Tag: Cavities

Children and Starbucks – What Should Parents Do?

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Starbucks is one of the most popular spots for young adults to gather and hang out, and enjoy coffee with friends.  But, a lot of the drinks on Starbucks’ menu are terrible for teeth. So, what should parents do?

The Problem: Way Too Much Sugar 

Sugar feeds the harmful bacteria on teeth, and creates acid that erodes enamel. This causes plaque and ultimately cavities, which is why you should limit the number of sugary foods and drinks your child consumes. Unfortunately, most of your kid’s favorite drinks from Starbucks are absolutely LOADED with sugar.

The American Heart Association recommends children limit their daily sugar intake to less than 26 grams per day, and adults should have less than 36 grams per day. Unfortunately, most of the items on Starbucks’ menu far exceed 30 grams of sugar – even if the drink is a “small” (tall) on the menu.

What about the Kids Menu? 

Starbucks has a kid’s menu that features drinks with less sugar and caffeine than their other beverages. But, don’t be fooled: each drink contains at least 25 grams of sugar, and the steamed apple juice has a whopping 50 grams of sugar. If you choose to get your child a beverage from Starbucks, go with a hot, decaffeinated tea and a little bit of honey.

The Worst Offenders:

1 – ANY Frappuccino 

One of the most popular drinks aimed at kids, Frappuccinos are absolutely loaded with sugar, each of which contains AT LEAST 50 grams of sugar per drink. Frappuccinos come in a variety of flavors, but each of them contains far more sugar than your child needs to consume in one day.

2 – Iced White Chocolate Mocha 

Another iced drink, the Iced White Chocolate Mocha contains 54 grams of sugar per drink, which is far too much sugar for one drink to contain. That’s because white chocolate is made with vanilla, and sweetened with sugar when it’s processed. 

3 – Cinnamon Dolce Crème 

Here’s an item from the kid’s menu that is terrible for teeth. The Cinnamon Dolce Crème doesn’t have caffeine, but it is loaded with sugar at 28 grams of sugar in a tall drink, and 37 grams in a grande.

Make Starbucks a Special Treat 

It can be easier for parents to justify getting a black cup of coffee everyday from Starbucks, but most of the drinks intended for children are loaded with sugar, and should be seen more like milkshakes and less like coffee. Since their favorite drinks are like milkshakes, then treat them that way and limit the number of drinks they purchase from Starbucks to once per week. If your child regularly enjoys beverages that are loaded with sugar, then they are more susceptible to cavities and their overall health can suffer.  

3 of the Worst Cavity Causing Activities

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Cavities are the most prevalent disease affecting children in the United States, but cavities are nearly 100% preventable. Here are some of the worst activities for teeth that can lead to cavities.

1 – Not Brushing Twice Per Day 

Avoiding cavities begins with proper, routine oral care. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry advises that everyone brushes their teeth twice per day, for two minutes each session. By brushing for the proper amount of time, you help ensure that your child is cleaning all of the bad bacteria off of their teeth and preventing cavities. Be sure that they brush the entire surface of their teeth, including the backs of teeth – which is often neglected. 

2 – Too Much Sugar 

We all know that too much sugar can cause tooth decay. But how does it work? When you consume sugar, bad bacteria in your mouth feeds off of it and create acids that destroy tooth enamel. Try limiting the amount of sugar your child eats to keep their enamel strong and prevent cavities. Additionally, reduce the amount of starchy carbs that they consume (like bread and chips) to keep teeth strong. When left in the mouth for too long, starchy carbs eventually turn into sugar and fuel bad bacteria.

A good place to start cutting back on sugar intake is in the beverages that your child enjoys. Try to avoid fruit juice, sports drinks and colas, which all contain a high amount of sugar.

3 – Not Enough Water 

Did you know that fruit juices contain about as much sugar as a bottle of cola? If your child is drinking too much fruit juice – or anything other than water – then it is providing sugary fuel that cavities need to thrive.

Water is one of the best things for a healthy mouth. Did you know that saliva is 99% water, or that saliva is critical in the fight against cavities? This makes it imperative that your child drinks plenty of water so that they can keep their enamel strong, and stay cavity-free. By drinking enough water, your child can avoid dry mouth and ensure that their saliva is produced at an optimal rate. 

Fight Cavities with Proper Dental Care 

Your child should visit our dental office once every six months for a routine checkup. This checkup allows us to get ahead of any oral health issues that may be occurring, and helps them maintain a healthier smile that lasts a lifetime.

