Our Blog

It’s incredibly common for people to mindlessly chew ice. Unfortunately, chewing ice can cause a myriad of oral health issues, and even cost you an expensive trip to the dentist or orthodontist. Here’s some of the real damage caused by chewing ice.

Chewing Ice can:

Damage Tooth Enamel

Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, yet chewing ice can still damage it. Tooth enamel is the first line of defense against cavities, and helps protect teeth from sugar and acid attacks. If tooth enamel is damaged by chewing ice, it can leave a tooth more vulnerable to acid attacks and tooth decay.

Destroy Oral Appliances

Oral appliances like braces and retainers play a vital role in developing healthy smiles that have proper tooth and bite alignment. Despite their sturdy construction, chewing ice can damage oral appliances. Those with braces risk dislodging wires or even damaging brackets, which can result in an expensive trip to the orthodontist. If your child has an oral appliance, it is important that you communicate to them the dangers of chewing ice. 

Crack or Chip Teeth

Teeth may seem tough and sturdy, but they aren’t designed to crunch very hard objects like ice. Chewing ice can easily lead to a cracked or chipped tooth, which requires an emergency dental visit to repair the broken tooth. If your child has a cracked tooth, then try to save the remnants of the tooth in a small bag of milk, and immediately schedule an appointment with our office. If you act in time, we might be able to repair a fractured tooth. 

Damage Dental Fillings

Dental fillings are one of the most common oral appliances used today. Fillings can be cracked or dislodged by chewing hard substances such as ice.  Losing a filling requires an immediate trip to the dentist for a repair.

Does Your Child Have a Damaged Tooth?

Chewing ice is often a reflexive, subconscious act that many kids don’t even notice. However, you should remind your children about the dangers of chewing ice and try to prevent the habit all together. Chewing ice can damage teeth and oral appliances, and lead to an emergency dental appointment. If your child has cracked or chipped a tooth, then immediately call our office to inquire about an emergency dental visit.

Being a new mom is a great challenge, and an amazing responsibility. As a new parent, you’re probably searching for the best ways to raise a happy, healthy child. One great way to improve your child’s overall health is by paying attention to their oral health at an early age. Here’s some do’s and don’ts for new moms, and how they can care for their child’s mouth.

Don’t Ignore Cleaning Your Baby’s Mouth  

Unfortunately, many people think that oral care begins when the first tooth emerges, but that’s far from the case. Don’t ignore cleaning your child’s mouth, or they could develop oral health issues, and dental problems.

Do Clean Their Gums Regularly 

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry advises that parents begin cleaning their baby’s mouth from day one. New moms can use an infant toothbrush or a soft cloth soaked in cool, clean water to clean their baby’s gums after nursing. Parents should clean their infant’s gums daily, and after each meal they have. 

Don’t Send Your Baby to Bed with a Bottle

Many parents send their baby to bed with a bottle to calm them down, and help get them to sleep. Unfortunately, this exposes their teeth to sugar for a long period of time, and can lead to early childhood cavities. This is often called “baby bottle tooth decay,” and it is easily preventable: simply don’t send your baby to bed with a bottle of milk or juice.

Do Let Them Have a Drink Before Bed

If your child is thirsty, then absolutely give them something to drink before bed, just make sure that it’s water, or watered down juice. If they must have a bottle to go to sleep, fill it up with water so that they still have something to comfort them while they sleep.

Don't Put Off Seeing a Pediatric Dentist

We understand that the life of a new parent is busy and often chaotic, but don’t put off a visit to the pediatric dentist. Pediatric dentists have 2-3 years of extra schooling, and are specifically trained to care for children’s teeth. After their first visit, the AAPD suggests parents take their children to the pediatric dentist every 6 months.

Do Schedule an Appointment with Our Office

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry advises that parents take their infants to the pediatric dentist as soon as their first tooth emerges – which is around the six-month mark.

We love serving families, and helping guide them to oral health success – and we’d be happy to see you! Call our office to schedule a stress-free first visit, and get your child a leg-up on their oral health today. 

Most parents know the importance of a proper oral health routine, and regular visits to the pediatric dentist. But, there are some silent tooth killers that parents need to recognize and avoid, to get their children a healthier smile. 

Chewing Ice

Ice can be an awesome accompaniment to any drink, but to the surprise of many parents, it can also do quite a bit of damage to teeth. Beware that your children do not chew on ice – which can crack or chip their teeth. Additionally, continual ice-chewing can destroy tooth enamel and leave teeth more susceptible to cavities and tooth decay. 

Dried Fruit

Fruit is fantastic for someone’s overall wellness and health, but it can be packaged in a way that damages teeth. Dried fruit is one way fruit can do a lot of damage to teeth. Fruit that has been dried and preserved contains very little water or fiber – two things that help make fruit healthy. Additionally, dried fruit is very sticky, and can stick onto teeth long after the snack has ended. This causes an acid attack on tooth enamel, and can lead to cavities and tooth decay. 

Fruit Preserved in Jam

Again – fruit can be an amazing snack if it served in its original form. Fruit packed in syrup is loaded with extra sugar, and without the bulk of healthy, tooth–cleaning fiber content. It may be packaged to easily enjoy, but avoid fruit that is packed in sugar or preserved in jam. Your child doesn’t need the excessive amount of sugar, and they’d be much better off with an apple, or banana or apricot in its original form. 

Sweet Drinks

Beverages are an oft-overlooked source of health issues, and many popular drinks like juice, soda and sports drinks are packed with added sugar. These beverages are easy for children to enjoy because of their sweet taste, but the added sugar can cause a full-on acid attack on tooth enamel, and leave teeth susceptible to tooth decay and cavities.  

Instead of serving your child sugary beverages, have your child stick to drinking water, which is far healthier for teeth. Water naturally rinses teeth free of harmful food debris, and stimulates saliva production – which is the body’s natural way of removing food debris and keeping teeth clean.

Bread and Starch

Starches like bread and chips are western diet mainstays, but they can do a lot of damage to teeth. When starch enters the mouth, saliva breaks it down to sugar. After being chewed, starches like bread can become sticky and adhere to tooth surfaces, and lodged in the cracks between teeth. Now, this sticky, sugary substance can cause acid damage to tooth enamel, and leave teeth vulnerable to cavities.

If your child does consume starches, be sure that they thoroughly rinse their mouth out with water after their meal to wash away the sticky, sugary substance that can destroy tooth enamel.

Visit Our Office 

Tooth decay is painful and can affect the overall health of developing mouths, which is why early treatment is the best way to handle cavities. Routine checkups every six months are the best way to stay on top of your child’s oral health. 

Schedule an appointment with our office today to check your children’s oral health, and to begin them down the path to a healthier 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.