Kids Dental in Stafford VA

Encourage healthy habits by making dental care fun!

Encouraging healthy dental habits early is the key to a healthy smile for your child throughout their lifetime. However, some children are apprehensive about dental hygiene practices and visits to the dentist. Red Apple Pediatric Dental Care has gathered a few tips with the help of Colgate to help you make sure your child is not just comfortable about dental care but also has fun in the process.

1. Make Dental Care at Home Together Time

Brushing together is always a good idea, especially when your child is just getting their dental care routine started. Pick up a playful timer, step to the bathroom sink together, and use the brushing and flossing time to bond with your youngster.

2. Allow Your Child to Pick Their Own Dental Hygiene Tools

Of course, it is always wise to pick toothbrushes, floss, and mouthwash that is approved by the American Dental Association, but beyond that, it is best if your child picks their own hygiene tools. Something like an electric toothbrush that plays music or floss that changes colors can really get them excited about taking care of their teeth.

3. Make Dentist Visit Day Truly Special

Check-ups can be a little intimidating to an unfamiliar child, and they should happen about every six months, but you have the power to make this fun as well. Treat the day of the dental appointment day as something truly special. Show your child that you are excited and happy, and make plans for a special surprise after the visit to the dentist is over. A trip to pick out a new toy, a visit to the park or even a playdate with a special friend can all liven up the day so the experience is not as worrisome.

Get More Tips About Fun Dental Care for Kids

Dental care is an important part of a healthy childhood, and it doesn’t have to be a challenge. Reach out to us at Red Apple Pediatric Dental Care for more ideas or to schedule an appointment.

During the holidays, sweet temptations are everywhere! Make sure to protect your child’s smile bright by following these 5 tips.

Sticky candy canes. Frosted cookies. Sugary punches. During the holidays, sweet temptations are everywhere. This is also the time of the year when daily routines can be disrupted by holiday parties, vacations, and trips to visit relatives. Unfortunately, the combination of these two factors could spell trouble for your children’s teeth. So, make sure to keep your child’s smile bright by following these 5 tips:

Say Ho, Ho, NO to the Punch Bowl

It’s easy to forget that many drinks are more naughty than nice when it comes to your kids’ teeth. Punches and fruit drinks contain a lot of unnecessary sugars that interact with bacteria in a child’s mouth to form harmful acids. In addition, sodas also contain other harmful acids that can further damage your children’s teeth. So, make sure to steer your children away from sugary drinks and towards the H2O during the holiday season.

Maintain Your Routines

After a late night at a neighbor’s Christmas party, you may be tempted to let your sleepy children skip brushing and flossing their teeth. But it’s especially important to stick to good oral hygiene practices during the holidays when your children are likely to consume more sugar than they normally would.

Visit Your Dentist

Many kids have a week or two off from school around the holidays, which makes this an ideal time of the year to schedule an appointment for a dental checkup and for teeth cleaning.

Make Oral Health Hygiene Fun

To encourage your children to brush their teeth during the busy holiday season, take them shopping for a new, “fun” toothbrush — perhaps, one in a fun color or that has a favorite cartoon character on it. Another way to encourage your children to brush for the dentist-recommended two minutes? Play a two-minute snippet of a favorite holiday song that they can brush their teeth to.

Offer Smile-Friendly Snack Options

While you can’t control all of the sweet treats your child will encounter during the holiday season, you can at least make sure your home is stocked with a nice selection of teeth-friendly snacks, such as carrots and apples. In addition to being healthier than cupcakes and candies, these natural snacks are also fibrous, which means they can actually scrub off plaque from your children’s teeth.

No matter the season, the Red Apple Pediatric Team truly cares about the health of your children’s teeth. Please contact us today to set up an appointment or to learn more about our services.

If you’re concerned about thumb sucking, you’re not alone!

New parents often worry about every growth milestone and the behaviors that their children exhibit. If you’re concerned about thumb sucking, you’re not alone. It’s not even a new worry. Years ago, home remedies such as using quinine were highly recommended to keep young children from sucking their thumb because they believed it ruined the shape of their mouth.

There is a bit of truth to that. According to the American Dental Association, constant, prolonged thumb sucking can alter the shape of a child’s teeth and cause damage to their oral health. They do also stipulate that it’s normal behavior for young babies. This is a coping mechanism that’s very common. Allowing your baby to suck their thumb or use a pacifier is a normal transition. When the child is weaned from this behavior at the appropriate age, it often causes no damage at all.

