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As a parent, you can help your child achieve a healthy smile in many different ways. One way you can greatly help is by packing a lunch that improves their oral health. 

Avoid Sugary Drinks – Even “Healthy” Drinks 

Allowing children to sip on sugary beverages over long periods of time increases their exposure to sugar, and acid attacks that can erode their enamel. Try to limit or remove sports drinks, sodas, and high-sugar juices from their diets to aid in their oral health. Sugary beverages are one of the leading sources of sugar for children, and some can even be disguised as “healthy drinks” like nutritional water or sports drinks.

Pack Water 

Water helps rid teeth of damaging acids and food debris, and help keeps saliva flowing – which naturally keeps teeth clean. Water is the healthiest beverage for teeth, and we suggest packing it instead of any other drink in your child’s lunch. 

Also, don’t fall for nutritional waters. Most of these “enhanced” water products have an excessive amount of sugar, and aren’t great for teeth or overall health. 

Stay Away From Food Marketed as “Healthy” 

Granola cereal, dried fruit and trail mix can seem like healthier options, but they’re often packed with extras that aren’t healthy at all. In fact, dried fruit sticks to teeth and fuels bad bacteria that cause cavities, and granola can be packed with extra sugar and fat. If you’re buying granola or health cereal, stay away from those that have marshmallows, chocolate pieces, and even candy. Look for a higher fiber content, and granola that contains more natural ingredients like nuts and rolled oats.

Add More Whole foods 

When packing your child’s lunch, add in natural, whole vegetables and fruits whenever you can. Instead of packing starchy chips, try to add small pieces of celery with a healthy dip, or baby carrots. Instead of packing an imitation fruit snack as dessert, try packing fresh, fibrous fruit like strawberries, kiwi or apples. By replacing sweets and starches with fibrous fruits and vegetables, you can help your child avoid unnecessary sugar, and help them keep their teeth clean while they’re away from home. Fiber naturally cleans teeth by scrubbing away food particles leftover from a meal.  

Substitute Nuts for Chips 

Crackers, potato chips and other starchy foods can get stuck in the small areas of tooth surfaces.  Without proper brushing, these foods provide sugar to bacteria that feed on it, which ultimately leads to tooth decay. Instead of chips, pack nuts instead, which are full of fiber and healthy protein. 

Dietary Choices Affect Teeth

The food your child eats affects their teeth, and influences their overall oral health. Visit our office for more information about mouth-healthy diets, and how food can impact teeth.  

Did you know that baby teeth can affect incoming adult teeth? More than just chewing and smiling, baby teeth can actually impact the health and well being of incoming adult teeth. Here’s why healthy baby teeth matter for an adult smile.  

Healthy Baby Teeth Keep Kids in School

Your child’s oral health is directly related to their academic performance. On average, children miss just over two days of school every year due to oral ailments. Lost school hours are closely linked to poor academic performance, and can cause your child’s grades to suffer. Additionally, tooth decay is painful and distracting, and can cause your child to lose focus in school or even prevent them from participating in the class discussion.  

Luckily, cavities are nearly 100% preventable. You can help your child prevent cavities by getting them into a healthy oral care routine where they brush twice per day for 2 minutes at a time, and floss once per day.  

Untreated Baby Tooth Decay can Get effect Adult Teeth

If tooth decay goes untreated, then it can worsen into a tooth abscess – which is a tooth infection that spreads to the root of the tooth. If a primary tooth, know as a baby tooth, abscesses and becomes infected, then the infection can spread to the incoming adult tooth. This can cause early tooth decay in developing adult teeth, and lead to pain and potential tooth loss. 

Baby Teeth Inform Adult Smile Alignment

Baby teeth are temporary, however, if a baby tooth is knocked out too soon, it can lead to other teeth crowding the vacant spot. This can cause alignment issues when the permanent tooth begins to emerge, and could cause crooked teeth and biting problems. If your child has a misaligned smile, or biting problems, then the issues will need to be corrected with oral appliances later down the road – and that can cost a lot of money. Furthermore, crooked adult teeth (or malocclusion) are more difficult to clean, and more susceptible to retaining food particles that can lead to cavities.  

