Tag: oral health

Our Favorite Holiday Gifts for Healthy Teeth

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Your children have probably made their winter holiday wish list very well known to you, but they probably haven’t asked for gifts that can improve their oral health. With that in mind, here are our favorite holiday gifts for healthy teeth. 

An Electric Toothbrush 

Electric toothbrushes are handy tools for teeth of all ages, and can make brushing fun for young children. Most electric toothbrushes also feature timers, which can help ensure that children brush for the recommended two minutes per session. Additionally, many electric toothbrushes feature a pressure sensor that helps kids limit how hard they are brushing to prevent upsetting or damaging their gums. An electric toothbrush is an excellent Christmas gift for young brushers that can help take their brushing to the next level. 

A Mouth Guard for Spring Sports 

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. Mouth guards come in all shapes and sizes, so visit our office and ask which type of mouth guard works best for your young athlete. Mouth guards make great stocking stuffers, and most are adequate for any sport your child can play. 

Oral Health Travel Kit 

Is your family traveling this winter holiday? If so, it’s important to prepare your family with individual oral health travel kits. A travel-sized mouth care kit will encourage your children to keep taking care of their teeth while away from home and the familiarity of their bathroom. We suggest buying a small toothpaste, mouthwash, and floss for each family member on the trip. You can pack your dental travel kit on top of your clothes so that it’s the first thing you see when you get to your destination. We also suggest making sure you make time for your family to take care of their teeth while on vacation.

Fun Oral Health Book For Kids:  What to Expect When You Go to the Dentist 

A lot of children experience quite a bit of anxiety when they first visit the dentist, and this book seeks to help with that. “What to Expect When You Go to the Dentist” teaches children about the dentist’s job, and helps children overcome their fear of visiting the dentist. This book does a great job of explaining dental tools, and the importance of regular dental checkups, and makes for an excellent Christmas gift or stocking stuffer.

Visit Our Office This Holiday Break 

The winter holiday break is a great time to schedule your child for a routine checkup in our office. Visiting our office during the holidays is a great way to get their appointment in without interfering during their busy school schedule.  

Here’s How to Care for Retainers and Braces

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Oral appliances are vital tools in helping someone get a healthy smile. It’s important, then, that someone wearing an oral appliance cares for it properly to ensure its long-term effectiveness. Here’s how to care for two of the most popular oral appliances – braces and retainers.

Caring for a Retainer 

Retainer care is all about keeping it bacteria-free, and in good shape so that teeth can go to their intended destination. 

You can clean your retainer with a gentle, unscented hand soap and warm water. Or, you can use a non-abrasive toothpaste to gently scrub your retainer to clean it. Usually, whitening toothpastes have abrasives, so stay away from those when cleaning your retainer. Be sure to thoroughly rinse your retainer with cool water after scrubbing it. And NEVER use soap with bleach or bleaching agents on your retainer. 

Use a Separate Toothbrush 

When cleaning your retainer, use a clean toothbrush that you don’t use on your teeth. This helps ensure that your appliance gets as clean as possible, and keeps it bacteria-free.

Don’t Use Mouthwash or Boil Your Retainer 

Never rinse your mouth with mouthwash while wearing your retainer or oral appliance, nor should you attempt to clean your retainer with mouthwash. Mouthwash, particularly flavored mouthwash that is colored, can stain and weaken oral appliances and retainers. Additionally, never boil your retainer to clean it, which can alter its shape and render it useless, which will cost you time and money to replace. 

After cleaning your retainer, store it in its case or in a clean glass of water overnight. 

Caring for Braces 

Braces are meant to be clean and free of food-debris so that teeth can remain healthy while the braces are worn. Food buildup can expose teeth to acid assaults that destroy tooth enamel and lead to cavities. The best way to keep braces clean is by brushing after each major meal per day for two minutes at a time. By keeping braces clean and free of debris, you can protect the surface and health of your teeth, and keep your brackets and wires in working order.

Try using braces-specific cleaning tools like Waterpiks and floss-threaders, which help flossing around brackets, and getting food debris out from the hard-to-reach areas.

ALWAYS Avoid Oral Piercings 

Oral piercings are popular among teenagers, and are surprisingly common with people that wear oral appliances. Surveys of adolescents and young adults (age 13 – 29) report that 25% to 35% have a body piercing at a site other than the ear lobe. Oral piercings are mostly made of metal, and they can do real damage to oral appliances like braces or retainers. An oral piercing of any sort can dislodge wires, break brackets and get caught in an appliance, which can lead to bleeding. If you have an oral appliance, we advise you to stay away from any oral piercing until it is removed.

Ask Us!

If you’re concerned about how to care for your oral appliance, or your child’s oral appliance, then visit our office. We can offer tips on how to keep your appliance in working order, and save you money on potential costly repairs.  

The Worst Thanksgiving Dishes for Teeth

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Thanksgiving is all about food and family, but some classic Thanksgiving dishes are absolutely terrible for teeth.  

Stuffing

Stuffing is a Thanksgiving classic that can really harm teeth. That’s because most stuffing recipes revolve around bread. Starches like bread provide cavity-causing bacteria the energy they need to chip away at tooth enamel. Additionally, starches can be very sticky and stay on teeth long after a meal has finished, and cause further damage. The high amount of starch sadly makes stuffing unhealthy for teeth. Combined with the fact that stuffing is full of carbohydrates and lacks dense nutritional value, and you begin running out of reasons to eat it. 

Try getting your stuffing fix by making a tooth-healthy breadless stuffing that uses beans instead of bread as a base! Beans are full of protein and fiber, which makes it a much healthier replacement for bread in stuffing recipes.  

