Kids Teeth

There are some tried and true methods to get a healthy smile like avoiding sugar, brushing your teeth twice per day, and visiting your dentist twice per year. But, there are some more subtle actions that you can take to get a healthier smile that you may be ignoring.

1 – Floss Regularly 

The fact is that brushing doesn’t completely clean teeth, and flossing helps remove food debris from the hard-to-reach areas in between teeth and below the gum line. Try to floss once per day, and thoroughly clean each side of every tooth, and just below your gum line. There are a number of types of floss, and flossing devices that can help you get into a better flossing routine. Try to buy floss with the ADA seal of approval, so you know that you’re getting a thoroughly tested product.

When beginning a flossing routine, be gentle on your teeth and gums. If you haven’t flossed in a while, then your gums could be sensitive to a new flossing routine.

2 – Have Water Handy 

Water promotes a healthy body, and it is the perfect drink for oral health! Water helps keep the mouth clean in a couple of important ways. First, it helps remove food debris from teeth, which helps prevent cavities and unhealthy plaque build-up. Water also stimulates saliva production, which naturally cleans teeth of damaging acids, and helps keep the mouth at a healthy ph level. 

Try keeping a bottle of water handy so that you can rinse after meals, and prevent your mouth from becoming dry. This will help your teeth stay cleaner while away from your house, and keep you properly hydrated! 

3 – Drop the Late-Night Snack 

We all love late-night snacks, but eating right before bed can harm your teeth – especially if you eat starchy or sugary snacks. Food adheres to the surface of teeth, and provides fuel for bad bacteria that cause cavities. If you after you’ve brushed your teeth, then you risk sleeping with food stuck to your teeth for an extended period of time. This can lead to unhealthy plaque buildup, and even tooth decay. 

Try not to eat any food after you have brushed your teeth before bed. If you must have something, then stick to water so you can keep your teeth free of debris and sugar while you sleep.

Is Your Family Mouth-Healthy? 

As an adult, it can be easy to get a healthy smile with dedication and some time management. But, it can be more difficult for children to care for their teeth and get a healthy mouth without help, and that’s where we come in. Our office will help your child get the smile they deserve by evaluating the state of their mouth, and teaching them about proper oral health practices.  

Visit us today for a stress-free first visit, and begin your child down the path to a healthier smile today.  

As a parent, you have the world on your mind when it comes to raising your child. A healthy diet is one of the primary concerns of most parents, and can go a long way in helping children get healthy teeth. Unfortunately, some of your child’s favorite drinks at Starbucks are packed with sugar, and terrible for their teeth.

Sugar is the Enemy

Sugar feeds the harmful bacteria on teeth, and creates acid that erodes enamel. This causes plaque and ultimately cavities, which is why you should limit the number of sugary foods and drinks your child consumes. Unfortunately, most of your kid’s favorite drinks from Starbucks are absolutely LOADED with sugar. 

Top 3 Worst Starbucks Drinks for Kids Teeth

The American Heart Association recommends children limit their daily sugar intake to less than 26 grams per day, and adults should have less than 36 grams per day. Unfortunately, most of the items on Starbucks’ menu far exceed 30 grams of sugar – even if the drink is a “small” (tall) on the menu.

1 - Any Frappuccino

One of the most popular drinks aimed at kids, Frappuccinos, are absolutely loaded with sugar - each of which contains AT LEAST 50 grams of sugar per drink. Frappuccinos come in a variety of flavors, but each of them contains far more sugar than your child needs to consume in one day.

2 – Iced White Chocolate Mocha

Another iced drink, the Iced White Chocolate Mocha contains 54 grams of sugar per drink, which is far too much sugar for one drink to contain. That’s because white chocolate is made with vanilla, and sweetened with sugar when it’s processed.

3 - Cinnamon Dolce Crème

Here’s an item from the kid’s menu that is terrible for teeth. The Cinnamon Dolce Crème doesn’t have caffeine, but it is loaded with sugar at 28 grams of sugar in a tall drink, and 37 grams in a grande.

Don’t be Fooled by the Kids Menu

Starbucks has a kid’s menu that features drinks with less sugar and caffeine than their other beverages. But, don’t be fooled: each drink contains at least 25 grams of sugar, and the steamed apple juice has a whopping 50 grams of sugar. If you choose to get your child a beverage from Starbucks, go with a hot, decaffeinated tea and a little bit of honey.

