Category: american academy of pediatric dentists

Nutrition Tips for Babies and Kids

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As parents, we want our kids to be healthy and happy, but if your kids are picky eaters, you know that getting them to eat healthy foods can be challenging at best and downright frustrating at worst. What you probably aren’t aware of is that nutrition not only affects your child’s health but also has a major impact on dental health. It also isn’t just about what your kids eat but how often they eat it and how. For example, if they have a sugary piece of candy, the longer it takes them to finish it, the worse it is for their dental health. When sugar sits in their mouth for long periods of time, it leads to a much a higher rate of tooth decay then if they eat the candy quickly. The same is true for soda and other sugary drinks; if they sip on the beverage for hours, it leads to more erosion of the enamel on the teeth.
The good news is that you have several ways to help your child avoid dental problems that arise from improper nutrition and eating habits. Here are a few tips to help keep your child’s smile as perfect as possible.
·         Limit snacking: Children should have snacks no more than three times a day. Make these snacks nutritious; items such as yogurt, peanut butter, chocolate milk, and cheese are kid- and teeth-friendly.
·         Save sugars and starches for meal times: Sugars and foods with starch, including bread and pasta, take longer to clear the mouth, but if eaten with meals, they break down faster, reducing the chance of decay.
·         Don’t send your child to bed with a bottle: Sending your kids to bed with milk, formula or juice means that they can potentially spend the entire night with sugars from these drinks lingering in the mouth, leading to much faster decay.

You don’t have to deprive your children of fun snacks; just be aware of what they are eating and when. When in doubt, speak to a pediatric dentist, who can advise you on what you are doing right and where you can improve.

How to Protect Your Baby from Tooth Decay

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Think you need to wait until your baby has a mouth full of teeth to begin dental care? Wrong! In fact, the American Association of Pediatric Dentists recommends that you take your baby to see the dentist when he or she gets that first tooth. The first visit is primarily informational, but it could mean that you and your baby are one step ahead on the road to healthy teeth.

Baby Tooth Care

You’ll want to make sure that you are instilling good oral care habits in your baby from as early on as you can. Pediatric dentists recommend that you don’t send your babies to bed with bottles, especially when those bottles contain milk, formula or juice. Once your baby gets his or her first tooth, you’ll want to gently brush their teeth gently with just a light smear of toothpaste to begin building proper hygiene and brushing habits.

Thumb Sucking

Do you have a thumb sucker? Pediatric dentists agree that a pacifier is their preferred choice in the pacifier vs. thumb debate. Ideally, your child shouldn’t use a pacifier or a thumb for sucking, but if it has to be one or the other, dentists recommend the pacifier over the thumb. Keep in mind that you should never dip the pacifier in any kind of sweet liquid before giving it to your baby, because the sugar in the liquid will simply remain in the mouth, potentially leading to future decay.

Using Bottles

Finally, wean your baby from bottles by the age of one. By this time, you will want to encourage your child to learn how to drink from a cup as you continue to encourage a healthy and nutritious diet for your child.

You can easily teach your kids how to prevent the possibility of future cavities and tooth decay by practicing proper brushing habits and instilling the idea of not having sugary drinks right before bedtime.

Encouraging Healthy Teeth for Kids

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The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children visit a dentist with the eruption of the first tooth, or at the latest, by age one. While some babies are born with one or two teeth, some won’t have their first tooth until after age one. The average age for the first tooth eruption is six months. The best way for us to prevent cavities in our children’s teeth is to address it at an early age.

Start Early

Children need to become comfortable with having their teeth and mouths inspected by parents and dentists. This can start in infancy, even before a tooth erupts. After meals, use a damp warm cloth to gently cleanse the gums. As your child grows, continue regular inspections.
As our children grow, we must be active and vigilant. We cannot simply ask our kids if they’ve brushed their teeth and hope they’re honest. Most kids don’t like to brush their teeth. Many lie about it! Some will run the toothbrush under water to “prove” they’ve brushed when they haven’t. Parents must actually inspect their children’s teeth. The best way to ensure our kids are brushing is for us to watch them brush.

Make Dental Hygiene Fun

Just by walking down the toothpaste and toothbrush aisle at the supermarket or drugstore, it’s obvious that marketers have figured out that fun products attract kids. Most general retailers carry a huge selection of kid-themed toothbrushes, toothpaste and mouthwash. Kids like to have fun. Commercial packaging is designed to be fun and appealing to children. Make it fun!
Purchasing dental products with popular animated characters is the simplest way to start the fun. Take it a step farther by finding tools available through various other outlets. Sesame Street, for example, has a wealth of tools on its site for parents, such as activities, games, and informational brochures. YouTube is a great source for kid-oriented dental hygiene videos. There’s no shortage of fun videos on YouTube instructing kids on dental hygiene!

