiles and bodies healthy, it’s important to combine great dental hygiene with preventive dentistry and a proper diet. That way they can smile happily and healthily as they grow. (more…)

Are Your Kids Really Caring for Their Smiles? Part One

Every parent knows the basic tricks to monitoring their kids’ dental hygiene, like checking to make sure the toothbrushes are wet, before trusting that their kids actually brushed their teeth when they said they did. Still many parents wonder what else they could do to ensure their kids’ smiles are getting the oral care they need. If you are one of those concerned parents, your pediatric dentist has a number of tips for making sure the smiles you love stay healthy for many years to come.

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Simple, Kid-Friendly Tips for Great Oral Health

Are you worried about your kids’ dental health? Have they been prone to cavities in the past, or have you seen plaque buildup forming on the front of their teeth, lately? If so, there are great preventive steps that can be taken to care for those precious smiles, including many you have likely already taught your kids. Daily brushing, flossing, and regular dental checkups are all essential parts of oral care. But did you know there are also other simple steps that can be taken to keep their smiles healthy? (more…)

Is Fluoride Good for Children’s Teeth?

As a parent, you want to do all that you can to ensure your children’s good health, and as part of that concern, you take extra care when teaching them to brush and floss their teeth every day. Establishing a good dental hygiene routine can help prepare your children for a lifetime of healthy and beautiful smiles, and the inclusion of fluoride can facilitate the growth of strong, dependable tooth enamel. As part of a complete hygiene and preventive dental routine, fluoride has proven itself useful at protecting children’s teeth from tooth decay and cavity development. (more…)

Worried About Your Kids’ Smiles? Teach Them Great Dental Care

Do you feel like it’s an almost daily struggle to get your kids to take proper care of their teeth? If so, you are not alone. Many parents get frustrated while trying to teach their kids proper oral hygiene, which could explain the troubling statistics surrounding children oral health in this country. According to the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation, 17 percent of American children are not receiving the oral care they need. So, while it may not always feel fun, it is important to teach your kids to care for their smiles from a young age, so they can enjoy healthy smiles as they grow!

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How Do I Know If My Kid Has a Cavity? Part One

Most parents know that one of the biggest threats to their kids’ oral health is cavities. They can be caused by a number of factors, including a diet too high in sugar, poor dental hygiene, or simply genetics. Due to all these reasons, dental decay is quite common, in children as well as adults. However, that does not mean that cavities are inevitable. It just takes a lot of work to properly prevent them, through a healthy diet, regular dental checkups and also great dental hygiene, at-home. What should you do if your kid does develop a cavity, though? As a parent, it’s especially helpful to know the warning signs of a cavity, so that if your child does develop one, you will know how to react, so that his or her oral health can quickly be restored!

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Celebrate This Easter with Smile-Friendly Treats

With Easter just around the corner, are you busy making last-minute plans to fill your kids’ Easter baskets with goodies, and their holiday with glee? If so, it can be tempting to fill the basket with chocolates and other candies. Sweet treats are readily available, inexpensive, and most kids love them, which explains why they’re considered gift staples in many households. Unfortunately, all that sugar can have a negative impact on kids’ teeth! In fact, sugar is a main contributor to the development of cavities, which can require restorative treatment. So, if you would like to elicit smiles without endangering them, this Easter season, here are some great alternatives to sweets that won’t pose harm to those precious smiles!

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Could Sugar-Free Gum Help Protect Your Kids’ Smiles?

Every parent wants to help his or her children keep their teeth and gums as healthy as possible. It’s why great parents teach their kids how long to brush their teeth, and how to properly floss between each tooth. They also take their kids for regular preventive dental checkups, and even attend cleanings, themselves, to set a good example. But according to a recent study, there is something else parents could be doing to help their kids keep their smiles in great shape, and it’s something most kids will even enjoy! It’s chewing sugar-free gum, as an extra step of preventive care! (more…)

Oral Health and Its Connection to the Body: Part Two

Now that you know oral health is important to the entire body, are you curious what more you could be doing to help keep your kids’  smiles and the rest of their bodies healthy? Well preventive dental care is key, both through daily hygiene, at-home, and also regular dental checkups and cleanings. Combined, these are the best line of defense against dental problems, and the subsequent risks to a person’s overall health, that could potentially be caused by issues like gum disease. So, if you want to keep your kids’ smiles looking their best, and just as importantly, help them take better care of their entire well-being, here are a few more tips preventive dentists think people should know! (more…)

Oral Health and Its Connection to the Body: Part One

You already know that you need to help teach your kids the importance of oral care, so they can enjoy beautiful and healthy smiles as they grow up. But many parents don’t realize that a child’s dental health affects much more than just his or her smile. Because bacteria in your gum tissue can be carried to other parts of the body, through the bloodstream, inflammation or infection in your mouth can affect your entire well-being, not just your oral health. So as you strive to teach your kids about the importance of dental hygiene and preventive dental checkups, you should also consider teaching them how every aspect of their self-care affects their overall health. That way they can understand, from an early age, that in order to stay healthy, a person needs to take care of his or her whole body, including the smile! (more…)