Is Fluoride Safe?

Even kids with the best oral care habits need help protecting their teeth against tooth decay. Dentists promote the use of fluoride for an extra boost of protection that doesn't require much effort. Fluoride naturally assists the enamel in staying strong against bacterial attacks and recovering from cavity causing efforts through the re-mineralization process. Here are three ways to help your child receive the benefits of fluoride.

Direct Application

After your child has his or her teeth cleaned, your kid’s dentist will recommend a quick fluoride application to finish up the appointment. Dentists apply the fluoride by painting a varnish onto the tooth surface or using a foam tray that forms around the teeth which contains a foam fluoride. The fluoride penetrates the enamel, or outer layer of the tooth, to act as a shield against bacteria. The fluoride is perfectly safe to directly apply to the teeth.

Toothpaste Touchups

To retain protection from fluoride, your child will need to brush with fluoridated toothpaste daily. Just like with the varnish or foam, fluoride from the toothpaste enters the enamel and creates a protective barrier. The fluoride concentrations in the teeth start to decrease as the pH level in the saliva drops from acidic attacks from bacteria. Acidic foods and drinks can lower the pH of saliva drastically, which helps the bacteria that create acid, to demineralize enamel and cause cavities. This is why it’s a good idea to brush with toothpaste after meals, especially when acidic beverages (soda or citrus juices) or acidic foods (tomatoes, oranges, lemons) have been consumed!

Water Reinforcements

Fluoride in water acts as an additional barrier against cavity production. After drinking fluoridated water, your child's saliva contains a small amount of fluoride that can protect the teeth if internal fluoride storage of the teeth runs out. This is especially important if your child forgets to use toothpaste to brush his or her teeth two to three times a day.

Sticking With the Plan

If you cannot drink your tap water or if it does not contain fluoride, you might think about picking up bottled water that contains a dose of fluoride to continue protecting your child's teeth from the decay process. Fluoride use is an important part of the dental care routine if you want your child to avoid tooth decay in the future.

5 Ways to Make Brushing Teeth More Fun

Establishing good brushing habits and scheduling regular visits with a dentist are two important ways to help your kids achieve a lifetime of good dental health. Getting them excited for daily routines, however, can be a bit tricky. If you are having trouble convincing your kids that dentist visits and dental health are important, here are five ways to make brushing teeth more fun.

1. Get the Gear

The selection of electric toothbrushes for children is wide and it's easy to find just the right brush for every child. Some have flashing lights while others play songs from pop artists. No matter which you choose, having the right equipment will always make the job more entertaining.

2. Sing a Song

Many children sing their ABCs while washing their hands to make sure they are scrubbing long enough and the same idea can be applied to brushing. Finding a song that is two minutes long, playing a two-minute portion of a favorite song, or choosing a four-minute song that can be started in the morning and completed in the evening are all fun ways to make sure your kids are brushing long enough.

3. Cavity Crusaders

Help younger kids get in the right mood for cavity fighting by turning them into superheroes. Even something as simple as a small towel that becomes a "cape" during brushing can help transform your toddler into a Cavity Crusader who must not stop until all the cavity bugs are defeated.

4. Rewards

One way to encourage daily brushing is to give rewards after brushing. Every child is different so pick a reward system and the frequency of rewards that suits your child best. Create a chart and let your kids place a sticker on each day that they've brushed. When they reach their goals, they get a special prize.

5. Play Copycat

Keep older kids engaged in dental health by having them demonstrate the proper way to brush, floss, and rinse so the little ones can copy what they are doing. As a bonus, big kids are usually extra careful with their techniques to make sure they are teaching the little ones correctly.

A Lifetime of Rewards

By making dental heath fun, kids will not try to avoid brushing and flossing like other chores they have to complete. Instead, they will begin to establish great habits that will last a lifetime.

Starch, Sugar and Their Effect on Kid's Teeth

Tooth decay is the primary cause of tooth loss, and one of the most significant culprits in tooth decay is what we eat. If a child’s diet consists of too many starchy and sugary foods, it can cause cavities. Now that school is in session, it is sometimes easy to fill kids' diets with starchy and sugary foods. However, it is important to closely monitor snacking and to provide children with a well-balanced diet.