Insurance Providers as a Resource

For families with health maintenance organization (HMO) dental insurance plans, check with your provider to see what resources are available regarding your child’s dental care. Many HMO plans offer resources on their websites that will help with caring for your child’s teeth.

Teaching your Kids to Floss

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At Playtime Dental, we know that flossing is just as important for your child as it is for you, as it promotes healthy dental hygiene and prevents cavities and gum disease. Teaching your children how to floss will help them learn the importance of this habit as well as enjoy it. Here are a few steps to consider when teaching your little one how to floss.
1. Floss Length
Each time your child flosses, he or she should break off roughly 18 inches. A good trick to help you remember this is to make the floss the same length as the distance between your elbow and your fingertip. Once you have the floss in hand, you can either floss for your child, or if the child is old enough, you can teach him or her.
2. How to Hold Floss
Holding floss can be tricky at times, so it is important for your child to know the proper method. A best practice for this is to wind a good majority of the floss around one of the middle fingers. Then, the rest of the floss can go around the other middle finger on the opposite hand. After that, your child can firmly grasp the floss between his or her thumbs and first fingers to better control it and adapt it to the curves of the teeth.
3. Flossing Thoroughly

There are several steps involved when it comes to the actual flossing process. First, have your child gently guide the floss in between his or her teeth. After that, the child will need to make the floss into a C shape so that it can easily go into the spot between the tooth and the gum. Once the floss is in a good position, the child can hold it tightly against his or her tooth and then lightly rub the side of the tooth with the floss. This should be done in a slight up and down motion away from the gum. After this step is complete, the child can simply repeat the process until all of his or her gums are clean. It’s that simple!

Best Kid Books that Teach Oral Hygiene

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When it comes to dental hygiene, teach kids often and start early. Parents and even teachers of young children who want to encourage proper dental hygiene, which includes brushing, rinsing, flossing and routine visits to the dentist, might rely on books to supplement their words. Here are some parents’ and teachers’ favorite books, many of which are recommended by dentists who know how important it is to get the word out to children.
Ready, Set, Brush!
Available on Amazon
Plenty of books exist featuring your child’s favorite movie and TV characters. Spongebob and the Berenstein Bears know how important it is to brush and floss! Even Dr. Seuss has a book aptly titled The Tooth Book. We recommend the popup book Ready, Set, Brush, which features everyone’s favorite red muppet from Sesame Street. Elmo teaches kids all about brushing twice a day for two minutes each to keep their pearly whites, well, pearly and white! Elmo and friends also talk about visiting the dentist.
Kate Parkhurst is the author of The Invasion of The Cavity Creatures, which provides a fun look into what happens when you don’t properly take care of your teeth. No one wants cavity creatures! And this book helps inspire children to keep on top of their brushing routine every day.
Available on Amazon
Brush, Rinse and Floss is a good book for children who are a little older and need motivation to take care of their teeth and mouth. Dads who want to teach their children how to brush correctly might like Pony Brushes His Teeth, which centers on a daddy horse teaching his little pony to brush for the first time. Junie B., First Grader: Toothless Wonder is ideal for children who are losing teeth and worried by it.
If your little one is worried about visiting the dentist, which can seem scary to children, try Teddy Visits the Dentist. This book explains routine dental visits in a way that isn’t scary.

Parents may receive other recommendations or activity sheets from teachers and dentists. Children will identity with different artwork, stories and characters, so having plenty of sources to teach about oral hygiene is key to making an impression.