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. 

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.

Here’s How Preventing Cavities can Save Your Child’s Life

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Cavities are the most common disease afflicting children today, and they’re almost completely preventable. But, did you know that cavities affect other diseases as well? Here’s how cavities and tooth decay are linked to other common ailments.

Tooth Decay Can Lead to Infection – Or Worse

Severe cavities and tooth decay are major causes of tooth loss, which makes you more prone to infection. In severe cases, gum disease can cause lung infections or even pneumonia. Additionally, cavities and infected teeth are riddled with unhealthy bacteria. If left untreated, a tooth infection can cause a deeper infection in the pulp tissue, which is painful and costly to treat. This may result in a hospital trip or a medical emergency.

Cavities Can Complicate Diabetes

Cavities and gum disease can cause blood sugar to rise, and make it difficult to manage diabetes. Further research has shown that improving oral habits and treating gum disease can help improve blood sugar control, and decrease the progression of the disease. If your child has diabetes, be sure that they are in a regular oral health routine, and that your pediatric dentist is aware of their condition.

Cavities Can Increase Risk of Heart Disease

Many studies have pointed out that plaque buildup can increase the odds of contracting heart disease and stroke. Bacteria that cause oral disease and cavities can release toxins that travel through the bloodstream and help to form fatty plaques in the arteries. This can greatly increase someone’s chances of heart disease.

Cavities are Almost Completely Preventable 

You can help your child prevent cavities through brushing twice per day for 2 minutes at a time, and flossing once every day. Additionally, avoid serving your children sugary drinks, or too many starchy foods, since both have excessive sugar that feeds the bacteria that can cause cavities. Also, be sure your child is drinking plenty of water, which naturally cleans teeth by rinsing away food debris.

Visit Our Office

Tooth decay is painful and can affect the overall health of developing mouths, which is why early treatment is the best way to handle cavities – and that’s where we come in! Our dental practice specializes in treating children and oral health ailments specific to young mouths. Schedule an appointment with our office today so that we can evaluate the state of your child’s oral health, and provide a treatment plan that works for them.  

Stop! That Healthy Snack May Ruin Your Child’s Teeth.

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As a parent, you’re always trying to gain a leg up on creating a healthy lifestyle for your child, and one of the best ways to help is by giving them a more nutritious diet. Whether it’s snacking on granola bars, or choosing fruit instead of potato chips, there are endless dietary actions that you can take to improve your child’s health. But, before you overhaul their diet, did you know that some foods that are marketed as healthy are actually terrible for teeth?

Granola

Granola is typically advertised as a healthier alternative to cereal that people can add into their milk or yogurt for an added dietary benefit. But here’s what they’re not advertising: granola typically contains high amounts of sugar and fat. The added sugar can lead to tooth decay, and the high density of calories can leave your child hungry and cause them to overeat.

If you do choose granola, compare the nutritional values of your options and choose the one with the highest fiber content, and lowest amount of sugar.

Trail Mix

A fantastic substitute for unhealthy snack foods is trail mix. But, be careful! If you decide to serve your child trail mix, look out for unhealthy ingredients that can add unhealthy amounts of sugar and fat to their plate. Try to avoid trail mix that has chocolate, dried fruit, and candy. Look for mixes that are unflavored and don’t contain any added sweets.

Dried Fruit

Fruit is always great, right? Wrong! Dried fruit is a food that you should avoid if you’re trying to improve your child’s oral health. Dried fruit contains much higher levels of sugar than their natural counterparts, and none of the water that helps make fruit so healthy. Let’s use prunes as an example. Prunes are just dried plums, except just one cup of prunes contains more than 400 calories and 45 grams of sugar. However, one plum contains just 75 calories and 16 grams of sugar. The bottom line is that you should choose fresh fruit and not dried fruit.

Smoothies

Smoothies can be a fantastic way to get the nutritional benefits of fruit, and the added mouth-healthy rewards of nonfat Greek yogurt. However, if made improperly, smoothies can be packed with sugar and calories. When making (or buying) a smoothie, make sure to limit using fruit high in sugar. Try to avoid figs, grapes, mangoes, pomegranates and cherries, since these fruits have very high amounts of sugar.

“Nutritional” Water

Often marketed as a healthy way to recover from a workout, nutritional or “enhanced” water is not good for you at all. In fact, one 20-ounce bottle of Vitamin Water contains more sugar than the recommended daily amount for adults. Nutritional water may taste good, but there’s simply too much sugar in them to be considered healthy. Our advice is to serve your child normal water, which contains no calories or sugar.

