How to Throw a Tooth-Friendly Memorial Day BBQ

Are you planning on grilling up your favorite foods this weekend? You’re far from alone!

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kickoff to summer — and many families will be spending time BBQing with loved ones. If you plan on turning on the grill this weekend, here are a few tips to help you celebrate a tooth-friendly Memorial Day.

Tooth-Friendly BBQ Tips:

• Throw Veggies on the Grill - In addition to grilling up hamburgers and hot dogs, throw some veggies on the grill! Crunchy vegetables are a great way to stay healthy — and they taste delicious, too!
• Put Together a Cheese Platter - Add some extra calcium into your diet with a cheese platter! Calcium is a great way for both children and adults to grow strong teeth.
• Create a Red, White & Blue Parfait - Instead of indulging in sweets, put together a red, white and blue parfait with your favorite fruits (raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, blueberries, etc.) and yogurt. This dessert is healthy and high in calcium.
• Drink Plenty of Water - Make sure that you stay hydrated, especially if it’s going to be a hot day. Water will also help wash away harmful bacteria and keep your teeth clean after indulging in any BBQ foods.

From all of us here at Adelberg Montalvan Pediatric Dental, we hope you have a safe and enjoyable tooth-friendly Memorial Day weekend!

If you have any questions about how to improve your child's oral health please give our offices a call. We specialize in caring for children’s teeth in a comfortable and caring environment, with four convenient Long Island locations!

Family Fun Memorial Day Weekend Events on LI: 2019 Edition

Memorial Day Weekend is just about here and there’s no better place to kick off the start of the summer season than Long Island!

Looking for things to do? We’ve rounded up some fun events for the whole family, all weekend long:

Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach State Park
(~15 minutes from our Massapequa Park location)
Memorial Day Weekend on Long Island isn’t complete without our iconic air show! Get there early, bring lots of sunscreen and join the rest of LI in seeing the amazing United States Air Force Thunderbirds!

Brookhaven Fair
(~20 minutes from our Nesconset location)
Attend the 18th annual Brookhaven Fair for a huge carnival midway, delicious food, games, and live entertainment and brand new shows all weekend long!

Decoration Day at Old Bethpage
(~16 minutes from our Huntington Station location)
Travel back in time at Old Bethpage Village Restoration. Decoration Day will feature a remembrance ceremony, historic craft demonstrations, brass band concerts and a ceremony & parade at 2:15 pm both Saturday and Sunday.

Eisenhower Park Memorial Weekend Carnival
(~20 minutes from our Massapequa Park location)
For a fun day of rides, music, delicious food and live entertainment, Eisenhower Park’s Memorial Weekend Carnival is the perfect place to be!

Mosaic Street Painting Festival
(~35 minutes from our Nesconset location)
Come for the gourmet food trucks, stay for the entertainment! Families can check out street-painting, face painting, and more children’s activities. Price: $20 per square (includes materials), free for spectators.

From all of us at Adelberg Montalvan, have a happy Memorial Day!

Adelberg Montalvan specializes in caring for children’s teeth in a comfortable and welcoming environment, in four different Long Island locations: Massapequa Park, Nesconset, West Islip and Huntington Station. If you are in need of a local pediatric dentist and/or orthodontist, look no further! Contact us today to learn more.

Oral Health Tips For Children With Autism

For children with autism, caring for teeth can be challenging. The sensation of brushing, opening their mouth, or laying back in a dental chair may feel uncomfortable. Every child is different! Fortunately, there are ways to make the experience less stressful. In honor of Autism Awareness Month, here are a few tips to help children with autism care for their teeth.

Oral Health Tips:

1. Choose the Right Toothbrush - Choose a toothbrush that is the right size for your child’s mouth — and make sure that the bristles are soft. This will minimize discomfort.
2. Teach Them to “Open Wide” - Get your child used to the sensation of opening their mouth wide for brushing or for dental visits.
3. Show Them How to Brush - Stand behind your child with their head on your chest. Then, you can guide the brush as if you were brushing your own teeth. If your child is uncomfortable doing this in the bathroom, try brushing their teeth on the couch or bed — wherever they feel the most comfortable.
4. Introduce Flossing - Again, place your child’s head on your chest and floss as if it were your own teeth.
5. Use a Timer - For some children, using a timer can help make tooth brushing simple, as they can see when the task will be over.
6. Use Visual Supports - If your child benefits from visual supports and schedules, take photographs of the steps on how to brush your teeth. Print them and create a visual for your child. You can also create a schedule that they can check off after the activities occur.
7. Reward Them For a Job Well Done - If your child benefits from verbal praise — reward them after each step! 

