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Summer is here and with it comes a much needed respite from school and work. As exciting as extended breaks can be, we can sometimes fail to adequately maintain our oral health. Luckily, there is an easy and effective way to stay on top of your oral health while on vacation. This summer, help your family keep their teeth healthy with a dental travel kit.  

Toothbrush and Travel Case

Optimum oral health begins at the most basic and universal tooth care tool: the toothbrush. When buying a toothbrush for your young traveler (or for yourself), buy one that easily fits into their hands, and one that has round, soft bristles. Be sure that the toothbrush head easily fits into their mouth, so that it is easy for them to brush. Also, look for the ADA (American Dental Association) seal of approval, so that you know the toothbrush has been thoroughly inspected and works properly.  

Make sure that your family brushes twice per day for two minutes at a time. If your child is travelling away from your family this spring break, try sending them daily reminders to brush.  

Toothpaste

Brushing without toothpaste would be an exercise in futility, so it’s important that you buy an appropriate toothpaste for any summer travels. Find a small, travel sized toothbrush that will last for the length of the trip, and a pick a flavor that they enjoy. Children should avoid whitening toothpaste, which can contain harmful abrasives that can scrub away enamel. Also, look for the ADA seal of approval to get the best toothpaste available.  

Floss

Brushing only cleans about 1/3 of the total surface area of teeth which leaves most of the teeth unclean! Your child should floss once per day, and clean between every space in their teeth. Give them a small pack of travel floss, or a set of floss picks to encourage them to regularly floss while they are away.  

Tongue Scraper

Tongue scrapers are fantastic little tools that can help rid you of bad breath. Tongue scrapers work by scraping away bacteria that causes bad breath. After you’re done brushing, simply use the head of the scraper to scrape the surface of your tongue. Don’t use too much pressure, and be sure to rinse the scraper when you’re done.  

For Those with Braces or Oral Appliances

If you or any of your family members have braces, then you can understand the difficulties with cleaning teeth and gums that are impeded by oral appliances. Below are a couple of tools that help clean teeth covered by oral appliances.  

Proxabrush

A proxabrush is a tool designed to help those with oral appliances clean their teeth and appliance. It has a handle similar to a toothbrush, with a cone-shaped head made of fine bristles. Proxabrushes come with 3-4 replacement heads so that users are guaranteed to find the right fit for their mouth. The head can easily clean between teeth, and behind brackets. Use a proxabrush after brushing to remove any leftover food debris.  

Floss Threader

Floss threaders help those with oral appliances floss more easily. Braces and other devices can make it difficult to adequately floss, but floss threaders aid that pursuit by providing a way to floss behind brackets and in-between teeth. To use a floss threader, simply take 12 – 18 inches of floss, and tie one end to the loop end of the threader. Then, use the sharp end of the floss threader to thread floss into the hard-to-reach areas, and floss like normal.  

Maintain Your Routine

It’s easy to get caught up in the fun of a vacation, but you owe to your overall health to maintain your oral care routine. Remember to brush twice per day for two minutes at a time, and floss once per day. Try to make it a fun activity in the morning and the evening with your kids! Talk about what you enjoyed that day and what you’re looking forward to on the rest of your vacation. Having more than one person involved with your brushing routine will give you and your family members more accountability and make you more likely to stick with it. 

Have a Happy and Safe Summer! 
We love helping busy parents find solutions that keep their families’ oral health in focus. Schedule an appointment in our office so that we can thoroughly evaluate your child’s smile, and provide them with oral health tips and treatment options that work.

Choosing a dentist for your young child can be a hard and confusing process. As a parent, you want to choose someone that makes your child comfortable and gives them the best dental care available. Here’s why a pediatric dentist is the absolute best choice for children, and how their office is a comfortable dental home.  

Pediatric Dental Offices are Inviting

Pediatric dentists seek to foster a fun and inviting environment that is specifically designed for children. The comfort of your child is one of the most important factors in creating a positive association with visiting the dentist, so we recommend reviewing our practice’s photos to see if they will enjoy their visit. You can also check out our social media channels to get a feel for how fun we are! Facebook is a great place to look for news about our practice, and it’s also a good spot to read some of our patient reviews. 

Easy, Relaxing First Visit

 
Introducing children to a dentist can be a difficult task for any parent. Kids are usually very nervous to visit the doctor or dentist for the first time for a variety of reasons. Pediatric dentists know this, which is why we offer relaxed “meet and greets” for their first office visit. The first visit is a great way for you to speak with us about our practice, and it gives you a chance to gauge how your child responds to the new surroundings. Before you arrive, be sure to tell them that their first visit won’t involve any procedures or “chair time.” Remind them that you are there to meet some new people who want to help them get a healthy smile! 

Trained to Care for Children

Pediatric dentists have had 2-3 years of special training to care for young children and adolescents. Check out the “about us” section of our website to learn more about our dentist’s degrees, professional associations and affiliations, as well as distinguishes and honors. You can rest easy knowing that we have had extensive training which has equipped us to care for your child.  

Sensitive to Special Healthcare Needs

Does your child need any special attention or procedures? Before coming in for a visit, scan our website to see if we offer any specific procedures your child requires. We are specifically trained to treat children with specific healthcare needs. Call us to speak with an office administrator about the different care options that we provide.  