The Best Dental Hygiene Products for Small Children

Posted on by Playtime Dental
Many people wonder why anyone would teach children about brushing baby teeth since we get another set of teeth. Even though this first set will eventually fall out, it allows a parent to instill good dental hygiene habits in a youngster. We recommend starting a child on a daily brushing routine as soon as he or she has teeth, and flossing as soon as the teeth touch. Unfortunately, finding the ideal dental hygiene products for children can be challenging, but there are a few creative solutions available.
A Toothbrush Specifically Designed for Baby Teeth
Brush Baby Chewable Toothbrush
It’s no secret that toddlers can be stubborn, so the ideal children’s tooth brush has to make them want to use it. That’s why the Brush Baby Chewable Toothbrush is garnering so much attention from medical professionals and parents. This is one of the most innovative dental hygiene products available for infants and toddlers. This teether features medical grade silicone bristles which clean the teeth as infants or toddlers chew on it. The Chewable Toothbrush is ideal for children with several teeth or infants who are teething. Like traditional teethers, this product can be kept in the freezer to provide relief from incoming teeth.
Tooth Paste for Toddlers
One of the dangers of allowing toddlers to brush their own teeth is the threat of swallowing too much toothpaste. For children under the age of 2 years, a smear of fluoridated toothpaste should be used on the bristles.  For children aged 2-5 years, a pea sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste should be used.  Non-fluoridated toothpastes like Weleda Mint Children’s Toothpaste are available, but the cavity fighting effects of the fluoride do not exist to help remineralize tooth structure and buffer the pH of the saliva, which reduces cavities. A child should never be forced to use one particular product, because that can create a negative association with brushing if they do not like the product.  So find a product your child likes so they are receptive to brushing!
Prepare Kids for a Life of Good Oral Hygiene

While shopping for your children’s toothpaste, your children may see specific products in which they are interested. Some toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes feature popular animated characters that your children prefer. It’s important to instill the routine of brushing and flossing into your children by making it seem like a privilege instead of a chore. Since baby teeth will eventually fall out, they serve as practice for the permanent set. If a less effective product is getting your children to brush, then by default it’s more effective. Keep this in mind when selecting your children’s dental hygiene products and teaching them to brush should be a breeze. Be sure your children see a reputable children’s dentist when the first tooth grows. A cavity-free smile can last a lifetime.

Are Pacifiers a Kids’ Dental Problem?

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Here at Playtime Dental, our number one goal is to make sure your child’s mouth stays healthy. It’s never too early to start taking proper care of your child’s mouth, and if you have any questions about oral health, we are here to give you answers. One such question that you might have is, “are pacifiers a problem?” The answer to this concern is two-fold.

Problems with Long-Term Pacifier Use

For the first few years of your child’s life, using a pacifier usually won’t lead to any oral damage. On the other hand, if your child refuses to give up the pacifier, or if it is not taken away by the age of three, long-term suckling will definitely cause damage. This is especially true if your child is still suckling on a pacifier once he or she starts loosing baby teeth. Some of the negative effects endured from long-term pacifier use include:
·         The top front teeth will tip outward and/or not erupt correctly
·         The bottom front teeth will tip inward and/or not erupt correctly
·         The jaws can become misaligned causing bite problems
·         The permanent teeth will come in crooked.

Things to Remember

It’s very common for infants and young children to suck on pacifiers. If your child does, you need to make sure that the pacifier is constructed of one piece only. If it’s made of two or more parts, or the shield part of the pacifier is smaller than the mouth, it is a choking hazard.
Also, make sure that you don’t fasten the pacifier to a string and attach it to your child’s shirt. The string could get tangled or caught on something and injure your child.
Lastly, although you may have heard of dipping a pacifier into some type of sweet substance, such as honey, to calm your child when he or she is crying, you should avoid doing this because it can lead to tooth decay.

Contact Playtime Dental Today

Always do your best to provide positive reinforcement when trying to get your child to give up his or her pacifier. Also, make sure your child visits a general or kid’s dentist on a regular basis. The doctors here at Playtime Dental will be more than happy to evaluate your child’s oral health.

Kids’ Dental Tips for Busy Parents

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Keeping a child’s teeth in great shape is difficult for parents who have other children, jobs, and a home to maintain. There are tons of easy tips that can help keep your children’s teeth in great shape without taking too much time or effort. These quick tips can make a huge difference and can help make life as a busy parent that much easier.
  1. Switch to Water: Switching your child’s drinks from soft drinks and juices to water and sugar free drinks is the best way to help keep your child’s teeth clean. Though you cannot always ensure that your child will make these choices in their adult lives, you can help them make good choices at a young age.
  2. Offer Fewer Sugary Snacks: Though things like fruit snacks and candy may be a great way to make your child happy, they are often the cause of cavities, rotten teeth, and tooth pain. The average kids’ dentist recommends limiting sugar at an early age to cultivate good habits. If your child does have a sugary treat, have the child brush his or her teeth afterwards to remove sugar that may cause decay.
  3. Create a Bed-time Routine: Another great way to get your child’s teeth in great shape is to make up a bed time routine. This can help create consistency and can help get your child involved in their own dental health. This will make for a much easier process when it comes to getting your child’s teeth clean. Try encouraging them to brush their teeth while they sing their favorite song or while they watch a video. This can help make a great routine that they actually want to participate in.
  4. Get the Kids Involved: The last thing you may want to do is to get your child involved in their own dental health. Let them know how to take care of their own teeth, and let them know why they are brushing and flossing. This will help you to get your child involved and ready to help keep their own teeth clean. Dentist visits are a great place to learn about dental health.