How Do You Ween Children From Thumb Sucking?

According to Colgate, you should help your child break the habit by the age of four. Most children will naturally stop this behavior as they age.

If you’re concerned about thumb sucking and would like to break the habit, here are some steps you can try:

• Mittens and Pacifiers. Pacifiers can often be an easier habit to break later because they can be taken away. You can also use mittens and onesies that are made to cover their hands to keep them from putting fingers in their mouths.
• Use a Reward System. For toddlers, a reward system can be helpful. This might include a sticker chart or verbal praise.
• Talk to Your Dentist. Your dentist can recommend the best approach to your child’s thumb-sucking habit. They can evaluate the child’s bite and may recommend products to put on the fingers or, in some cases, appliances to correct the bite.

If you’re concerned about your child’s oral health or would like to come in for a regular check-up, contact us today!

Good hygiene doesn’t have to be like pulling teeth! Here is how to make dental care fun for your kids.

Developing healthy brushing and flossing habits early does more than keep your child’s teeth and gums in great shape now; healthy brushing habits can last a lifetime. Proper brushing habits and regular well-visits to a pediatric dentist can help your child build lifelong habits and skills — and prevent painful cavities, too. Here is how to make dental care fun for your kids.

Make it Rewarding

You know the benefit of good brushing habits that last a lifetime, but offering some small but interesting rewards along the way can ensure your child is on board for brushing as well. Creating a simple chart and providing a small reward after a week of successful brushing can go a long way towards success, according to toothpaste brand Colgate. You don’t have to spend a lot, a simple trip to the park or a small, inexpensive item will often do the trick. This approach pays off in two ways — it keeps your child interested and motivated and it instills a lifelong habit, too.

Time it Right to Make Dental Care Fun

Nighttime brushing won’t be fun if you argue over it or try to squeeze it in like homework. Instead, make brushing one of the last things you do, preferably after a soothing bath and just before bed. If you read aloud or do another quiet activity together before bed, close out the day with a final toothbrushing, then proceed directly to the preferred activity. It won’t take long for you both to associate brushing with an enjoyable activity and a peaceful end to the day.

Give Plenty of Choices

Tooth brushing is more fun when there are options — use a favorite character brush one day, then mix it up with a timed or electric brush the next. Offer a selection of tubes of toothpaste, flosses, and other items to provide your child with some choices. According to Oral-B, letting your child take the lead allows him to choose the options he likes best and makes brushing an interesting and fun part of the day.

The brushing habits you build now will last a lifetime, so taking the time to make things fun can improve your child’s health now — and as they grow up. Get in touch today to schedule a well-visit or to chat about any brushing concerns you have. Our mission is to help your child stay healthy and develop enduring habits that will last a lifetime.

Halitosis is a dental condition that is characterized by chronic bad breath.

When it affects your child, the condition can bring about low self-esteem and impact their social life. It is important to know how to detect, prevent, and treat this condition.

What Causes Bad Breath?

Generally, bad breath in children is preventable and treatable. Understanding the common causes of the condition will make it easier for you to prevent it from occurring.

Some of the common causes of halitosis in children include oral issues such as tooth decay and gum disease that make it difficult to clean the oral cavity. It can also be caused by poor oral hygiene such as failure to brush teeth regularly, leading to food particles being trapped in the mouth and reactions of microorganisms. A foreign object in the nose such as beans or peas can cause infection and lead to bad breath.

Other causes are a dry mouth, a sinus infection, swollen tonsils, orthodontic appliances, poor dental fillings as well as poor nutrition and diet.

Prevention and Treatment

There are different ways to prevent bad breath in children. These measures will not only help in dealing with halitosis but also keep teeth and gums healthy. Here are some of them:

Regular Brushing and Flossing

In addition to encouraging kids to brush and floss often, they should also rinse their mouth out and scrape the tongue. This helps to keep the mouth fresh and get rid of odor-causing bacteria.

Drinking More Water

Children should keep their mouth moistened by drinking plenty of water during the day, and those who wear dentures should remove and clean them at night. You should replace your child’s toothbrush every two to three months.

Dental Checkups

Arranging regular dental checkups and cleanings will also go a long way in helping to prevent and treat halitosis. It is advisable to schedule dental checkups at least every 6 months to monitor your child’s dental health.

In addition to these measures, it remains essential to take your kids to a pediatric dentist regularly. We provide a wide range of dental treatment services to help promote good oral health. Contact us today to learn more or schedule an appointment.