From Toddler to Teen

Pediatric dentists care for children of all ages. From first tooth to adolescence, we help your child develop a healthy smile until they’re ready to move on to a general dentist. We work with you to teach your kids healthy brushing habits, inform them about the importance of flossing, and give them dietary tips that will keep their mouth clean for years to come. 

We Would Love to be Your Dental Home

Providing the best dental care for your child is our top priority, and we would love to speak with you about your child and their dental needs. Establishing a dental home early is very important, so we suggest that you bring your toddler in right after their first tooth emerges. That way, we can craft a dental plan that will help them earn a healthy smile that lasts for life. We see children of all ages, so call us and schedule an office tour! We want to make visiting the dentist fun, and easy for your child. Call us today to schedule an appointment, or a relaxing meet-and-greet.

Sports drinks are widely popular, and used by people of all ages. But, children and teenagers are particularly fond of sports drinks. In fact, studies have shown that these “thirst quenchers” are consumed by 62% of adolescents every day. But, sports drinks can be awful for teeth, and can give cavities the fuel they need to thrive. Below, we outline why sports drinks are terrible for teeth.

Packed with Sugar

Did you know that sports drinks can contain more sugar than leading cola beverages, with as much as 19 grams of sugar per serving? All of that sugar does considerable damage to tooth enamel and can lead to cavities and other oral issues. Sugar helps provide bad oral bacteria with the fuel it needs to create cavities. Some of the leading sports drinks can contain up to 21 grams of sugar per 20 Oz bottle – which is just over half of the amount sugar that your body needs on a daily basis, according to the American Heart Association.  

High Amount of Acid

A 2012 study showed that sports drinks are often highly acidic. This acid interferes with the mouth’s ability to regulate a healthy pH balance, and can lead to the enamel erosion. Tooth enamel is literally the hardest substance in the human body, but it’s no match for a steady stream of acid. 

Sodium Overload

Some sports drinks contain up to 200 milligrams of sodium per serving. Keep in mind that a serving is usually 8 ounces, which means that a large bottle (20 – 32 Oz.) of the leading sports drink can have more sodium than a bag of potato chips. The sodium actually plays a hydration trick on your body, and makes you want to drink more water – thereby quenching your thirst and hydrating your body.

Try Water Instead

If your child is participating in an intense game with constant movement and an elevated heart rate, a small serving of sports drinks may be okay on occasion. But, most youth sports don’t involve that level of activity, and water is almost always the better choice. 

Water – especially water with fluoride – helps strengthen and clean teeth. With every sip, water cleans teeth by ridding them of any leftover foods or acids. It also washes away bacteria and sugars that can eventually lead to cavities. Water has zero calories, and helps restore the pH balance in your mouth to fight unhealthy levels of acid. But, water also hydrates the body as athletes sweat.  

While there is no exact measurement, the American Council on Exercise recommends that people consume 7 – 10 ounces of water every 10 – 20 minutes of exercise, depending upon how much the individual sweats. 

Flossing is an important part of getting a healthy smile and keeping cavities and gum disease away. Yet, it is entirely possible to floss the wrong way – and damage your teeth in the process. Below, we cover why flossing is important, and a few common flossing mistakes.  

Brushing Only Does So Much

Flossing removes plaque buildup in the places where toothbrushes can’t reach – between teeth. Brushing alone only covers about 1/3 of the total tooth surface area in your mouth, which leaves a lot of space for plaque – and cavities – to thrive. Flossing helps fix this by removing food and other debris in between your teeth that causes plaque accumulation. Plaque accumulation leads to oral disease and cavities. Flossing helps completely clean your mouth so that you avoid oral disease.  

4 Common Flossing Mistakes 

1 - Flossing Too Often

If you floss too often, you risk damaging your gum tissue and prolonging gum sensitivity. To clean properly without hurting your gums, floss once per day, right after brushing. We suggest flossing right before bed, since it provides ample time for flossing.  

2 - Moving Too Quickly

If you move quickly from tooth to tooth, then you risk not fully cleaning the tartar buildup on your teeth. Remember: flossing cleans debris from between your teeth, but also helps remove a thin, damaging layer of plaque that can lead to cavities. We suggest spending about 10 seconds flossing each side of your teeth.   

3 - Missing Both Sides of the Tooth

A lot of people only floss one side of each of their teeth – focusing on the gaps between teeth as singular spaces to be cleaned. Again, flossing fights plaque buildup on teeth, so focus on flossing each side of your tooth below the gum line.  

4 - Quitting at the Sign of Bleeding Gums

If you haven’t flossed in a while, you may bleed a bit when you begin flossing again, and many people stop flossing at the sight of blood. Bleeding gums often indicates oral disease, which is caused by plaque and bacteria buildup – exactly what flossing helps to prevent! In order to fight oral disease, you actually need to stick to flossing. Eventually, your gums will become less swollen and no longer bleed.  

Flossing Helps Prevent Gum Disease

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. People who regularly brush and floss their teeth suffer from gum disease and tooth decay far less than those that do not.  

If your child has tender, swollen gums that bleed when they brush or floss, then it’s time to schedule an appointment and evaluate their oral health. Gum disease is very treatable and can be prevented by regular brushing and flossing. Call our office to schedule an appointment today.