Category: Oral Health

Dragon’s Breath? Here’s how to Fix Children’s Halitosis

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Did you know that 50% of Americans are diagnosed with bad halitosis (bad breath) each year? Bad breath isn’t limited to adults, either. Children can suffer from halitosis that stems from a variety of causes, but there’s usually a way to conquer each cause of children’s halitosis. 

Food Debris 

Food sometimes sticks around long after mealtime, and it can cause really stinky breath. If left unchecked, food debris left in the mouth can give cavities the fuel they need to flourish. 

Solution: Rinse after Meals 

Have your child swish cool water in their mouth vigorously for 30 seconds after they finish their meal. This will help remove any food debris left in the cracks and crevices of teeth.

Dry Mouth 

A dry mouth can lead to recurring bad breath. Usually, dry mouth is caused by poor saliva flow, which stems from a lack of water, or inadequate hydration. Luckily, that’s incredibly easy to fix!

Solution: Improve Saliva Production 

Dry mouth can usually be fixed by eating foods that increase saliva production like cheese, apples or carrots. Make sure your child gets enough water – 8 to 10 cups per day. If this doesn’t fix your child’s bad breath, then schedule an appointment with our office. 

Poor Oral Care Routine 

The number one cause of halitosis in children is poor oral hygiene. But, a proper oral care routine is incredibly easy to achieve, it just takes a little work, and a clear schedule.

Solution: Develop a Good Oral Health Routine 

Make sure your child brushes twice per day for two minutes at a time, and flosses once per day. When flossing, stress the importance of hitting both sides of the tooth, and beneath the gum line so that they clean their entire tooth. Be sure to clearly communicate when they are to brush and floss, and be sure that they adhere to a consistent schedule. Gentle parental reminders can go a long way in keeping children into a healthy oral care routine. 

We can Beat Dragon’s Breath Together! 

Children’s halitosis stinks – but it can be beaten. If your child’s breath is consistently smelly, then schedule a visit with our office. We can help you get to the bottom of their bad breath, and help them beat halitosis together.

4 Important Facts about Baby Teeth that You Need to Know

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Baby teeth play an important role in helping children develop healthy smiles that grow with them. Here’s five important facts about baby teeth that parents need to know to help their children keep their baby teeth healthy and strong.

1 – Baby Tooth Enamel is Hard, but Vulnerable 

Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, yet it is always under constant attack by sugar, acid and external forces. You can help keep your child’s tooth enamel strong by giving them more water, which helps rinse teeth clean of harmful bacteria and acids. Additionally, limit sugar and sugary beverages in their diet to help give their enamel a break. Make sure to brush twice a day for two minutes and floss at least once a day. 

2 – Baby Teeth help Set up a Healthy Bite 

Baby teeth play a critical role in developing a healthy and aligned adolescent and adult bite. If a baby tooth is lost too soon, it can lead to teeth crowding the vacant spot, which can cause bite alignment problems. 

3 – Baby Teeth Need Proper Nutrition 

The proper diet can go a long way in helping your child maintain a health smile. When shopping for food, try to add more fruits and vegetables that are rich in nutrients and fiber. High fiber foods scrub teeth and keep them clean of food debris and damaging sugar, which can lead to tooth decay and cavities. Adding more magnesium and calcium to your child’s diet can strengthen their tooth enamel, and help prevent cavities. 

4 – Baby Teeth CAN be Lost Too Early 

Usually, natural tooth loss begins around age 6, and concludes around age 12. If your child loses a tooth before then, schedule a visit with our office so that we can take the appropriate actions for the health of their smile.

Does Your Family have a Dental Home? 

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that you establish a dental home for your children by their first birthday. This helps you get a dental health plan that works for their smile, and helps them get more comfortable with oral healthcare at an early age.

The Risks of Children Playing Sports without Mouth Guards

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Sports can be incredibly fun for children, but they also put them at risk for injury. Did you know that your child is 60 times more likely to sustain damage to their teeth when they aren’t wearing a mouth guard? Here’s what your child risks when they play sports without a mouth guard.

1 – Broken Teeth

Teeth are hard, but they are also brittle. Playing sports without a mouth guard puts teeth at risk of taking a hard blow without any cushioning, which can cause them to crack or break all together. A mouth guard helps cushion the teeth from potential blows, and decreases their risk of cracking.

2 – Jaw Damage

Jaw injuries are one of the most common injuries in sports, and mouth guards can help prevent them, or greatly reduce their severity. Mouth guards help cushion and reduces the amount of shock the upperjaw and lower jaw can take during a hit to the jaw.

