Breastfeeding and Your Baby’s Teeth: Part One
February 10, 2016
Breastfeeding is one of the first (and most personal) decisions a mother can make for her baby. It can help your baby’s body fight infections, and reduce health risks like asthma, ear infections, SIDS, and obesity in children. Did you know that breastfeeding can impact the dental health of both baby and mom? Check out these first few facts in this month’s series on breastfeeding and your baby’s teeth.
Breastfeeding may help build a better bite.
A June 2015 study from Pediatrics found that babies that were exclusively breastfed for six months were seen to be less likely to develop open bites, cross bites, and overbites than those who either breastfed for less than six months, or not at all. This doesn’t mean your breastfed baby won’t need braces someday, as there are other factors that affect alignment; every child is different, after all! These other factors include genetics, pacifier use, and thumb sucking.
You don’t have to wean when your baby gets teeth!
Common among mothers who breastfeed is the question of whether or not they should stop breastfeeding when my child starts teething? The answer is not if you don’t want to. The mantra here is the same as it was above: every child is different. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for the first year of a baby’s life, while the World Health Organization encourages moms to go for two.
Breastfeeding reduces the risk for baby bottle tooth decay.
An additional breastfeeding benefit is reduced risk of baby bottle tooth decay, which is the frequent, prolonged exposure of the baby’s teeth to drinks that have sure in them. This occurs most often when a baby is put to bed with a bottle, regardless of what’s in it (besides water).
These are just the first three health facts about breastfeeding and your (and your baby’s) health. Stay tuned for part two!
Early Orthodontia
January 14, 2016
Many people think that braces are only for teenagers, but in reality braces can benefit people of all ages. In fact, early orthodontic treatment can be one of the best things you can do for your children’s oral health, growth, and development. As your Pediatric Dentist we wanted to let all our parents know that we can evaluate your young children’s growth and let you know if orthodontic treatment could benefit them.
Before kids go through puberty their bodies are rapidly growing and changing things. One of the reasons why pacifiers can be so “scary” for some parents is because prolonged non-nutritive sucking can move the front teeth and cause orthodontic problems. This coupled with many other occurrences can be mitigated with early orthodontic treatment. We are trained in Phase 1 or interceptive orthodontics, which can prevent and correct abnormal jaw growth, tooth ware and increased risk of chipped teeth.
With interceptive, early orthodontics we are also able to practice space maintenance and encourage the jaw to grow properly. For example, if a tooth falls out too early, it may take a long time for the permanent tooth to make its grand appearance. To keep this space open so there is less chance of crooked or crowded teeth, we employ the use of early orthodontia. This is much easier for you and your child than dealing with an impacted tooth later on in life.
Early orthodontic treatment is extremely important for your child’s growth and development. If are wondering if your child could benefit from Phase 1, Interceptive Orthodontics, ask Dr. Maggie at your appointment today. She’s always keeping an eye on those pearly whites and will always let you know what she sees!
12 New Year’s Resolutions for Outstanding Oral Health
December 29, 2015
As your family gears up for the New Year, you may be thinking about what changes you’re going to make in 2016. While learning a new language, exercising more, or eating healthier are all great ideas, everyone can benefit from adopting healthy oral hygiene habits! If your kids are looking to come up with their resolutions for the year, help them adopt healthy habits that will benefit them throughout their lives. For outstanding oral health and a lifetime of beautiful pearly whites, consider adding some of the following to your family’s list of resolutions for the New Year:
- Brush at least twice a day
- Drink fluoridated water
- Visit your dentist
- Gargle with mouthwash everyday
- Get a new toothbrush every few months
- Wear a mouthguard during sports
- Floss everyday
- Eat more fruits and vegetables
- Cut back on soda
- Limit sugary foods
- Chew sugarless gum
- Smile more
Let 2016 be the year your family kicks their oral hygiene into gear! The earlier your kids adopt a healthy oral hygiene routine, the better. Turning some, or all, of the listed resolutions into daily habits will help your family minimize issues with tooth decay, gum disease, and plaque build-up. Since proper oral care starts at home, it’s important to encourage healthy oral hygiene everyday so that your family can fight cavities and keep teeth strong for years to come. To schedule an appointment for your child, contact us today.