And in honor of Autism Awareness Month, we’re proud to team up with Nassau/Suffolk Autism Society of America- NSASA again to support their incredible efforts in the Autism Community here on Long Island.

For a donation of $1 or more, we ask you to sign your name in a heart and we will display these hearts within our locations during the month of April. Our offices will also be MATCHING donations!!

AND for every new Google or Yelp review as well as Facebook Page Like on our main page (Adelberg & Montalvan Pediatric Dental and Orthodontics), we will also donate $1 to NSASA. All donations will go toward social and recreational events for individuals with autism on Long Island!

Give any of our four locations a call with any questions or for more information.

And if you are in need of a local pediatric dentist and/or orthodontist that treats young children with special needs, look no further! Our doctors are specially trained in providing dental health care for children with autism. Contact us today to learn more.

Spring Cleaning: 5 Things to Throw Out

Now that spring has officially sprung, where are you in your spring cleaning process? If you haven’t yet started, don’t worry — there is still plenty of time!

Remember, when it comes to spring cleaning you’ll want to start small. Dedicate your energy to one room or space at a time — it’s always easier to tackle smaller tasks than an entire home in one shot.

As you start clearing the clutter, below are five items you can certainly look to toss!

1. Magazines. Do you have a stack of magazines accumulating somewhere in your home? If so, chances are you don’t need them. If you can’t remember the last time you flipped through the pages, it’s time to drop the pile off at your local recycling center.
2. Clothes. Instead of throwing out a perfectly good pair of jeans just because your child outgrew them, go the donation route. Goodwill happily accepts new or gently used items or consider scheduling a pickup with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island. Someone in need will thank you!
3. Toys. Similar to the above, if you have any gently used toys your kids no longer play with — donate them! However, if you have broken toys or games with missing pieces, it may be time to retire them completely.
4. Expired Items. From food to medicine, check expiration dates and toss anything that cannot be used. From there be sure to take inventory of missing items and add them to your next shopping list.
5. Old Toothbrushes. We’ve hit the three month mark! If you replaced your toothbrush this New Year, now is the time to change it (again). Remember, old bristles hold on to bacteria and aren’t as effective in cleaning teeth.
   

Instead of just throwing out your old toothbrush, repurpose it! They make a great cleaning tool! Save a toothbrush to use for cleaning your delicate jewelry and another for cleaning those hard to reach spots in the bathroom.

How do you repurpose old toothbrushes? Share with us on our Facebook Page!

Adelberg Montalvan specializes in caring for children’s teeth in a comfortable and welcoming environment, in four different Long Island locations: Massapequa Park, Nesconset, West Islip and Huntington Station. If you are in need of a local pediatric dentist and/or orthodontist, look no further! Contact us today to learn more.

Understanding Special Needs Dentistry

Children with special needs need oral treatment much like anyone else; however they benefit most from seeing a dentist who caters explicitly to these patients. Often, special needs kids have special dental considerations; some are very susceptible to tooth decay; others require medication or a diet that is detrimental to dental health. Still, others find brushing and flossing to be difficult.

At Adelberg Montalvan Pediatric Dental and Orthodontics, we're proud to have a team of doctors who are specially trained in providing dental care for handicapped and special healthcare needs patients! 

Special Needs Dentists

A special needs dentist is specially trained to care for their patients with unique dental and developmental considerations. We understand how your child’s teeth may be affected and do everything we can to make your visit a positive experience. By visiting the same dentist for each appointment, your child will be able to bond and feel more comfortable every time.

Special Needs Considerations

In some cases, your child may not understand why exactly they are at the dentist or why it is important to stay still during their appointment. To be sure that your child’s dental work is done correctly and safely you may need to consider restraint or sedation. Before your appointment, our doctors will discuss the different methods that can be used to guarantee your child’s comfort. At this time, you may also want to discuss any medications, dietary restrictions, and any other habits your child has that may affect their teeth.