The Link between Diet and Tooth Decay

One of the best ways to help your child be cavity-free is by providing a healthy diet. Cavities are caused by bacteria that live in the mouth. The bacteria feed off of the starches and sugars, which produces an acid that sits on the teeth and dissolves the enamel (demineralizes) and starts the cavity process.

The Effects of Sugar

Sugar is one of the largest contributors to tooth decay. While in school, children are unable to brush their teeth immediately after eating sugary items, so the sugar is allowed to sit on the teeth for a longer period of time. Sticky sugars that are often included in school lunches and/or snacks will significantly increase the risk of cavities.

Starch and Tooth Decay

Starch is a type of carbohydrate that is typically found in foods such as bread, potatoes and rice. The leading culprits for starch in a child’s diet are foods such as pancakes and certain breakfast cereals. When these types of starchy foods are combined with sugars, such as syrup, it significantly increases the risk of tooth decay.

Eating a Balanced Diet

It is important to begin teaching children about healthy eating choices and good dental care, which includes visiting a kids' dentist, even before they begin their first year of school. Children do not have to give up all of their favorite foods that contain sugar or starch, but they do need to choose them wisely and it is best to brush after consumption. A balanced diet includes milk and dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, whole-grain breads, and fruits and vegetables. Many foods, such as fruits, taste sweet without any added sugars.

Foods that contain sugar and/or starches are safer for teeth when they are eaten with meals, because there is more saliva released when eating a meal. Saliva helps wash foods from the mouth, so it reduces the effect of acids on the teeth. Sticky foods, such as fruit roll ups, fruit snacks, and candies are more difficult to wash away with saliva because they get stuck on the tooth or in a tooth groove, so there is a greater risk of tooth decay. Encourage children to brush at least twice each day with fluoride toothpaste, drink plenty of water, and see a kids' dentist routinely.

Facts About Thumb and Pacifier Sucking

To continue from last week’s blog post regarding dental care for babies, we felt it is necessary to talk about other baby habits that can affect oral hygiene such as using a pacifier or the baby sucking on their thumb.

According to the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry, here is a list of quick facts regarding pacifier/thumb sucking:

• Babies suck on their thumb or pacifier for pleasure, comfort and security. This habit can start before they are even born.

• The AAPD recommends pacifiers over thumbs to comfort new babies. The pacifier habit is typically easier to break and could decrease the chance of orthodontic problems.

• Thumb or pacifier sucking is normal for infants and children. Usually children will stop on their own, however if the child doesn’t, the habit should be discouraged by the age of 3.

• Thumb or pacifier sucking can affect the teeth the same way. After a long period of time, there may be affects with the upper front teeth sticking outward. Other potential effects include problems with jaw alignment, tooth positioning or the bite.

It is very important that you visit a pediatric dentist or a dentist who devotes most of his or her time to children, by the age of one year.  As time goes on, support from your pediatric dentist, as well as family, can help children quit the pacifier or thumb sucking habit!

Dental Care For Babies

Here at Playtime Dental we care about your child’s oral health!  We are here to share with the world, how to prevent cavities and keep the mouth healthy!

People wonder, why clean your baby’s mouth when they don’t have any teeth?  We want to clean the mouth even without teeth because plaque from food can accumulate and bacteria can still grow and cause problems for the gums!  Also by doing so, this will prevent the bacteria from sticking to your baby’s gums which can help avoid damage to the teeth as they erupt, as well as prevent bad breath. So it is important to gently wipe your baby’s gums at least twice a day or after each meal.  

It is recommended by American Academy of Pediatric Dentists, that a child have his or her first dental visit by the age of 1! Here is an equation to help: 1 + 1 = 0. Let me guess, in thinking back to your elementary math days, you learned that 1 + 1 =2 not zero. However, in this scenario 1 + 1 = 0 because ONE dental visit when there is ONE baby tooth can equal ZERO cavities!

After consulting with your dentist, you can graduate to using a toothbrush once the baby has a tooth or two. The toothbrush needs to have soft bristles and be small enough to fit comfortably in your baby’s mouth.  You can start using a smear of fluoridated toothpaste around age 1. Carefully supervise your children when using toothpaste so they are not swallowing it!

