Oral Health Tips for Kids, Part 2

How you care for your child’s teeth will affect their ability to learn and to grow up healthy. By encouraging good oral health habits in your family, you will keep your child’s teeth healthy and strong and give them a smile to treasure for a lifetime. Below are some tips to help keep your child’s mouth healthy.

Choosing a Toothbrush
There are so many toothbrushes available, the choice can be overwhelming for some parents. The following are recommendations to help you make the right choice:

• Choose the correct size, based on age (most toothbrush packages are now labeled for the appropriate age group)
 
• Choose a toothbrush with soft, round-tipped, nylon bristles. Medium or hard bristles can injure gums and wear down tooth enamel (this is true for adults as well).

• Replace your child’s toothbrush when the bristles look bent or worn, usually between two to four months of use, depending on the brand

• Let your child help them select their own toothbrush. Kids are more interested in brushing if they are involved in the process
 
• Electric toothbrushes are popular with children and are very effective. Many of the electric tootbrushes also have a built-in timer function, to remind children to brush for two full minutes.

Choosing ToothpasteToothpaste is another important tool in fighting tooth decay.  Do you know how much (if any) to use?
 
• Newborns without teeth should have their mouths wiped with a moist washcloth, after all meals.
 
• Once the first tooth appears in the mouth, depending on your child’s cavity-risk, it can be appropriate to use a “smear” of children’s toothpaste containing fluoride, on the bristles of a wet toothbrush.

• Usually around 2 years of age, children can begin using a pea size amount of children’s toothpaste.
 
• Children should be taught at an early age how to spit out their toothpaste, in order to not swallow the contents.

Proper Techniques for You and Your Children• Adults should help brush their child’s teeth until the ages of 6 or 7, depending on the ability of the child to correctly use their toothbrush.
 
• Try to place the brush at a 45-degree angle to the tooth and use a gentle scrubbing/circular motion technique.
 
• Brush all surfaces of the teeth including the area near the gum line.
 
• Apply gentle pressure while brushing.
 
• Encourage your child to brush for at least 2 minutes, 2 times a day.

Oral Health Tips for Kids- Part 1:

Primary “Baby” Teeth
 
Did you know that baby teeth are at risk for decay as soon as they appear, usually around age 6 months. 

Infant tooth decay (aka baby bottle rot) most often occurs in the upper front teeth, but other teeth can be affected. In some cases, infants and toddlers experience decay so severe that their teeth cannot be saved and need to be removed.

Most children have a full set of 20 baby teeth by the time they are 3-years-old. As your child grows, their jaws will also grow, making room for their permanent teeth.

Tips for Kids: National Children’s Dental Month

February is National Children's Dental Health Month. This month-long national health observance brings together thousands of dedicated dental professionals, health care providers and educators to promote the benefits of good oral health to children, their caregivers, teachers and many others.
 

The theme created for the 2016 American Dental Association campaign is “Sugar Wars.”  

Children are faced with a confusing array of food choices, from fresh produce to sugary and processed convenience meals and snacks foods. 

What children are eating today poses not only affects their oral health, also poses serious concerns regarding their overall health.
 
The following are some tips to help reduce a child's risk of tooth decay:

Sugary foods and drinks should only be consumed with meals. This is because saliva production increases while eating and helps neutralize acid production and rinses food particles from the mouth.

Limit snacks between meals. If children crave a snack, offer them nutritious foods.  


If your children chew gum, choose sugarless gum with xylitol or recaldent. Chewing sugarless gum after eating can increase saliva flow and help wash out food and decay-producing acid.
 

Monitor beverage consumption. Instead of soft drinks, sports drinks or energy drinks, children should drink water or low-fat milk.
 

Help your children develop good brushing and flossing habits. Parents should assist their children until the ages of 8-10, depending on the child’s ability to brush properly.
 

Schedule regular dental visits.  Children should be seen every 6 months for check-ups to monitor the development of their teeth and for regular teeth cleanings.

New Year’s Resolutions For A Healthier Smile!

A New Year’s resolution often involves some sort of short-term or long-term goal.  Ask yourself, what are your “goals” for oral health in 2016?  We at Beachside Dental want to help you achieve those goals!  Before you ever step foot into our office, here are some resolutions that will help you achieve the smile you desire.

1) Schedule a Dental Appointment
Nearly one third of people in the United States do not visit the dentist annually, according to the American Dental Association. Making a dental appointment is actually the first and most important step towards oral health. To make the process of scheduling your appointment easier, you can make an appointment at Beachside Dental on our website (www.beachsidedds.com) or even on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/beachindentist).

2) Daily Flossing
Brushing your teeth twice a day isn't enough.  Flossing will help to keep plaque from building up between your teeth or to remove particles of food from your mouth. If your gums bleed when you floss, this is a sign that your gums are inflamed and that you actually need to floss more often.  If you stick with this healthy habit, you’ll be on your way to a healthier smile.

3) Cut Back On Sugar
Cutting back or eliminating sugar can drastically reduce your risk for tooth decay. Here are some suggestions; Drink sugar-free sparkling water (flavored is OK) instead of soda, or chew a piece of sugar-free gum when you have a craving for something sweet.