Citrus Fruits

Fruit can be great for improving health, but it can sometimes damage teeth. Citric fruits like oranges, grapefruits, lemon and tangerines have a high amount of acid in them which can lead to tooth enamel erosion. If you serve your child citrus fruits, rinse their mouth out with water after they’re done eating to wash the acid away, and help prevent cavities from forming.

Does Your Child Have a Healthy Diet?

Our office helps parents teach their children about earning a healthy smile, and keeping it long after they leave our office. A mouth-healthy diet is an important part of maintaining optimal oral health. If you’re concerned about how your child’s diet may be affecting their teeth, then bring them into our office. We will evaluate their smiles and offer a variety of treatment options that fit their case. We can also give you tips on eating for better oral health, and point out food that can lead to tooth decay.

How to Prevent Childhood Cavities

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It’s never too early to begin a healthy oral care routine. In fact, you should begin caring for your child’s gums long before their first tooth emerges, which is usually around the six-month mark of their life. Healthy gums are an important predicator of healthy teeth, and maintaining clean gums will help ensure that your child has healthy, cavity-free baby teeth. But how can you keep your infant’s mouth clean? Below are some tips that will you keep your new child’s mouth clean, and set them up for a healthy smile later in life.

Avoid Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Baby bottle tooth decay is one of the most common ailments that young children encounter. It usually occurs when infants drink milk or other sugary beverages in their bottle without cleaning their mouths afterwards. You can avoid baby bottle tooth decay by giving your child water after they’ve had milk, and by limiting or eliminating sugary beverages in their bottles. If your child requires a bedtime bottle, then make sure that it is filled with only water so that you’re not exposing their teeth to sugar for long periods.

Use a Washcloth

You can clean your infant’s gums – or their first teeth – by simply using a cold, clean wash cloth. Simply rinse a clean, soft wash cloth with cool water and wring it out. After your child has finished eating, or drinking a sugary drink, use the damp wash cloth to gently wipe out their mouth. This will remove any sugar or acid that’s left by their food, and help prevent early cavities.

Find the Right toothbrush

Once your child has a few more baby teeth – usually between 8 and 12 months – then you can graduate from a wash cloth to a toothbrush designed for toddlers. There are a lot of toothbrushes designed for babies and toddlers from which to choose. Generally speaking, toothbrushes designed for babies have much softer bristles and a smaller head than those meant for older children.

After finding the right toothbrush, begin brushing your child’s teeth and gums twice per day. Make sure to be extra gentle, since their teeth and gums are still developing and are quite sensitive. Use toothpaste with fluoride that is made for very young children, and not as spicy as adult’s toothpaste. Use only a smear of toothpaste – about the size of a grain of rice – to bruish their teeth. When they’ve gotten older and have more teeth, use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. Always be sure to rinse their mouth out with cool water after you’re done brushing, and try to keep them from swallowing any toothpaste.

Visit Our Office

If you’ve just had a baby, and are unsure about how to properly care for their mouth, then visit our office. The American Association of Pediatric Dentists advises new parents that their child should establish a dental home by their first birthday. By doing so, you can help your child avoid cavities, and become more comfortable visiting the dentist as they age. Our office is designed to cater to children, and create a relaxing and unintimidating atmosphere which they look forward to visiting.

Are Your Children’s Drinks Harming Their Teeth?

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The average American consumes 22 grams of sugar per day, which is double the recommended daily amount. All of that sugar does considerable damage to tooth enamel and can lead to cavities and other oral issues. Some of the beverages we consume are surprisingly high in sugar. Below are some of the best – and worst – drinks for your teeth.

Drinks that Help Your Teeth

Water

Water – especially water with fluoride – helps strengthen and clean teeth. With every sip, water cleans your teeth by ridding them of any leftover foods or acids. It also washes away bacteria and sugars that can eventually lead to cavities. Water has zero calories, and helps restore the Ph balance in your mouth to fight unhealthy levels of acid.

Milk

Milk and other dairy products are rich in calcium, which strengthens bones and teeth. Milk also contains a protein called casein – a substance that helps fight tooth decay by strengthening tooth enamel. The calcium and phosphorous in milk also strengthen and repair tooth enamel that has dissolved due to acid.