Tips to Prepare Your Child’s Teeth For Christmas
December 15, 2015
Christmas is just around the corner, as all you parents all know. While we’re getting a bunch of toys ready for the Palm Harbor Library, we are also finding that this is the perfect opportunity to talk to kids about keeping their teeth healthy during the holiday season. We all know that Christmas is full of candy and sweet treats, but reminding your kids that taking care of their teeth during this time is more important than ever!
Here are a few things you can do prepare your child’s teeth for the only time of the year when there’s plates and plates of cookies and fudge, candy hanging from trees, and glasses of caramel apple cider around every corner.
- Children on the nice list don’t stop brushing and flossing. Even though Santa’s coming and the sugar is keeping those kids up later and later in anticipation. It’s important to set a No-More-Cookie Time and make sure they brush and floss those teeth before they go to bed. This ensure any excess sugar will be removed from their teeth and prevent tooth decay. Similarly, keeping with the routine and brushing first thing in the morning before breaking into cinnamon rolls and peanut brittle can keep their healthy habit in check, and prepare their teeth for the rest of the day.
- Sneak some of Santa’s milk. When there are endless choices of sweet snacks to munch on choosing healthy options like a glass of milk or a plate of carrots is extremely important. Make sure you kids are eating full meals full of vitamins that can help their teeth, like calcium and vitamins D and A, before they start on the shortbread. This will ensure their bodies are getting the nutrients their teeth need to stay healthy.
Keeping with a consistent oral health regimen even in the thick of the holiday season is extremely important. By making sure your kids are brushing their teeth twice a day for two minutes at a time, flossing every night, and still eating healthy meals – despite the urge to switch out carrot sticks for Christmas cookies – you can prepare their teeth for a healthy holiday season.
If you want to double up your efforts this season, schedule a check up after the holidays and we can get your child’s smile off to a Healthy and Happy New Year!
Why Do We Have Two Sets of Teeth?
November 24, 2015
One of the most amazing parts of being a pediatric dentist is having the opportunity to teach kids about their oral health. Providing them with an extra education about how their teeth work and what they can do to keep them healthy is the most important thing we do as dentists. After all, we’re setting them up for a lifetime of healthy smiles. As your child climbs to the ages of six and seven, you’ll notice those cute little baby teeth start falling out. As your child sheds these teeth they may be wondering what is happening to them and why on earth their teeth are falling out?! You can rest assure them it’s normal and here’s why.
We are born with no teeth, and then when we get to 6 months old our deciduous teeth come in. That’s a big word for baby, or primary teeth. This set of teeth is extremely important. They help us learn to speak, teach us how to eat and give our jaws some nice guidelines to develop around. One of the other important aspects of baby teeth is they give kids the opportunity to learn how to take care of their teeth, so that when their permanent teeth come in, they’re able to keep them for their entire life.
Humans grow, and as we grow so do our jaws. What once fit perfectly now isn’t so snug. Underneath our primary teeth our permanent teeth have been forming. The primaries hold the spaces for permanent teeth and when the jaw is big enough for the permanent teeth to come out, the push the primaries out of the way. The result are those funny gaps.
It’s no surprise or mystery why we have two sets of teeth. Our “trainer” teeth are there to help us grow and learn so that when our permanent teeth come in we know how to take care of them. It’s so important to take care of both sets of teeth even though one set is going to fall out. If you have any questions about how to teach your kids the important lessons of proper oral hygiene, swing on by today. We love teaching kids about their teeth and telling them all about how to keep them healthy.
Candy Buy Back Week!
November 2, 2015
This week we’re excited to be buying back all your candy. If you’ve been keeping up with us on Facebook you already know all about this fun event, but for a complete run-down of all the awesome prizes and goodies, you’ve come to the right place!
We’ve already filled one bucket full of candy for our soldiers with sweet teeth and are excited to collect more and more. How it works is your child brings in their Halloween candy. For every pound of candy donated your we’ll give them a raffle ticket to win a brand new bicycle and other great prizes! We’ll also send them home with a great goodie bag full of healthy snacks and coupons with free goodies from all kinds of places across town.