If you're looking for a special needs dentist on Long Island, we're only a phone call away! Now with FOUR locations, we specialize in caring for children's teeth in a comfortable and caring environment. Contact us today to learn more.

Introducing the New iTero Scanner at AMPD

At Adelberg Montalvan Pediatric Dentists and Orthodontics, we consistently strive to offer the latest and greatest technologies to our patients. That’s why we’re so proud to bring you the iTero Element 2 Scanner!

Despite our best efforts, traditional impressions aren’t the most comfortable of processes. They’re gooey, unpleasant tasting, and restrict breathing and swallowing. That’s where the iTero comes in! This new scanner allows us to create a goop-free, digital impression, FAST.

Digital impressions are more comfortable and more accurate. With detailed impressions of the teeth and gums, we’re able to view 3D scans onscreen immediately. There’s also an Invisalign Outcome Simulator so we can visualize the “end” result of the Invisalign treatment.

Here’s how it works:

1. The Wand — this helps us capture detailed images inside of the mouth.
2. The Scan — you can watch along on screen, in real time.
3. The 3D Model — once the scan is finished, we’ll have a 3D model for use in planning Invisalign treatment!
4. The Invisalign Outcome Simulator — as mentioned above, we can actually view the “end” result of Invisalign treatment. Removing all guesswork from the process! 

Be sure to schedule your complimentary consultation today!

For more information on our pediatric dental services, feel free to explore our website. When it comes to your child’s treatment plan, there is no one size fits all solution. That is why at AMPD, our team is always available to explain all options and discuss all treatments with you and your child! Contact us today!

Importance of Establishing a Dental Home

As a parent, one of the most exciting events in your child’s first year of life is watching their first tiny baby tooth come in. And one of the most important things you can do for their oral health at this time is establish a dental home! 

Regular visits to the same dental office provide numerous benefits to your little one. So if you’re in the market for a dentist, here are some things you should know (and how our AMPD team can help!): 

Start With a Simple Meet and Greet

One of the first visits your child has at the office should involve more than just their oral care. At a meet and greet, your child should meet the staff, get a feel of the dental chair, and even learn a few things about the tools that we use. We’ve found that most children fear strangers more than going to the dentist, so a meet and greet will help ease their anxiety.

Create Positive Associations at an Early Age

With the meet and greet handled, we will then focus on creating positive experiences that prevent the development of new dental fears. Our state of the art equipment allows us to do things such as provide no shot treatments so that your child does not associate going to the dentist with pain or discomfort.

Read More: How To Make Dental Visits Stress Free

Know How to Handle Each New Stage

Being a parent often feels like stepping into new territory without a guide map. Fortunately, your child’s dental home is the one place you know you can go to get the answers that you need on how to care for their teeth. Are you worried about a baby tooth that seems to be growing in wrong? Or maybe you need help getting your older child to floss. We’ve got all of the answers to those questions and more, and we make sure to leave plenty of time at every appointment to get them all answered.

Work With Dentists Who Understand Special Needs

Every child is unique and deserves to enjoy a quality experience no matter what their skills or abilities may be. Your child’s dental home should include a staff of pediatric dentists who understand how to work with children who have special needs. Whether your child needs long treatments broken up into smaller appointments or requires assistance getting in and out of the chair, they benefit from having dentists who know just how to provide the right amount of help at every appointment.

Benefit From Extensive Training and Experience

Pediatric dentists enjoy going above and beyond for their patients, and they prove it by making the decision to attend two to three years of specialized education after regular dental school.

We encourage you to check out our dentist profiles to learn more about each member of our team. We have all made it our mission to pursue educational experiences that allow us to deliver top quality services to the little ones that visit our office.

Love Watching Your Child Smile

You love your child, and their smile can brighten up any room. When you establish a dental home for your child, you give them the best chances of preserving each one of those tiny teeth. You’ll also love watching your child smile as they grow, and that is reason enough to find a dental home today.

Going to the dentist can easily become the highlight of your child’s oral health care routine. We understand that choosing a dental home for your child is a serious decision. Be sure to visit our website or give us a call with your questions so that we can help you transform your child’s dental visits into a positive experience!