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Chips give parents a quick way to satisfy their children’s snacking habits. Chips and other starchy snacks can stick onto teeth long after snack time, and can lead to tooth decay. 

The Problem with Cheetos and Starchy Snacks

Starchy snacks like crackers, bread and chips tend to stick to teeth after they are consumed. The starch breaks down and turns into sugar, which feeds unhealthy bacteria that attack and erodes enamel. This can make teeth more susceptible to cavities, which cause tooth sensitivity and pain.

Try these Mouth-Healthy Snacks Instead

1 - Celery

Celery is packed with water, which helps stimulates saliva production – which helps keep teeth clean of damaging acids. Celery also scrubs teeth as it is eaten, and that’s because it’s packed with fiber. Celery is a great dipping snack, and can be eaten anywhere on the go.

2 - Cheese

Cheese is high in calcium, which promotes strong teeth. It also contains a protein called casein, which strengthens tooth enamel and helps to prevent cavities. String cheese and other handheld cheese snacks are far better for teeth than chips and starchy snacks.

3 - Carrots

Carrots are full of fiber and vitamin A. Carrots stimulate saliva production, which cleans teeth and helps prevent the buildup of bad bacteria that can lead to cavities. Vitamin A also helps maintain healthy mucous membranes in the mouth, which help prevent oral disease.

4 - Nuts

Nuts contain calcium and vitamin D – both of which promote healthy enamel and teeth. They also have high amounts of healthy fats and protein that help promote muscle and tissue growth.

5 - Apples

Apples are fantastic treats that have earned the nickname “nature’s toothbrush.” That’s because the fibrous content and thick skins on apples are perfect for scrubbing teeth of damaging sugar and food debris.  Apples are great at fighting against plaque build up. 

6 - Yogurt

Non-fat Greek yogurt is a great snack for teeth, and it can be used as a base to add some of your favorite fruit and nuts. Yogurt is full of calcium, casein and protein – all of which build stronger enamel and teeth. 

7 - Kiwi

Kiwis are sweet fruits in the berry family. They’re packed with calcium, which helps build strong teeth. Their high fiber content cleans teeth as they’re eaten. Calcium also helps fight bad acids that damage tooth enamel. 

Does Your Child Have a Mouth-Healthy Diet?

If you’re concerned about your child’s diet, and think that it may be affecting their teeth, then visit our office. We will work with you and discuss mouth-healthy foods that promote beautiful, healthy smiles.  

Teething can be a painful experience for an infant, and make life a lot louder for parents. Many parents will do anything they can to soothe their child, and ease their teething pain. But, parents should stay away from some common homeopathic teething remedies that are very dangerous for teething infants.

Teething Gels

One common type of homeopathic teething remedies are teething gels. Teething gels are applied directly to the gums, and contain some type of numbing agent that is designed to numb sore gums. But, the FDA has repeatedly warned against the dangers of the numbing agents in homeopathic teething gels, and advises parents to stay away. In extreme cases, teething gels can cause a rare and sometimes fatal condition called methemoglobinemia. You best bet is to stay away from numbing teething gels all together, to avoid any potential incident. 

Teething Tablets 

Teething tablets are designed to dissolve in a bay’s mouth, and numb tooth pain through “all-natural” ingredients. The FDA also advises that parents stay away from teething tablets, because some contain toxic levels of belladonna – a toxic substance  

that is found in plants commonly used to make teething tablets. In certain cases, The FDA has found that belladonna far exceeds the amount listed on the label.  Again, our advice is that parents avoid teething tablets, and instead try a more moderate approach.

Teething Tips for Parents

There are many things that parents can do at home to help ease their child’s teething pain. Parents can use a cool, damp cloth to gently apply pressure to the gums, which helps ease pain. Make sure that the cloth is cool, but not too cold, because exposure to extreme temperatures can cause more discomfort. Also, be sure to dry the drool on their face, since it can dry out your baby’s skin, and lead to skin irritation.

Teething pain and discomfort is incredibly common for infants as their first teeth arrive. Parents shouldn’t worry about teething pain, but they should bring their infant to a pediatric dentist when their first tooth emerges – around the age of 6 months, and before their first birthday. 

We would love to be your child’s dental home. Our office is designed to be fun and stress-free for children. This helps them enjoy themselves as they learn about the value of proper oral health. Call our office and schedule an appointment today.

Dental Caries, or cavities, are the most prevalent and preventable disease afflicting children in the United States today. Most people know that to keep cavities away it takes diligent brushing, and a mouth-healthy diet. But, cavities can form from more obscure circumstances that are often easily avoided.

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth is caused by a lack of saliva, which helps prevent tooth decay and cavities by keeping teeth clean of food debris. Saliva also combats the acid produced by bad bacteria. You can help your child avoid dry mouth by having them drink enough water every day – around 64 ounces per day, or 8 large glasses.

Sticky Foods

Sticky foods stay on teeth long after they are enjoyed as a meal or snack. Food like bread, sticky granola bars, chips, or gummy snacks will expose teeth to sugar for longer periods of time, and cause a sustained acid attack on tooth enamel. After tooth enamel has eroded, teeth become much more susceptible to decay and cavities.

