Halloween is a perfect time to reinforce good dental habits to ensure for a healthy Halloween!

Halloween can be thrilling for both parents and children. It is a parent’s treat to watch the jittery enthusiasm as children dress-up as favorite characters, willing to brave haunting decorations and scary encounters in exchange for sweet treats. Upon returning home with their stash of goodies, take the opportunity to share lessons in moderation – and to also reinforce good dental habits to make for a healthy Halloween.

Dental Tips for a Healthy Halloween

• Don’t allow Halloween candy to substitute for healthy snacks, such as cheese, peanut butter, or celery and carrot sticks.
• Sugars and starches increase the amount of bacterial acid in the mouth. Best practice is to brush teeth within 20 minutes after enjoying Halloween treats to prevent the promotion of cavities.
• Limit treats to times right after meals when saliva is at its maximum to counteract sugar acids. Teach children to save candy or share it with others – or find unique ways to decrease the stockpile of candy.
• Drink plenty of fluoridated water from bottle or tap; eliminate sugary sports drinks, sodas, and packaged fruit drinks which all contain added sugars.
• When making a choice between candies, teach children to forego the sticky candies which are difficult to rinse away and hard candies which take a long time to dissolve. The longer the candy is in the mouth, the greater opportunity for tooth decay.
• As you sit with your children to review their candy-haul, steer them towards snack bars and other healthy treats, chocolate bars, and sugarless chewing gum.
• Most importantly, children should understand the responsibility of brushing their teeth after eating sweets. This in addition to the normal twice per day brushing and flossing.

Schedule a late fall dental exam with your children’s dentist to catch any cavities that may have cropped up during summer vacation and Halloween.

Back to school dental check ups are essential in fighting cavities!

It is the end of the holidays; time to check up on the backpack, the booster shots and teeth cleaning. Back to school dental check ups are essential in fighting cavities. Prevention and early detection of cavities and other teeth related problems help avoid pain and school absences. The normal pediatrician visit to ensure the children are ready for school should include a dental check-up too. A few things to consider may include;

Plan for the Check Up

With all energies fixed on the summer bucket lists, school dates will creep up on you. Do not wait until the last minute, rather plan and get over with the visit since last minute rush can be rather overwhelming leading to slips in details. Make the appointment at the beginning of the summer rather than at the end, and adopt appropriate dental habits.

A cavity free check-up is the best dental check-up. Parents can assist their kids to achieve a cavity free check-up through;

•    Encouraging the children to do their brushing and assisting only when the need arises.
•    Remind the children to floss.
•    Help the children to form an ingrained tooth brushing culture even through the summer.

Schedule a Timely Visit

Schedule the visit when the children are not feeling cranky. Do not interrupt nap time or set the dental clinic on a bad day. Make sure the children have had something to eat but not in the waiting room. Remind the children to brush before the appointment.

Manage Your Anxiety

Children can pick up on parents’ anxiety; be more aware of how you communicate with them. Encourage the child to talk more with the dentist and to ask their questions on dental health. Link the dental visit with a positive feeling such as the idea of having strong and healthy teeth.

Finally, remember to provide your child’s teacher and coach with the medical contact information including the dentist.

If you have any questions about back to school dental check ups or any other dental questions, contact our office today!

As a caring parent, you want the best toothpaste for your child!

With the multitude of options available, choosing the best oral hygiene product can be difficult. Here are our recommendations in choosing the best toothpaste for your child.

Opt for Flavor, But Not Too Much

Children have hypersensitive taste buds, which means you’ll want to opt for flavored toothpaste. But if the toothpaste tastes too good, your child might be tempted to eat it. Opt for a toothpaste with a subtle flavor that’s enough to be pleasant, but won’t be confused as a tasty edible treat.

Look for the ADA Label

The American Dental Association is vigilant about accrediting only toothpaste brands that meet its stringent guidelines. Make sure that whatever brand you choose bears the ADA seal of approval.

Skip the Whitening Ingredients

Your child should have their own toothpaste that doesn’t carry ingredients meant for adults. Though you want your child’s teeth to be white, the harsh abrasives and ingredients in adult whitening toothpaste are not appropriate for kids. Children’s tooth enamel is not yet fully developed, so their teeth are less protected than an adult’s. Whitening ingredients could potentially harm the enamel or even the dentin of the tooth itself, compromising your child’s oral health.

Choose Toothpaste With Fluoride

Even if your drinking water at home contains fluoride, it’s important that your child’s toothpaste has fluoride listed as one of the ingredients. Fluoride has been proven to reduce the incidence of cavities, and children need that added protection.

Remember that youngsters need supervision while using toothpaste even after they appear to have mastered the skill of brushing their teeth. If you have more questions about choosing the best toothpaste or maintaining your child’s oral health or would like to schedule a checkup, contact us today!