Fruit Cake

A seasonal favorite that appears on tables between Thanksgiving and Christmas, fruitcake sounds like it would be a healthy treat, the word “fruit” is right in the name after all! Unfortunately, fruitcake is full of dried fruit, which can really damage teeth. Dried fruit contains much higher levels of sugar than their natural counterparts, and none of the water that helps make fruit so healthy. Dried fruit is also very sticky, and can stay on teeth longer after a meal in done. The sugar and the sticky consistency make fruitcake a no-no for healthy teeth. If you are looking for an alternative, you can make a fresh fruit crumble, which has much less sugar and isn’t nearly as sticky.  

Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is a Thanksgiving staple in many households, and seldom appears on dinner tables outside of turkey day. Despite its tart deliciousness, cranberry sauce is packed with sugar and offers little nutritional value at all. In fact, one of the most popular choices for cranberry sauce –canned cranberry sauce – has 121 grams of sugar per can, and no protein or fiber at all. All of that sugar provides nourishment and energy to bad oral bacteria that cause cavities.  

As an alternative, try finding a recipe that calls for fresh cranberries, so that you can control the amount of sugar your family consumes this holiday season. 

But, What about the Turkey?

Believe it or not, that Thanksgiving turkey is actually a dental super food! Turkey contains high amounts of phosphorous, which helps bones and teeth absorb calcium and vitamin D that makes them stronger and more resilient. Turkey is also high in B vitamins, which helps keep cavities away. People with inadequate vitamin B-12 are at a greater risk of contracting more cavities than those with normal level of vitamin B-12. 

Be Sure to Brush

The best way to avoid cavities in any season is to maintain a healthy oral routine by brushing twice per day for two minutes at a time, and flossing once daily. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and try to eat mouth healthy fruits and vegetables that clean teeth as they’re being chewed.  

The Top-5 Scariest Teeth in the Animal Kingdom!

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Teeth are pretty incredible, and in the animal kingdom, teeth can be pretty terrifying! Here’s our list of the scariest teeth found in the wild.

5 – Great White Sharks


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The Great White Shark is the largest predatory fish on earth, and it wields a lot of impressive teeth. Great White Sharks have around 3,000 teeth in their mouth at one time in multiple rows on their jaws. If a tooth is lost, another one simply slides forward to replace it, and they grow a new one. These fascinating sharks are constantly growing teeth, and the Great White will go through around 30,000 teeth in its lifetime! 

4 – Hippopotamus 

Did you know that Hippopotamuses have the largest teeth of any land animal? Their front incisors can grow to be 1.2 feet in length, and their canines can get to be 1.5 feet!

3 – Saltwater Crocodiles 

Which animal has the strongest bite force in the world? That title belongs to the Saltwater Crocodile, which has a bite force of 3,700 pounds per square inch! By comparison, humans can only generate a bite force of around 150 – 200 pounds per square inch.

2 – Babirusa 

Have you ever seen a saber-toothed pig? Well, now you have. The Babirusa is a hog with a dental problem, and has two very large canine teeth that can grow up to 8 inches long and even grow through their skin! The Babirusa’s canine teeth never stop growing, and their top canines can grow and curl back onto themselves.

1 – Payara 


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The Payara fish is nicknamed the “Vampire Fish,” and earned the nickname with its incredible teeth. The Payara has two large fangs that grow from its lower jaw and go INTO the upper jaw and head of the fish. There are two negative spaces in the fish’s head where these 6-inch fangs rest when they aren’t being utilized by this carnivorous fish. 

Keep Teeth Clean! 

Did you know that animals have ways that they keep their teeth clean? Oral health routines shouldn’t be a wild concept to your family, though. Be sure that your family brushes their teeth twice per day for two minutes at a time and flosses once per day.

These Halloween Candies Can Destroy Teeth

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Halloween is an awesome time for families to dress up like their favorite superheroes and explore their neighborhoods together, searching for candy. However, candy contains a lot of sugar and is really unhealthy for teeth. But, among the bad candy, a few Halloween classic candies stand out as truly bad for teeth.

Circus Peanuts 

How can a candy named “Circus Peanuts” contain zero actual nuts? Regardless of the lack of nuts, Circus Peanuts are a marshmallow candy that is made almost entirely of sugar. It comes in a bright orange shaped peanut, and is textured like a marshmallow. Circus Peanuts are a sticky candy, and that’s terrible news for teeth. Sticky candy is difficult to remove from teeth, and gives bad bacteria more time to eat away tooth enamel and cause cavities.

Atomic Fireballs 

This spicy Halloween favorite is a staple in many candy bowls nationwide, but Atomic Fireballs can harm teeth. Atomic Fireballs are basically spicy jawbreakers, which is a very hard candy. Hard candy comes in nearly every flavor and size imaginable, but chewing hard candy can lead to a cracked tooth. Hard candy also tends to stick around longer than other candy, which exposes teeth to sugar for longer. Extended contact with sugar can lead to more cavities because sugar provides bad bacteria with the energy it needs to destroy enamel.

Candy Corn 

This may be a bummer for a lot of Halloween fans, but Candy Corn is actually awful for teeth, and it’s largely due to one ingredient: confectioner’s wax, which is basically waxy sugar. The waxy consistency of confectioners wax makes it difficult for saliva to break down, and also causes it to stick to teeth. As specified above, sugar that sticks to teeth gives cavities the nutrition they need to thrive and worsen.

Avoid the Candy Binge this Halloween 

Do your best to limit the amount of candy your child has per day, and be sure that they rinse their mouth out with water, or brush and floss after eating candy to thoroughly remove any sugar or candy particles left behind on their teeth. 

If your child begins experiencing tooth pain this Halloween, then schedule an appointment with our office. Have a happy and safe Halloween, and don’t forget to brush! 

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. 

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