3 –Concussion

Wearing a mouth guard can actually greatly reduce the risk of sustaining a concussion while playing sports. One study found that mouth guards can reduce overall cranial impact by 50% when sustaining a blow to the chin or jaw.

4 – Lacerated Lips and Cheeks

Teeth are designed to chew and process food for our systems to absorb. It’s no surprise, then, that teethcan do real damage to cheeks and lips if left uncovered. Mouth guards help protect cheeks and jaws from accidental bites that can puncture or lacerate the skin.

How do Mouth Guards Work?


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Mouth guards – sometimes called mouth protectors – work by helping cushion a blow to the face, and minimizing the risk of breaking teeth, or lacerating a lip, tongue or cheek. The CDC estimates that more than 3 million teeth are knocked out at youth sporting events. Mouth guards work to prevent tooth loss and other facial injuries.

Which Sports Require Mouth Guards?

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends wearing mouth guards for these popular sports: basketball, boxing, field hockey, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, martial arts, racquetball, roller hockey, rugby, skateboarding, skiing, soccer, volleyball, water polo and wrestling, among others.  If you’re unsure about whether or not your child is required to wear a mouth guard, consult our office.

Ask Us about Mouth Guards

As our office about a mouth guard for yoru child.We want to help you keep your child safe while they’re playing sports. Call our office today and ask us about the types of mouth guards that we provide. Together, we can help them enjoy the sport they love and keep their teeth safe from injury.

We Found the Supreme Healthy Snack for Teeth – and It’s So Simple

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A healthy diet plays a pivotal role in getting healthy teeth and gums, but what is the best snack food for a healthy mouth? We looked all over, and present to you the supreme healthy food for teeth – apples.


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Full of Fiber 

Apples are packed with fiber, and that’s great news for teeth. Fiber is an excellent nutrient for mouth-health, and supports a healthy digestive system. Fibrous fruits and vegetables actually scrub teeth as they are being consumed, which helps remove bad mouth bacteria that lead to cavities and tooth decay. Apples contain about 4 grams of fiber, which is around 15% of the daily-recommended amount, depending upon age. 

Be sure to thoroughly rinse apples before eating them, and leave the skin on – which is a fantastic texture for scrubbing teeth. 

Almost Completely Made of Water 

Did you know that apples are nearly 86% water? Water is vital for a healthy mouth because it stimulates saliva production. Saliva naturally cleans teeth of food debris and damaging acids that attack enamel and cause cavities. Saliva also keeps the mouth’s ph level balanced and healthy.

Packed with Vitamin C 

Apples are a good source of vitamin C – which is a fantastic vitamin for healthy gums! Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant that helps heal gums, and fight gum inflammation. It does this by helping the body produce more collagen, which aids in cell repair and expedites the healing process. Apples are less acidic than other vegetables that contain vitamin C like oranges, grapefruits and kiwi, which makes them a truly fantastic option for healthy teeth!

Vitamin A for Apple! 

Apples are also a source of vitamin A, which is one of the absolute best vitamins for overall oral health. That’s because it helps keep saliva flowing, which naturally cleans teeth of damaging acids and prevents dry mouth. Vitamin A also promotes the healthy mucous in the mouth that coats cheeks and gums, which makes them less susceptible to infection and disease. 

Visit Our Office 

Apples are just one of many healthy, flavorful foods that help keep teeth clean, and promotes overall oral health. A well-rounded healthy diet is important to you’re your family’s teeth, and bodies health. Schedule an appointment with our office today and we can discuss some mouth-healthy options that your family will love.

Reluctant Brushers? 3 Easy Ways to get Your Kids to Brush Their Teeth

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Toothbrushing is not the most fun activity for children but it is absolutely necessary for a healthy life. Here’s how parents can encourage their children to brush by making toothbrushing fun!

1 – Brush Together


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One great way to making brushing fun for young brushers is by brushing with them. This helps you get into a fun routine with your child and have a bit more time together, and allows you to give them specific brushing tips, as well as keep an eye on how long they’re brushing.

2 – Find Fun Brushing Videos

For children, it can be tough to brush for two minutes at a time. This is because it’s difficult to keep young children still and focused on brushing their teeth for two minutes. You can help your child have more fun while they brush by letting them brush while watching a tooth brushing video. These educational videos help guide children through brushing their teeth, and each lasts at least two minutes. We suggest finding one that you deem appropriate for your child, and one that they will enjoy watching.

