Tooth Tips Through the Years

Keeping teeth and gums healthy is an important lifetime commitment – and no, it’s not just for having a nice smile in photos. While that’s part of it, maintaining your oral health through the years helps prevent toothaches, discomforts and more serious illnesses (from tooth decay or gum disease to cardiovascular disease).

Fortunately, there are many simple ways to keep teeth health at any age. See below for some important tooth tips to follow through the years!

Baby - Toddler:

• Just because baby teeth fall out doesn’t mean they don’t need to be cared for! Baby teeth are very important for your child’s health and development — like helping them chew or speak! That’s why it’s important to clean your baby’s mouth and gums even if no teeth are visible. Once teeth come in and through age three, brush with no more than a smear of toothpaste (grain of rice).
• Avoid putting baby to bed with anything but water. Baby bottle tooth decay occurs when teeth are exposed to sugar for long periods of time (drinks like milk and juice). 
• Establish a dental home early! This helps eliminate fear of the dentist and allows us to monitor their development and spot any dental abnormalities. This visit should occur at the sight of their first tooth or by your child’s first birthday!
• Avoid sharing utensils with your child and while it may be tempting to clean off a pacifier that fell with your mouth, this should be avoided as well. Why? Because cavity causing bacteria can be passed through saliva! 

Children - Teens:

• For children ages three to six, you should supervise brushing and only give them a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. Start teaching them not to swallow the paste and to brush for two full minutes!
• Once your child has two teeth that touch, it’s time to begin flossing daily. Getting them into this habit early will help them continue this routine later in life.
• Don’t skip on fluoride treatment! Fluoride is a natural substance that helps strengthen teeth and prevent decay! We include this with every pediatric dental treatment.
• Make sure a mouthguard is part of your athlete’s uniform! A custom fit mouthguard designed by Adelberg Montalvan is the most comfortable fitting, providing optimum protection and improved performance. 

All Ages:

• Keep your nutrition in check! The first signs of poor nutrition often show up in your oral health. Choose smile saving snacks often, no matter the age.
• It’s important to maintain dental routines – from keeping up with brushing and flossing to making sure you visit the dentist every six months. Being on top of dental health should become second nature, like showering or changing clothes!

Here’s to a lifetime of healthy smiles! For more tooth tips, explore our blog or give us a call!

To continue keeping your family’s smiles bright, schedule your next appointment with us today! We specialize in caring for children’s teeth in a comfortable and welcoming environment, in three different Long Island locations. 

3 Benefits of Chewing Sugar-Free Gum

 

 

While brushing for two minutes, twice daily, and flossing regularly is still the best defense in the fight against tooth decay - you may find it surprising that one "bad habit" is also good for your teeth.

While chewing gum helps freshen breath - choosing a sugar-free gum actually yields some major tooth benefits! 

1. Prevents Cavities. Did you know that clinical studies have shown that chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes after eating can help prevent tooth decay? That’s because chewing gum increases the amount of saliva in your mouth. Saliva not only helps wash away food and debris caught between teeth, but it also helps to neutralize plaque acid.

2. Strengthens Tooth Enamel. Saliva also contains additional calcium and phosphate which helps to strengthen tooth enamel! And if you choose a sugarless gum sweetened with xylitol - an all natural sweetener derived from the fibrous parts of plants - you’ll keep your mouth a more neutral pH, which keeps tooth enamel healthy. 

3. Reduces Dry Mouth. While more common in adults, dry mouth does affect men and women of all ages. And even though there are a variety of treatments for this problem, the goal in all is almost always to increase salivary flow. One of the simplest ways to do this - as you may guess from above, is to chew sugar-free gum.  Chewing sugar-free gum causes your mouth to increase the production of saliva by 10 times the normal rate! 

Next time you purchase sugar-free gum from the store, look for those with the ADA seal on the package to guarantee it’s sugarless. 

For more tips on how to keep teeth healthy - give us a call! At Adelberg Montalvan Pediatric Dental our purpose is to provide exceptional mental and dental care that can impact your child’s life forever. Our practice has been providing excellent pediatric dentistry to children of Long Island for over 14 years. We have three locations: Nesconset, Massapequa Park, and West Islip.

Tooth Tips to Fight the Flu

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While flu season can begin as early as October, continuing well into May - now is commonly its peak time. To help in being proactive in fending off the flu, we wanted to share some tooth tips on how your family can fight the flu this year:

• Store toothbrushes upright and away from the toilet. Find a dry, open space where your toothbrush can breathe, aka not near a toilet or sink! If it’s left on the sink, dirty soapy water can find its way onto it. If it’s nearby a toilet, each time it’s flushed bacteria can become airborne and latch onto the brush - gross!
• Remember the three month rule! Toothbrushes should be tossed and replaced every three months. Old bristles hold on to bacteria and aren’t as effective in cleaning teeth. You may also choose to replace it sooner - after a cold or flu has run its course.
• Brush and floss regularly. Allowing food particles to sit in the mouth can open the door for harmful bacteria to enter the bloodstream. Now, your body will work on ridding itself of this bacteria which can tire the immune system, thus reducing its strength to fight off more serious infections such as the flu.
• No toothbrush sharing! No matter how close you are with your spouse or child, germs and illnesses can easily be transferred from toothbrush sharing. This also means keeping all brushes separated in their holders to prevent bristles from touching.

Proper oral health habits are important year round, but during cold and flu season the prove even more vital. Share this post to help others fight the flu this season!

 

If you have any questions about how to better care for your child’s oral health - give any of our offices a call. Adelberg Montalvan Pediatric Dentistry has three Long Island locations. We specialize in caring for children’s teeth in a comfortable and caring environment. Call (516) 798-1111 or visit our website to schedule an appointment. 

 

Don't forget to LIKE us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter for updates and industry news! 

Tips for Parents With School-Aged Children

 www.adelbergpediatricdental.com

 

National Children’s Dental Health Month is wrapping up but that doesn’t mean you should stop encouraging good dental habits at home. Talk with your children about the importance of consistent brushing and flossing and avoiding sticky and sugary treats to keep Mouth Monsters at bay.

Below are some important tips from the AAPD for all school aged children:

• Parents should supervise the brushing for all school-aged children until they are 7 or 8 years old.
• As soon as teeth are touching, it’s time to start flossing!
• In addition to a consistent brushing and flossing routine, chewing gum with xylitol (a non-sugar naturally occurring substance) can help stimulate saliva flow to help clean the mouth!
• If your child is participating in physical activities, protect their teeth with a mouthguard.
• Avoid carbonated beverages as they can erode enamel on teeth and sports drinks/juices as they keep acid levels high - which is what Mouth Monsters like.

For more tips and information for newborns - 5 years old - download AAPD’s tip sheet here »

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s dental health, give any of our three locations a call. We specialize in caring for children’s teeth in a comfortable and caring environment. Call (516) 798-1111 or visit our website to schedule an appointment. Don't forget to LIKE us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter for updates and industry news.