Visit Our Office

We suggest that your child avoids visiting Starbucks, and instead focuses on drinking more water and real fruit juices. Drinks from Starbucks are loaded with sugar that can cause cavities, and lead to other oral health issues.   

Visit our office for more information about a mouth-healthy diet that can help your child grow a healthy smile.

2017 is almost over and the holiday season is underway. As families visit relatives near or far, oral health is probably the last thing on the minds of many parents. But, you can use the holiday down time to make a few changes in your child’s routine to get them a healthier smile in 2018.

1 - Brush Twice Per day, Floss Everyday 

The best way to keep your children out of the dentist’s chair is by preventing oral issues before they arise. The strongest tactic in any oral health routine is maintaining a positive oral health routine. You can help your child establish a mouth-healthy routine right now by having them brush their teeth twice per day for two minutes at a time, and floss once per day, making sure to floss the tough-to-reach areas of their teeth.

This rule applies to people of all ages. By brushing twice per day for two minutes, and flossing once per day, you can go a long way in preventing cavities and keep tooth enamel strong.

2 - Drink More Water

Water is one the absolute healthiest things for teeth. Water helps keep the whole mouth clean by washing away food debris that can harm enamel, and by stimulating saliva production. In fact, saliva is 99% water, so drinking water is crucial for keeping teeth clean.

Another benefit of water is that it contains zero calories and no sugar – a common culprit in sodas and sports drinks that causes cavities. One way to superpower your child to oral health happiness is by eliminating sugary drinks all together in favor of water.

3 - Enjoy a Healthier Diet

The food that you (and your family) eat absolutely effects your overall oral health. It’s important, then, that you help your kids achieve oral health success by providing them with mouth-healthy meal options. Try adding foods that clean as they are consumed. Carrots, apples, and celery are all high-fiber foods that clean teeth as they are consumed. The fibrous content actually helps scrub away plaque buildup, and strengthens tooth enamel, which is the first line of defense against cavities.

4 - Schedule an Appointment with Our Office

The holidays are a great time to get an oral health checkup in our office, and get a fresh start on oral health success in the New Year. An oral health checkup it the best way to get a clear understanding of the specific issues (or non-issues) present in your child’s oral health. We will evaluate the state of your child’s oral health, and provide actionable advice that will improve their oral health, and give them a healthy leg-up on cavities in 2018.  

Teeth are a lot of fun to learn about, and understanding teeth can help children enjoy going to the pediatric dentist! Did you know that teeth are composed of four primary layers? Each layer plays a pivotal role in supporting a strong smile and a healthy mouth. Try reading this article with your child, and teaching them about the four fun layers of the teeth! 

Enamel 

Enamel is the outer most layer of the tooth that protects teeth from the elements that cause cavities. It is the hardest surface in the human body and the first line of defense against cavities. It is the visual surface of the tooth, and usually stops around the gum line. Think of enamel as a barrier that shields your teeth from harm.  

Dentin 

The layer directly beneath enamel is dentin, which is made up of microscopic tubes! 

It is a sensitive layer that surrounds pulp, and plays a pivotal role in communicating sensations from the surface of your teeth to the nerves inside your teeth. Without dentin, our teeth wouldn’t feel the difference between ice cream and hot soup!

Cementum 

Cementum is layer between the root of teeth and gums. It is primarily beneath the gum line, and helps anchor teeth to the bones in the jaw. Cementum is really cool because it can actually repair itself! Think of Cementum as the foundation of a home that keeps the house (tooth) grounded and secure. 

Pulp 

Dental pulp is the living tissue at the core of teeth, and acts as an alarm bell that sends signals sent from the dentin to the brain. Pulp is soft and contains a large network of nerves and blood vessels. It is the most sensitive and important part of teeth, and can be very sensitive if it is ever exposed. 

Protect Your Child’s Teeth

If enamel is damaged then the different layers of teeth are exposed to increasing harm. You can help keep your child’s teeth strong and healthy by having them brush twice per day for two minutes at a time. Additionally, they should floss once per day, and try to drink more water – which helps produce saliva and naturally clean teeth.  

If your child suffers from tooth sensitivity, or complains of gum pain, then visit our office. Dental cavities are the most prevalent –and preventable – disease that affects children. Visit our office so that we can evaluate your child’s oral health, and outline a plan to help them achieve optimal oral health.