3 – Try an Electric Toothbrush

An electric toothbrush is an appealing option for children just beginning to brush, since they require less dexterity and physical motion to operate. Additionally, most electric toothbrushes feature brushing timers ensures that they brush for two minutes at a time. We suggest looking for an electric toothbrush specifically made for children that is easy for them to hold, and has a head that fits in their mouth comfortably.

Care for Teeth the Right Way

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry advises that everyone brushes their teeth twice per day, for two minutes at a time. The time limit helps ensure that all of the bad bacteria is scrubbed off of teeth, which prevents plaque buildup and cavities. Make sure your childbrushes their entire tooth surface, including the backside of teeth – which is often neglected.

Brushing isn’t all your child needs to do to maintain a healthy mouth, flossing is also very important. Debris left in between teeth can cause plaque buildup and cavities, which is why it’s important that your child flosses once per day, and cleans below the gumline.

We Help Make Brushing Fun

Our office specializes in caring for children, and helping them understand the importance of oral health. If you have a reluctant toothbrusher, visit our office. We can show your child how fun toothbrushing can be, and how important it is for a healthy life. 

Rocky Mountain Brown Water and the Wild History of Fluoride

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Some of the greatest scientific discoveries occurred by accident. From falling apples, to sandwiches that don’t mold, some of our greatest achievements began as simple analysis of the natural surroundings. Fluoride, one of dentistry’s most powerful tools in the fight against cavities, also has a similar origin story.  

The Colorado Brown Stain

In 1901, a young dental school graduate named Frederick McKay moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado to open a dental practice. Upon his arrival, he was astounded to observe that many of the locals suffered from brown stains on their teeth. After observing this, McKay searched for information about the disorder causing the stains, but couldn’t find anything sufficient.  

Teeth mottling and Dental Fluorosis 

For six years, McKay worked and found that nearly 90% of children native to Colorado Springs suffered from the stain. He gave the brown stain a more technical name (tooth mottling, which was later changed to fluorosis) and were surprised to discover that mottled teeth were highly resistant to tooth decay. While they couldn’t identify a cause for tooth mottling, they noted the anti-cavity effects of the stain and moved on.  

Rocky Mountain Brown Water 

In 1923, McKay went from Colorado Springs to Oakley, Idaho to investigate a recent uptick in tooth mottling in Oakley. The parents told him that the stains began appearing shortly after Oakley constructed a communal water pipeline to a warm spring five miles away. McKay observed the water and found it to be slightly browned by the pipeline. McKay advised town leaders to abandon the pipeline and use a nearby spring as their water source. The town obliged, and within a few years the brown stains disappeared. McKay still hadn’t found the exact cause, but he isolated the source of tooth mottling. 

What Causes the Stain? 

McKay then travelled to Bauxite, Arkansas, where the residents were afflicted with mottled teeth, but nearby towns were not. McKay asked the town to conduct a study on the water, and returned to Colorado. A town chemist named H.V. Churchill analyzed the water with more powerful tools than available to McKay when he was in Oakley. He found high levels of fluoride in the water at Bauxite, which compelled Churchill to write a 5 page letter to McKay, urging him to test samples from Colorado Spring and Oakley for increased levels of fluoride. McKay obliged, and within months, he found the answer to the brown stain problem: increased levels of fluoride were in fact staining teeth.  

National Institute of Health Refines Measurements 

Upon learning of McKay and Churchill’s findings, the National Institute of Health (NIH) decided to investigate water-borne fluoride, and the effects on teeth. The NIH developed a state-of-the-art method to measure fluoride levels in water with an accuracy of 0.1 parts per million (ppm). By the late 1930’s the NIH concluded that fluoride levels up to 1.0 ppm could not cause enamel fluorosis, or brown teeth.  

Schedule an Appointment with Us 

Today, fluoride is added to many communal water sources to improve the quality of water, and aid in the fight against tooth decay. Fluoride is included in many toothpaste, mouthwashes and other oral health care products to help people fight tooth decay at home.  

Visit our office to learn more about how fluoride works, and how it affects your children’s teeth.

4 Ways to Have a Cavity-Free Summer

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Summer time presents parents with an excellent chance to help their kids get ahead on their oral health. Here’s how you can help your children have a cavity-free summer. 

1 – Maintain an Active Oral Health Routine 


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It can be hard for kids to get into a summer brushing routine if they don’t have to wake up for school. Relaxed schedule aside, it’s important that your child brushes their teeth twice per day for two minutes at a time, and flosses once per day to clean debris from the hard-to-reach areas of their teeth. Brushing and flossing is the most important way to keep your mouth healthy, and fight plaque that causes cavities. If you have braces or other orthodontic equipment, try a proxabrush, which is designed to clean in between brackets and orthodontic devices.