Here’s the rundown of the great prizes we’ve got in store for kids excited to give up their candy for a soldier missing home.
- A brand new bike
- Admission for two the Florida Aquarium
- $25 gift certificate to Cuban Breezes
- Three-month pass for a family to the Glazer Children’s Museum
- Free session of tennis lessons from the Countryside Country Club
- Gift bag from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, complete with a 4 admissions, a stuffed animal and Dolphin Tale 2 on DVD
- Tickets to the Tampa Bay Lightening Hockey Game
But our buyback isn’t just up to the luck of the draw, every child walks away with a goodie bag full of healthy snacks, vouchers for free treats from Wendy’s, First Watch Café, Chick-fil-A, frozen yogurt from Menchies. There’s also coupons from the Lowry Park Zoo, Celebration Station, Jersey Mikes, McDonalds, Smoothie King, Subway, and Tijuana Flats.
If you want to get rid of that extra cavity-causing candy and send it over to our troops who are missing the comforts of Halloween at home, bring your candy to Dr. Maggie Davis. Not only will you leave with a bag full of goodies and a chance to win lots of cool prizes, you’ll also walk out the door with a clean bill of dental health after a fun trip to your pediatric dentist.
Help us fill these bins, we can’t wait to see you!
Have a Healthy Halloween
October 28, 2015
Halloween is just around the corner and you know what that means! Oodles of costumes and candy coming your way. Sometimes the scariest part about Halloween for parents and pediatric dentists alike is not the ghoulish grins, vampires, or werewolves on every street, it’s the tooth decay and cavities that lurk in the bottom of those trick-or-treat bags. While cavities are pretty scary, it’s important that your child banishes tooth decay every day. Just because they get an overload of sugary treats this time of year, doesn’t mean that you’ll stop slaying cavity-causing bacteria. Here are a few things you can do to remind your kiddos to keep their teeth healthy while in a caramel craze.
Brush and Floss Those Chompers –
Just because it’s Halloween doesn’t mean you can skimp on brushing and flossing those teeth, especially when you’ve been bingeing on fun-sized candy bars. Brushing teeth twice a day for two minutes at a time removes the sugar and bacteria that leads to cavities. Flossing is especially important to remove any gooey or nutty remnants from between the teeth. By making sure your kids brush and floss the sugar off their teeth before they fall into a caramel coma, you’ll make sure no cavities comes a long.
Provide Lots of Alternatives –
While it’s no surprise that candy is the belle of the ball on Halloween, by providing your kids with healthy alternatives you’d be surprised at how often they reach for the tangerine jack-o-lantern, banana ghosts with chocolate chips for eyes, and mozzarella stick mummies. There are lots of Halloween-inspired healthy snacks you can fill up on before going trick-or-treating.
A few more tips
- Keep your child’s candy in a safe spot (safe from chocolate looters that is) that’s not in their room to discourage late-night snacking.
- Remind them that their Trick-or-Treating treats are just that, they don’t need to eat 10 candy bars, four lollypops, and a bag of gummy bears. Limit them to a few choices each day.
- Remind them to not chew on hard candy as well, biting down on suckers and jaw breakers can crack their teeth. As much as we love to see you in our Palm Harbor office we don’t want your child to have a Halloween dental emergency.
Having a healthy Halloween is easy and doesn’t mean you have to skimp out on any of the fun. So, get dressed up, collect as much candy as those little arms can carry, and remember that the candy will get eaten or become stale before you know it but healthy teeth are forever!
From Dr. Maggie and our entire staff, Happy Halloween!!!
It’s Teething Time
October 12, 2015
Teething is an exciting time in your child’s life, maybe not so much for you. They’re almost ready to start discovering the wonderful world of solid food, while you’re trying your best to soothe their aching, growing mouths. As your pediatric dentist, we wanted to share with you some information about teething, what you can do to sooth their sore gums, and how you can keep those first teeth to emerge healthy and cavity free.
Teething begins around four and seven months of age. Your baby’s body is getting ready to push through 20 teeth in the next two and a half years. That’s a full set of teeth by the time they’re three years old!
