4 Tips To Stay Cavity Free This Halloween

Halloween is right around the corner!  We want to help keep your kids’ teeth healthy WITHOUT giving up all the sweet treats. 

Don’t eliminate candy completely
After your children get back from trick-or-treating or a party, go through their bags of Halloween candy together. Pick out a small number of pieces – the ones they like the best – and get the unpicked treats out of sight. You can donate them or freeze them if you can’t bear to throw them out.

Letting children help decide what is a reasonable amount of candy to keep has benefits beyond good oral health. The message isn’t “candy is bad,” but that candy and other sweets, in excess, can lead to cavities.

Set a “Treat Time” to help prevent cavities
Make it a ritual and establish a “treat time”.  This may last long after Halloween and help promote healthy thinking about treats.  Knowing they have a specific sweet time can help make children less inclined to think about eating sweets at other times of the day.  Children learn that eating sweets shouldn’t be an all-day feast.  Moderation is key. 

Set up a teeth brushing and flossing schedule
Have a “treat time”?  Then make a “teeth brushing time”!  Whether it’s day or night,  brushing and flossing after “treat time” will help sweep away the recent sweets and prevent cavities. Until a child is 7 or 8 years old, a parent should help with teeth brushing, not simply supervise. Even after age 8, parents should supervise brushing. That includes friendly reminders to older children to brush and floss until they get to high school, when it should be a habit.

Keep Teeth Brushing Fun
Make Halloween a time to get a new toothbrush!  Making this part of the holiday can help keep kids excited to brush regularly. 

Rethink Your Drink!

 

 

"Rethink Your Drink"

 

 

As summer is approaching we are all looking forward to spending time outside with our families and friends, we want to remind everyone that drinking water has many benefits.  Water not only is great for our bodies but is the beverage of choice for our teeth!  Reason being... WATER HAS NO SUGAR! 

 

Take a look below as we compare the sugar content of some of our favorite drinks.

 

A 32 ounce bottle of Coke has 65 grams of sugar
which is about 17 sugar cubes!!

 

A 32 ounce bottle of Gatorade has 52.5 grams of sugar
which is about 13 sugar cubes!!

 

A 12 ounce container of Chocolate Milk has 45 grams of sugar
which is about 11.5 sugar cubes!!

A 13.5 ounce container of Orange Juice has 41 grams of sugar
which is about 10.5 sugar cubes!!

A 6 ounce container of Kool-aid Jammers has 24 grams of sugar
which is about 6 sugar cubes!!



Just remember everyone deserves a treat, but by limiting the frequency of sugar in your diet it will help keep your teeth healthy and cavity free!!



Why choose a Board Certified Dentist?

The American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD) was created to achieve the highest quality dental care for infants, children, adolescents, patients with special health care needs, and their parents.
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Certification by the ABPD provides assurance to the public that a pediatric dentist has successfully completed accredited training and a voluntary examination process designed to continually validate the knowledge, skills, and experience requisite to the delivery of quality patient care. 

Not all Pediatric Dentists are Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD). It is important to find a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist for your child’s dental needs. A Board Certified Pediatric Dentist has attained certifications with the ABPD, which represents the highest level of credentials. As a patient, you can be confident that your board certified dentist remains current in the dental profession.

To check to see if your dentist is board certified, visit their website at www.abpd.org.

Why a Pediatric Dentist?

Helping your child learn excellent oral health habits includes visiting the dentist regularly. A pediatric dentist is best for children, and here’s why:

Child Psychology

As a parent, you know how hard it can be to get your children to do what they need to do. Children's dentists are trained to anticipate and work with the behaviors, emotions, and psychological needs that are unique to kids. This makes for a more pleasant dental visit for both you and your child.

a tv above the chair

Environment

The setting of a pediatric dentist's office is much different than what you might find at an adult's dentist office. This can make a huge difference in how your children perceive the dentist and dental work. 



decor with a kid in mind

Staff

With a staff that truly cares for children, understands their needs, and wants to keep them happy, a pediatric dentist's office is the best place for your child to get his or her dental treatments and exams. You'll appreciate the difference you'll find in an office where everyone, from the receptionist to the hygienist to the dentist, has your child's best interests at heart.
 

child sized equipment