2 – Eat Food that Teeth Love 

Starchy carbs like potato chips and crackers can stick to teeth and cause unhealthy acid buildup that fuels cavities. Instead of snacking on food that sticks to teeth, try eating food that cleans teeth as it’s being eaten. Fibrous vegetables like carrots, celery and bell pepper are excellent snacking alternatives to unhealthy chips and crackers. Their texture actually scrubs tooth enamel, and helps remove unhealthy plaque buildup. 

You can strengthen your teeth with food that’s rich in calcium, magnesium, and protein. Dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt are all packed with the vitamins and minerals needed to build strong teeth and bones. 

3 – Drink More Water 

Saliva is crucial in the fight against cavities, and it is 99% water! When you are low on saliva, you will most likely experience dry mouth – a condition that makes it hard to swallow and chew because of a lack of saliva. By drinking enough water, you can prevent dry mouth and ensure that your saliva is produced at an optimal rate. 

Additionally, saliva and water also help keep teeth free of starchy food-debris that can eat away at tooth enamel. In fact, we suggest swishing with clean cool water for thirty seconds after meals to get rid of excess food debris, and prevent food-debris from turning into acid buildup on your tooth enamel.

4 – Travel with Oral Care in Mind 

If you’re travelling this summer, be sure that your family packs everything they need to maintain their oral health. A mouth-healthy travel kit is a great way to keep teeth clean while on the road. We suggest packing it with a toothbrush in a travel case, travel-sized dental floss, toothpaste, and a proxabrush or floss threaders if you have an oral appliance. When planning your summer travel, be sure to block off about 10 minutes each day for your family to take care of their oral care and personal maintenance.

Visit Our Office

Summer time gives you a great opportunity to catch up on your family’s oral health status by visiting our office for a checkup. Call us today to schedule an appointment so that we can evaluate the state of your children’s teeth, and help them reach healthier smile this summer.

Quick Tips to Help Your Child Beat Thumb Sucking

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Thumb sucking and finger sucking are habits common in many children. In fact, nearly one third of all children suck on their thumbs or fingers in their first year of life. Sadly, thumb sucking is an unhealthy oral habit that can have many different consequences down the line.

Thumb Sucking can Cause Oral Health Problems 

Unfortunately, thumb sucking can lead to many oral developmental issues that negatively affect the development of the mouth. Thumb sucking can casue an open bite, where the top and bottom teeth do not toch when the mouth is closed. It can lead to a narrowing and distortion of the palate and cause abnormal speech and misaligned bite patterns are common.

What Causes Thumb Sucking? 

Boredom, anxiety, anger, hunger, or even sadness can all cause children to suck on their fingers for comfort. Children mostly suck on their thumbs or fingers for comfort from an uncomfortable emotional state or stressful situation. 

Quick Tips to Defeat Thumb Sucking 

If your child hasn’t stopped sucking their thumb or fingers by age 4, then you must wean them from the habit so that they can develop a healthy young smile. By 4 years of age, your child’s mouth will be rapidly developing and thumb sucking can interfere with that process.

Identify their Thumb Sucking Triggers 

The simplest way to prevent thumb sucking is by figuring out what triggers your child to suck their fingers in the first place. If you can identify that, then you can help them adapt their behavior with positive reinforcement, or prepare them for the situation ahead of time. 

Intervene 

The best way to end thumb sucking is by intervening when your child is in the act. Explain to them that thumb sucking is a bad habit, and that it needs to stop so that they can be as healthy as possible.

Take a Family Approach 

You can’t be everywhere at once, so employ the help of your family to help rid your child of the bad habit. Make sure everyone is using the same language and intervention technique so that your child has a consistent understanding of why they need to break the habit.

Divert their Attention 

Diversion is another great method to overcome thumb sucking. If you catch your child sucking their finger, try diverting their attention with their favorite stuffed animal or toy, something that involves their attention and hands, to get them to quit right then and there.

Cover their Thumbs 

You can also make their thumbs less appetizing by wrapping them with Band-Aids, or cloth. This surprisingly simple method works well, and incentivizes children to get their uncovered thumbs back as soon as possible.

Visit Our Office 

Thumb sucking is a bad oral habit that can be fixed with proper knowledge and healthy habits. Schedule an appointment with our office so we can teach your child about the benefits of a healthy smile, and how they can work on one through healthy brushing and flossing, and a mouth-healthy diet. 