Any of these tips can help get your child ready to take care of his or her own teeth. These tips can help your child create habits that are going to stay with them for years. Though it may seem impossible to juggle life and take care of your child’s teeth, with some help you can get them off to a great start.

Water Only in Sippy Cups

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Raising healthy kids these days is difficult, especially in a day and age when soft drinks, fast food, and fatty foods are the most common fare.  A few different ways exist to help get your kids off to a great start in both oral and overall health. One way is to put only water in sippy cups instead of juice. Switching to water in sippy cups with meals is the best way to ensure that baby teeth are healthy.
Though sippy cups are often filled with juice and sugary drinks, water is a great choice. Not only is water a better source of constant hydration, but it also protects the teeth from being continually coated in sugar and acid found in fruit juices. Fruit juice is high in natural sugar, which is just as hard on teeth as the refined sugars we use in baking.  Most children prefer sugary drinks due to the yummy flavors.  But when given nothing but water, it is far more likely that they will develop a taste for water and possibly a taste for healthier choices. Some parents claim that their children will not drink water. However, children are incredibly adaptive and when given water instead of sugary drinks, they will often choose what is easiest. Children are very versatile and will often drink whatever a parent gives them.  You may have a bit of fighting at first if your children are used to sugary drinks in their sippy cups.
Although switching their drinks to water is a great way to prevent cavities in baby teeth and adult teeth that are forming, dentist visits are still necessary for children. When it comes to the dental health of children, general dentist visits may be helpful but it is always better to go to a kids’ dentist. Visiting a kids’ dentist has a few different benefits. The first is that they know how to work with children. Dealing with children is different than dealing with adults. An experienced kids’ dentist will be practiced in a kid-friendly approach. The second is that little mouths and baby teeth require slightly different care than adult teeth. A kids’ dentist, like a pediatrician, is accustomed to these differences.

Yearly cleanings and checkups can help prevent any damage that may occur from improper care. Making sure that baby teeth are brushed, kept clean, and maintained is the best way to insure that the health of the growing adult teeth is as good as possible. In order for adult teeth to remain healthy as they grow, it is important that baby teeth are cared for properly. Switching children to water instead of juice or sugary drinks can help maintain the health of baby teeth to ensure that adult teeth get a healthy start.

Oral Health Checklist for Teens

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As your child ages, especially during his or her teenage years, it will be your job to hand over the responsibility of taking care of your child’s teeth. This means it will be your child who has to make sure his or her teeth are brushed after every meal. Although there is quite a bit involved in properly taking care of one’s mouth, your teenager should not feel overwhelmed with dental hygiene. To make sure your child is doing all that he or she can, make sure you hang up an oral health checklist in your child’s bathroom as well as regularly visiting a kids’ dentist. The checklist should outline the following tips and it should be written as if it is talking directly to your teen.

·         Skip the chips and chocolate and eat an apple. Eating unhealthy foods is not only bad for your teeth, but it can be detrimental to your overall health.  Childhood obesity and diabetes are becoming more prevalent, so make sure you’re making healthy food choices.
·         Please buckle up in the car. Not only will wearing a seat belt help protect your mouth, it can also save your life if you’re in an accident.
·         Brush and floss after every meal.  Also consider chewing sugarless gum after each meal; this will help make your breath fresh, and it also helps to prevent tooth decay.  Did you know Xylitol, a sugar alcohol used in sugarless gum, actually kills the bacteria that cause decay! 
·         Do you have a game tonight? If so, make sure you pack your mouth guard, and more importantly, make sure you wear it during your game. You don’t want your permanent teeth getting knocked out do you? Wearing a mouth guard is one of the best things you can do to protect your teeth while playing sports.

·         Forget about getting your tongue pierced. You might think it looks cool, but as you age, you may come to realize it was just a phase you were going through.   Oral piercings can damage the teeth.  To have the best dental hygiene possible, you should skip over the oral piercings.