If your child enjoys sticky foods, have them rinse their mouth out with cool clean water after a meal to remove any excess food debris. Or, advise them to brush their teeth to remove the sticky food debris.

Back Teeth

Tooth location actually plays a large role in where a cavity could occur. Molars and premolars (located in the back of the mouth) have a lot of grooves, pits and crannies that can collect food debris, and cause cavities.

To combat this, make sure that your child thoroughly brushes their back teeth when brushing, and doesn’t skip out on flossing teeth in the back of their mouth.

Infant Bedtime Bottle

It’s quite common for parents of infants and toddlers to give their child a bottle at bedtime. But, this is a mistake that can lead to early childhood carries – which are cavities in very young children. This occurs because milk and formula is high in sugar, and when sugar is left in the mouth without being rinsed, it can feed bad bacteria that causes cavities. If your child must have a bottle for bedtime, try giving them a bottle with water so that they avoid exposing their mouth to unnecessary sugar.

Frequent Snacking

Unchecked snacking can expose teeth to a steady amount of sugar, which feeds bad bacteria that erodes tooth enamel and causes decay. Try monitoring your child’s snacking habits, and make sure that they are drinking plenty of water with their snacks, which will help wash away food debris and accumulated sugar. Or, give them specific snacking times to reduce overexposing their teeth to sugar.

Worn out Dental Devices

Children and teens with crowns and fillings can develop cavities near the device if it becomes old, or worn out. Over time, dental fillings can weaken and develop rough edges. This allows plaque to flourish in a hard-to-reach area, and can quickly result in a cavity. If your child complains of pain near a tooth filling or crown, then schedule a checkup with your dentist to accurately diagnose and treat the pain.

Schedule an Oral Health Checkup

We would love to get to know your family, and help your child earn a healthy smile that grows with them. We suggest scheduling an appointment with our office so that we can evaluate the state of your child’s mouth, and offer relevant guidance that will help them achieve optimal oral health.  

Everyone has primary (baby) teeth, and most people (around 60%) experience some level of tooth decay that affects baby teeth. But, baby teeth are temporary, and not as important as adult teeth, right? Wrong. Primary teeth don’t last forever, but they are not expendable and untreated cavities can cause serious immediate harm, and negatively affect how a young mouth develops. 

YES - Cavities in Baby Teeth Must be Treated 

Tooth decay is 5 times more common than asthma, 4 times more common than childhood obesity and 20 times more common than childhood diabetes. Tooth decay is an acid attack on tooth enamel that can lead to cavities – which are essentially holes in teeth. Cavities on baby teeth are treated with fillings, which help prevent the cavity from worsening or spreading.

When tooth decay is not treated by dental professionals, or with proper oral care, teeth can become riddled with cavities. Children with cavities affecting their primary teeth face many risks that affect their overall development.

Teeth Damaged by Cavities can:

- Impact children’s nutrition, and impede them from eating healthy food. 
- Cause overbites, and bite alignment problems that require oral appliance to fix.
- Hinder adult teeth from growing in straight and healthy.
- Impede proper speech, and negatively affect self-esteem.
- Cause severe tooth pain, that worsens without treatment.
- Lead to infections that affect nearby teeth, and cause more cavities.  

Baby teeth may be temporary, but their impermanence does not mean that they are not important. Children with cavities on their primary teeth face oral health challenges now, and in the future they mature into adults.

Symptoms of Baby Teetth with Cavities

It’s pretty easy to spot the symptoms of tooth decay and cavities, but only a dental professional can accurately diagnose and treat cavities in baby teeth. If your child exhibits any of the following, then schedule a visit with our office as soon as possible so we can treat the root of their oral health issues.  

 Common symptoms of cavities in baby teeth: 

- Pain in the tooth when chewing, or brushing. 
- Pain below the gum line that is localized around on tooth or area.  
- Increased sensitivity to temperature extremes, like hot or cold beverages. 
- Visible holes, discolorations, or dark spots on teeth. 
- Persistent bad breath that is not alleviated by consistent brushing or mouthwash.

How to Prevent Tooth Decay and Cavities

Cavities are the most prevalent childhood disease in the United States, but it’s also the most preventable. You can empower your child to prevent cavities and tooth decay by helping them get into a proper oral health routine, which means brushing twice per day for two minutes at a time, and flossing once per day. You can take easy dietary measures to prevent cavities, too. Try removing sugary beverages from their diet, and substitute them for water, which is one of the most powerful tools in the fight against cavities.

Does Your Child Have a Cavity or Tooth Decay? 

Visit our office if your child experiences persistent tooth pain, or pain in their gums. They may have severe tooth decay or cavities that need to be treated It’s impossible to diagnose a cavity by yourself, and only trained dental professionals can accurately diagnose and treat cavities. We treat children of all ages, and help families get their oral health on track by giving them the tools and knowledge needed to keep a healthy smile that lasts a lifetime.