How Dental Crown Help Children’s Teeth

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In a perfect world teeth would never need maintenance, and every smile would be healthy and bright. But, life isn’t perfect, and teeth sustain a lot of wear over time. Luckily, dental crowns are a fantastic way to combat a number of tooth ailments and improve overall oral health.

Dental Crowns Alleviate Multiple Problems 

Dental crowns are incredibly versatile tools that aid smiles in many ways. They are used to prevent weak teeth from fracturing, as tooth replacements, or to cover a root canal or dental implant. Dental crowns also help maintain proper teeth spacing, and aids in maintaining a proper bite alignment.

The Different Types of Dental Crowns 

Dental crowns can be made out of a gold alloy, stainless steel, all-porcelain or all-ceramic, composite resin, zirconia, or porcelain on the outside fused to metal or zirconia on the inside. Each type of dental crown works, and it’s up to the patient to work with our dentist to decide what works best for your child’s needs.

Do Dental Crowns Hurt? 

Dental crowns are meant to function painlessly as a natural tooth. The procedure to place a dental crown is done with a numbing agent applied to the nearby gums. This allows for less painful procedure. Tooth sensitivity and light pressure can last for 1 to 2 days after getting a new crown.

How Long do Dental Crowns Last? 

Typically, dental crowns last between 5 and 15 years. But, the lifetime of a dental crown depends upon the material it is made of. Porcelain crowns are durable, but not unbreakable, and can crack or chip when patients grind their teeth. Other bad oral habits liking chewing fingernails, chewing on ice, or using teeth as tools to rip and tear can crack and damage dental crowns.

If your child has dental crowns, then try to teach them about good oral health habits that keep their crowns intact. If they grind their teeth, consider getting them a nighttime retainer that protects teeth from the stress of grinding and clenching. 

Dental Crowns Need Maintenance 

Children and teens with crowns and fillings can develop cavities near the device if it becomes old, or worn out. Over time, dental crowns can weaken and develop rough edges. This allows plaque to flourish in a hard-to-reach area, and can quickly result in a cavity. If your child has dental crowns, be sure that they regularly see their dentist to ensure that the crown is monitored and in working order.

Schedule an Appointment with Our Office 

A broken tooth is a serious dental problem that needs to be treated by a team of dental professionals. Our office will be able to treat your child, and inform you on how to avoid an oral emergency in the future. Schedule an appointment today to help your child get a healthy smile that is pain-free.

How Parents can Prepare for Common Dental Emergencies

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Life can’t be completely mapped out, but parents can take some practical steps to prepare for some common dental emergencies.

Fractured Tooth

Kids play rough, and their teeth sometimes bear the brunt of their actions. If your child fractures a tooth, then gather what fragments and store them in a clean container of cool water, saliva, or milk. It is important that you visit the dentist immediately to prevent infection and other complications that are brought on by chipped teeth. Your dentist will be able to repair your child’s tooth, or fix it with a crown.

How to Prepare: 

A large amount of fractured teeth are sustained as the result of a sports injury. If your child plays contact sports, be sure they wear a mouth guard that protects their teeth.

Knocked Out Permanent Tooth

If possible, find the tooth. Handle the tooth by the crown, and be careful not to touch the root portion. You may rinse the tooth but DO NOT clean or handle the tooth excessively. Inspect the tooth for fractures. If it is sound, try to reinsert it in its socket. Hold the tooth in place by gently biting on a gauze or clean cloth. If you cannot reinsert the tooth, place the tooth in a cup containing the saliva of the person that lost it, or use milk, but NOT water. The tooth may also be carried in the mouth beside the cheek. The person who lost their tooth must see a dentist IMMEDIATELY! Time is a critical factor in saving the tooth.

Ongoing Toothache

If your child has a toothache, then have them rinse their mouth with warm water to ease the pain. Persistent toothaches can indicate more serious problems that need to be observed by a dental professional. If the pain persists for more than 48 hours, then see your dentist as soon as you can. 

How to Prepare: 

Toothaches are often the result of neglecting a proper oral health routine. Be sure that your child drinks plenty of water, and brushes for two minutes at a time, twice per day. They should also floss once daily, and clean the area below the gum line.

Visit Out Dental Office 

If your child has lost their teeth from serious accidents like a head injury or broken jaw, then visit the hospital before you see the dentist. It’s absolutely imperative that you care for the more serious injury first. However, if their oral emergency is not immediately threatening their overall well-being, then call our office. We are equipped to deal with a litany of oral emergencies and will be able to help get your child’s smile back in working order.

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