4) Stop Smoking
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking nearly doubles your risk of having gum disease, and is linked to a host of other health issues. Prepare for the cravings you will have when you quit and find healthy activities to engage in to keep you from giving in to any temptations. General medical practitioners can help in conjunction with dentists, to help you address any nicotine addictions.

5) Eat Healthy
In addition to cutting back on sugary foods/drinks, consider eating as healthy as possible. Dairy products high in calcium are great for your teeth, as well as foods high in fiber which increase the amount of saliva in your mouth 

Why You Should Visit the Dentist Regularly

Ever wonder why dentists recommended you be seen every six months, even if your teeth don’t hurt or if you don’t usually have your teeth cleaned that often?  Some believe the reasons are financially driven, and that couldn’t be further from the truth; well sort of (I’ll explain more later).
 
The truth is, regular dental visits are essential for achieving optimal oral health, including your teeth and gums.  Depending on your treatment needs, you may even need more frequent visits for certain teeth cleanings, possibly every 3 to 4 months.

A Routine Dental Visit

Checking your teeth for cavities is just one part of a routine dental examination.  A dentist (or dental hygienist) will complete the following procedures during your visit:

• Examine the gums• Check for evidence of gum disease• Check for loose teeth• Examine your tongue• Check your bite• Looking for visual or radiographic evidence of tooth decay• Check for broken teeth• Check for damaged fillings• Evaluate any dental appliance you have• Check the contacts between your teeth• A Routine Cleaning
 
Another important reason for a routine dental visit, is to have your teeth cleaned thoroughly, beyond what a toothbrush or floss can do for you at home.  

If not removed, soft plaque can harden onto your teeth and irritate the gum tissue and possibly lead to periodontal disease.
 
Food or beverages and tobacco can stain teeth as well and can be removed by polishing your teeth.  A dentist or hygienist will also review important information about proper oral hygiene techniques and answer any questions you may have, general or specific, about your mouth.

Holiday Oral Health Care for Kids

Take the fright out of holiday sweets with these
oral care tips.

With Halloween just behind us, and other holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter, etc. on the horizon, this is a good time to consider holiday oral health care tips for our children.  
With tooth decay being the most common chronic childhood disease, it is so important to teach your child about the harm too much candy can cause on their teeth and gums and what you and they can do to help prevent it.

Every time we eat, bacteria in our mouths interact with food, creating and acidic by-product which can attack enamel. Sugar creates an especially acidic byproduct, which is why sugary/sticky foods and drinks are more likely to create decay. 

This is even more true between meals, because this is when your mouth produces the least amount of saliva to combat and neutralize the acids.

Here are some oral health care tips to combat the effects of sugar:
• Save sugary treats for after mealtime: This is when the amount of saliva produced in the mouth is greatest, reducing the effects of acidic attacks.
 
• Consider serving dairy products with treats:  Dairy products such as milk and cheese act as buffers to the acids produced by oral bacteria.
 
• Flossing regularly:  Candy often gets stuck between the teeth, making these areas more susceptible to decay.
 
• Drink lots of water:  Water also acts as a buffer in the oral cavity and can also rinse away some of the sugary contents in the mouth. 

Don’t Be Scared of the Dentist!

It is estimated that 8-20% of the population suffers from a crippling fear of the dentist, preventing these individuals from seeking routine dental care.  Whether that anxiety stems from a negative dental visit in the past, or a fear of the unknown, avoiding the dental office can have severe health consequences.  

Let’s take a look at some of the common fears associated with being in a dental office, and how these fears can be dealt with.

Fear of the unknown-  Many patient are scared to be in a dental chair, for fear of the unknown; what will they be doing to me?!  An initial examination or consultation should always begin with an open-ended conversation between the patient and dentist.  At Beachside Dental, we want to know what is bothering you about your mouth/teeth as well as what oral health goals you may have.  We also want to know about any negative experiences you may have had, so that we can work together to avoid a similar experience.  There should be no secrets about the impending dental treatment or techniques used to complete the work.

Fear of the dental instruments- Dental instruments can look intimidating, not only when used in your mouth, but sometimes just sitting out in the open.  
The truth is, dental instrumentation and technology continues to improve on a seemingly daily basis and at Beachside Dental, we provide our patients with the “latest-and-greatest”.  If you have a question about a particular instrument, it’s your right to know what the tool is and how it works. 

Extreme dental anxiety-  For some, the anxiety associated with a trip to the dentist, even for a simple procedure, may prove to be too much to overcome by conversing with the dental team or knowing more about the procedure/instruments being used.  There are many sedation or relaxation techniques that can be employed in these circumstances, which are safe for the patient and allow for a more pleasant experience.  As a patient, you should consult with the dentist to see if you are a candidate for sedation for dental visits.

At Beachside Dental, Dr. Savidan utilizes the latest technology and techniques in a low stress and comfortable environment.  Our goal is to always provide you with an exceptional dental experience, from your new-patient examination and including any dental treatment you may need.  Give us a call to schedule your examination today, and make your next trip to the dentist a day at the Beach…