Babies can “catch” cavities from their caregivers. In 71 percent of the cases, the mother is the source.

Research indicates that the cavity-causing bacteria known as Streptococcus mutants can be transmitted from mothers to infants even before teeth erupt! The better the mother’s oral health, the less the chance the baby will have problems.

All in all, being a proactive parent will not only benefit your child’s oral hygiene but also help start making a routine dental visit a positive experience for your kiddos! 

Easing Children's Dental Fear

When a child first learns that he is going to be going to the dentist, his first thought is typically formed around the vision of some cartoon mad scientist or evil doctor. This perception is due primarily to the number of children's television shows that portray doctors or dentists in a scary yet comical fashion. Let's face it—older siblings with a sense of humor don't help, either. Fortunately when it comes to kids' dentistry, there are a few tricks of the trade that can help your child look forward to visiting the dentist.

Easing a Child's Fears of the Dentist Starts with the Parent

Avoid using a few key words before going to the dentist. Words such as "hurt," "shot," "painful," or "scary" shouldn't be used. Instead, use a few details to tell your child about why going to the dentist is important. If your child has a favorite superhero or fictional character that has a sparkling smile, then be sure to use that character as a prime example of why going to the dentist can be fun and healthy. Try saying something like, "I bet Superman goes to the dentist every six months to keep his smile healthy."

One of the most important things that a parent can do to ease a child's fear of the dentist is to understand the child's fear. Sometimes, kids are afraid because they have heard horror stories from their older siblings or seen something scary on television. Other times, kids are simply afraid of the unknown. No matter the reason, try to understand your child's fear so that you can help show him or her why the dentist's office isn't a scary place to be.

General Dentist Tips for Easing a Child's Fear

The final person who can ease a child's fear of the dentist's office is a kids dentist with caring hands. Below are the top three tips for helping to eliminate a child's fear.

1. Speak in a calming and friendly voice. If children hear a friendly or happy tone, then they are less likely to be afraid.
2. Tell stories or anecdotes to distract the child. Stories are a fantastic distraction that can help to take a child's mind off of the scary dentist tools and instead help the child to think about something more pleasant.
3. Use simple words to describe a procedure or action. Remember that kids are often afraid of the unknown. This includes big, scary words that are hard to understand. Keep things simple, and the child is sure to be a little less afraid.

When it comes to kids and the dentist's office, remember that a healthy smile is well worth helping your child to overcome any fears. For more helpful dentist tips, visit us online.

Dental Care during Pregnancy

When a woman finds out that she is pregnant, she often finds her appointment book filled to the brim with an onslaught of doctors' appointments. But often, women gloss over the importance of dental care during pregnancy. Read on to discover a few reasons why maintaining dental care during pregnancy is a good and healthy practice.

Avoid Pregnancy Complications Caused by Poor Dental Hygiene

Did you know that seeing a general dentist during your pregnancy can help you to avoid harmful birthing complications? According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), there is new evidence that suggests that women with periodontal disease have an increased risk of preterm birth and low birth weight. In order to avoid these risks, it is important that a pregnant woman continues to maintain good dental health throughout her entire pregnancy.

After pregnancy, it is equally important that a mother regularly visits a general dentist. Mothers with poor oral health are at a greater risk of passing on cavity-causing bacteria to their young children. To avoid this, mothers and pregnant women should practice the following good oral hygiene rules:

1. Maintain a proper diet. Dental health starts with a good, healthy diet that isn't too high in cavity-causing sugars.
2. Visit your dentist regularly. Seeing the dentist regularly will help your gums and teeth to stay in top-notch condition. A dentist will also help you to avoid and resolve oral diseases, such as cavities or the presence of harmful bacteria.
3. Use a fluoridated toothpaste and mouthwash.
4. Don't forget to brush at least twice a day. While many dentists recommend brushing three times a day, sometimes that doesn't happen during the busy months of pregnancy. Using mouthwash after eating is a good substitute during the day. But remember, teeth should be thoroughly brushed morning and night.
5. Don't share utensils with your infant children. Sharing utensils and food is one of the easiest ways that bacteria are spread from one person to another.

For more helpful tips about kids dental health and family dentistry, check out our FAQs at Playtime Dental.