Schedule a Dental Checkup with us Every Six Months

Dental checkups are important for dentists to prevent cavities and other oral health issues, and also give parents the opportunity to learn more about healthy oral practices that they can use at home. 

As school begins for families in the area, we thought we’d help ease some of the back-to-school madness by offering busy parents some quick tips that can help their children have a mouth-healthy school year.

1 – Schedule a Checkup 

Oral health ailments cause millions of children to lose valuable school hours every year. You can help keep your child in school this year by scheduling an oral health checkup with our office. We’ll evaluate the state of their mouth, and offer a treatment plan that works for them.  

2 - Floss the Right Way, Every Day 

A full flossing routine should include cleaning teeth below the gum line, where dental plaque can go unseen and unreached by toothbrushes. If left untreated, plaque buildup near the root of teeth can lead to gingivitis and tooth loss. Bleeding gums when brushing or flossing are often an early sign of gum disease. Make sure to floss daily! 

3 - Limit Sugary Drinks This Year 

Beverages like soda, fruit juice and sports drinks contain high amounts of sugar that damage teeth, and affect overall health. This school year, try giving your children water, or diluted fruit juice to cut back on the amount of sugar they intake. 

4 - Keep a Clean Tooth Brush 

Did you know that you don’t need a toothbrush cover to keep it clean? In fact, covering your toothbrush can actually breed bacteria on the bristles. The best way to clean your toothbrush is to rinse it with cool water, and let it air dry. 

5 - Try a Tongue Scraper 

A good oral healthy routine isn’t just limited to cleaning teeth – tongues need cleaning too! After brushing, bacteria can remain left on the tongue. You can use a tongue scraper after you finish brushing to remove any leftover food particles and bacteria from your tongue. A clean tongue can also help freshen breath! 

6 - Skip the Bedtime Snack 

Food debris that sticks on your teeth overnight is a quick way to decay. That’s because food can turn into sugar and feed unhealthy bacteria that causes cavities. If you enjoy a late night snack, try replacing it with a big glass of water instead.

Visit Our Office 

We would love to checkup on the state of your children’s teeth before the school year begins. Preventive care can greatly reduce the chances of your child contracting a more serious oral ailment. We hope your family has a happy and healthy school year!  

Getting your child excited about visiting the dentist can be tough, and many children feel stressed about visiting for the first time. Here’s how parents can help their children be excited for their first dental visit. 

Show Your Child the Office Online 

Before you take your child into a dentist’s office for the first time, take a few minutes to go through photos of the practice with them. This can help them better understand what to expect, and get them excited about their visit.

Schedule a Stress-Free First Visit 

Kids can be very nervous to visit the doctor or dentist for the first time. Pediatric dentists know this, which is why most offer relaxed “meet and greets” for their first office visit. The first visit gives you a chance to gauge how your child responds to the new surroundings, and gives them a chance to enjoy the office without sitting in the dentist’s chair. 

Bring a Comfort Toy 

Soft, comfortable toys or blankets can work wonders for young children that are anxious about their first visit. If your child has a toy that makes them feel more comfortable, then bring it along on your trip to the pediatric dentist’s office. A small piece of home can help your child feel more comfortable while they are at the dentist’s office. 

Encourage Positive Oral Health Routines at Home 

One of the best ways to quell dental-visit stress is by establishing healthy oral care routines at home before their visit. This will help familiarize your child with brushing their teeth, and get them comfortable with the idea of oral healthcare. 

Use Encouraging Language 

Before visiting the dentist, be sure to ease your child’s stress by reminding them how fun and positive a dental visit is. Tell them about how you enjoy getting your teeth cleaned at the dentist, and how much you appreciate your dentist helping your teeth.

Establish a Dental Home by Their First Birthday 

One of the best ways to eradicate dental-visit anxiety is by finding a dental home for your child before their first birthday. Introducing your child to their dentist early can get them more comfortable with oral health, and gives you an early leg up on helping them grow healthy baby teeth. 

Visit Our Office 

We would love to speak with you about your child and their dental needs. We see children of all ages, so call us and schedule an office tour! We want to make visiting the dentist fun, so stop by and see why pediatric dentistry is the way to go for your children!