Low Sugar Vegetable Juice

Vegetables are some of the healthiest foods you could possibly eat, so it makes sense then that vegetable juice would improve your oral health. When buying – or making – vegetable juice, make sure that you limit the percentage of fruit in the juice, since fruits are high in sugar. Typically, dark green vegetable juices are better for your teeth. Juice that has kale, or spinach contain healthy B vitamins that can help fight against gum disease. Leafy greens are also high in calcium, which boosts your enamel health.

If you want your vegetable juice to be a bit sweeter, look for juices containing small amounts of apple or carrots, as they are sweet and healthy in moderation.

Drinks that Hurt Your Teeth

Fruit Juices

Fruit juices are often chosen as an alternative to sugary sodas, but did you know that some juices have as much sugar as the leading colas? Apple juice has as much as 10 tsp. of sugar per serving, which is the exact amount as the leading brand cola. The sugar and citric acids in fruit juice can lead to tooth decay. If you must drink juice, you can lower the sugar by cutting it with water. Alternatively, you can look for low sugar juice options as well.

Sports Drinks

Sports drinks can also contain more sugar than leading cola beverages, with as much as 19 grams of sugar per serving. Additionally, sports drinks contain an unhealthy amount of sodium (salt) which can be as much as a bag of potato chips per bottle. Sports drinks can eat away at tooth enamel, and can contain very unhealthy amounts of calories.

Colas

The gold standard of “terrible for teeth” are soft drinks. Sodas are awful for teeth because they are high in two of the worst things for teeth: sugar and acid. There are some sodas that contain more than the total recommended amount of daily sugar in one 20 oz. bottle! The high sugar and acid content can eat away the enamel that protects your teeth, and can lead to cavities. Consuming too much soda can cause irreparable harm to your body in the form of diabetes and other diseases. Your best bet is to stay away from sodas all together to avoid exposing your teeth to unhealthy levels of sugar and acid.

How to Help Reduce Negative Effects

If your child does drink sugary beverages, then they can help curb some of the negative effects by swishing water around in their mouth once they’re finished. Additionally, they should brush their teeth twice per day for two minutes at a time and floss once per day to remove debris between their teeth.

Visit Our Office

If you are worried that your child is drinking too much soda, or if they are beginning to complain of sensitive teeth that may be related to consuming too many sugary drinks, then visit our office. We will evaluate your child’s smile and determine a treatment plan that’s best.

Easy Ideas to Motivate Your Kids to Brush

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It can be difficult for all of us to do something that we’re simply not in the mood for.  This is especially true for children, whether it’s bed-time or bath-time.  Maintaining good oral hygiene can be a challenge as well, so here are a few tips for motivating your children to keep their teeth healthy:

Let kids pick their own toothbrush.

One of the easiest ways to make brushing fun is to indulge your kids with a themed toothbrush. You can find tooth brushing gear with everything from Sponge Bob to Finding Nemo and even comic book characters and superheroes. Always pick one with soft bristles and with a brush size that is appropriate for their mouth and age.   Giving your child an opportunity to choose her own toothbrush empowers her to be an active part of maintaining positive dental habits.

Use a kid-friendly toothpaste.

There are a lot of flavored toothpastes  on the market that can help to make tooth brushing less “icky” for kids who don’t like the strong mint or cinnamon flavor of adult toothpastes.  This is another opportunity to involve your children by letting them choose their toothpaste flavor.  Of course, always make sure that toothpaste is approved by the ADA and carries the ADA seal.

Brush together.

Make oral hygiene a family activity. Toddlers love to imitate their parent’s behavior.  The same instinct that leads your children to play dress-up in your closet will make them want to take care of their mouth just like you do. Practicing good oral hygiene together will also give you the chance to notice any issues that your children might have with their brushing technique. It’s important that they don’t brush too hard, and that they don’t miss tricky parts of the mouth like back molars, and under the gums.  Remember to help your child brush at least once a day until they develop the fine motor skills to do a good job on their own.

Make it musical!

Music is also a great tool for any repetitive activity. Humming a favorite song together is a good way to ensure that your children are brushing their teeth long enough to thoroughly clean them. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children brush their teeth twice a day, for two minutes per session, which can seem like an eternity for a restless child. Using music makes this time pass quicker and can even serve as a way to measure how long teeth are being brushed.  Oral care is a repetitive activity that benefits greatly from a little bit of music.

Ultimately, the goal is to make oral care fun.  Just because it is a habit, doesn’t mean it also has to be a chore.  We would love to hear your ideas about how you’re making brushing fun in your home!

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