You’ll notice your child is teething when they become sleepless, fussy and irritable. They may loose their appetite and begin to drool more than usual.
Too soothe those aching gums the best thing you can do is to rub their gums with a clean finger, a small, cold spoon, or with a moist gauze. Teething rings are very helpful for fussy babies that just need to chew on something to cut those teeth.
Another thing to think about and be wary of are benzocaine products. Benzocaine products are anesthetic gels that can ease oral pain for adults but can be very dangerous for children under the age of 2. If your child seems as though they are in severe pain, please call your pediatric dentist for consultation first.
Once those new teeth begin to emerge, it’s time to start caring for them. While you won’t exactly be breaking out the electric toothbrush, floss, and fluoridated mouth rinse just yet, keeping those pearly whites clean is extremely important. You can do this in the beginning stages by wiping them a wet washcloth. As more teeth emerge, upgrade to an infant toothbrush and toothpaste approved by the ADA for infant use. And begin brushing twice a day. This not only keeps their teeth clean, but helps introduce them to a new routine.
Teething isn’t the most fun part of your child’s development. But, after the fussing stops and those cute little teeth come through, they’ll be able to enjoy healthy snacks like cheese and apple slices. They’ll also soon be able to take charge of their dental health.
If you have any questions about how you can help your child through teething and how best too keep their teeth healthy after they’ve all come in, give us a call today. We can’t wait to see their smiling faces.
Preventing Tooth Decay
September 29, 2015
For many of my little patients’ parents, preventing tooth decay is the first thing on their mind. Luckily, controlling tooth decay and preventing cavities is not as hard as it seems, and by only slightly altering your routine you can create healthy habits that will prevent cavities for a lifetime.
Tooth decay is the result of bacteria that deposits on teeth from the food we eat. Over time it forms plaque. When we brush our teeth we remove this plaque, however when the plaque builds up and combines with sugar and starches it produces acids. These acids deteriorate the enamel and eventually lead to cavities.
The first step in preventing tooth decay is to steer your child clear from sugary snacks. By feeding them crunchy fruits and veggies like carrots and apples, you can significantly reduce the amount of plaque-causing sugar in your child’s mouth.
The next essential thing you can do to prevent tooth decay is teach your child to properly brush their teeth. When we brush, we remove the decay-causing plaque and remineralize the teeth with a fluoridated toothpaste. Children should brush two minutes after breakfast and two minutes before bedtime to remove the plaque that built up all day.
And finally, flossing. Brushing removes decay-causing plaque from the surfaces of teeth, but to remove the plaque from in-between the teeth, flossing is a must. It can be hard to teach kids how to floss, but with the use of cool new tools like pre-strung flossers, flossing is just as easy as brushing.
If you have any questions about helping your child prevent tooth decay, schedule an appointment with Dr. Maggie today. She’s a pediatric dentist who can teach both your child and you the various ways prevent tooth decay and cavities for a lifetime of healthy teeth.
How To Encourage Healthy Habits
September 16, 2015
Dr. Maggie’s goal is to turn each of her awesome patients into tooth-loving tots as soon as possible. But even if they’ve been seeing her since they were toddlers, some kids just don’t like to brush their teeth. As parents, you know that keeping those primary teeth clean and healthy is extremely important to their growth and development. If your child is going through a no-brushing phase, here are some tips to help encourage healthy habits.
One reason kids don’t enjoy brushing and flossing is because they have to stand in one spot for a long time to get the job done correctly. Making these two minutes twice a day is fun and easy if you play music for your child to brush to. Choose a fun two-minute song and boogie while you brush.
Children also love to watch their parents, so brush your teeth when they brush theirs. By showing your child how you brush your teeth, they’ll want to be just like dad and brush their teeth while he’s brushing his.
Kids also love to see their progress. A brushing calendar is a great way to get your tots excited about brushing their teeth. Simply divide calendar days in two and have your child place a sticker each time they brush and floss. Positive reinforcement with books, or a new toothbrush, are great rewards to encourage your child to continue with this healthy habit.
There are many ways you can encourage your children to form healthy oral habits. If you have any questions about how to help your child enjoy brushing their teeth, ask Dr. Maggie today!