Tips for Parents With School-Aged Children

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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.

Adelberg Montalvan Pediatric Dental on YouTube

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Our purpose at Adelberg and Montalvan Pediatric Dental is to provide outstanding dentistry that will positively impact your child's life forever. We are proud to provide the finest oral health care in a comfortable and professional atmosphere in 3 convenient Long Island locations, in Nesconset, Massapequa Park, or West Islip.

Visit our YouTube channel for more insight into our practice and give us a call to discuss your options today! Call (516) 798-1111

Suggested Reading List for National Children’s Dental Health Month

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Help get your children excited about caring for their teeth with this suggested reading list for National Children’s Dental Health Month:

The Night Before Tooth Fairy by Natasha Wing, Barbara Johansen Newman (Illustrator)
It wiggles, and waggles, and wiggles some more, but this little boy's stubborn tooth just won't come out! He hopes it will fall out soon, because he can't wait to meet the Tooth Fairy! A humorous tale based on Clement C. Moore’s classic poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas.

Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World by Selby Beeler, G. Brian Karas (Illustrator)
What do you do when you lose a tooth? Do you put it under your pillow and wait for the tooth fairy? Not if you live in Botswana! In Botswana, children throw their teeth onto the roof. Travel around the world and discover the surprising things children do when they lose teeth with this book for young readers (4-8 years old).

What Does the Tooth Fairy Do With Our Teeth? by Denise Barry (Author)
Take a sneaky peek inside the Tooth Fairy's world where you will be amazed and delighted by all of the fun, creative, and magical things she might do with our teeth.

Sesame Street Ready, Set, Brush: A Pop-Up Book Board book by Sesame Street (Author), Che Rudko (Author)
Even monsters need to brush their teeth to keep them healthy and strong. Elmo, Zoe, and their friends from Sesame Street show kids how easy it is to care for their teeth such as: applying toothpaste, brushing, rinsing, and regular visits to the dentist.

For additional kids book for Dental Health Month head over to our Pinterest page!

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.

Common Tooth Care Mistakes

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Healthy diet, check. Routine dental visits, check. Brushing for two minutes, twice a day, check. While these are some of the best ways to prevent cavities, some parents may still be falling short when it comes to their child’s oral hygiene.

Are you making any of these easily correctable mistakes?

Letting your kids brush unsupervised. If you have small children in the house, don’t let them brush alone. It’s not that they don’t want to do a good job, they just physically may not have the proper motor skills to brush effectively yet.

Letting your child go to bed with a bottle. This is the quickest and easiest way to cause tooth decay? Giving your child a bottle or sippy cup all day long filled with milk or juice keeps sugar and bacteria levels in the mouth elevated at all times. Stick to water as often as possible.

Waiting to make the first dentist appointment. Your child’s first trip to the dentist should happen when the first tooth erupts or by their first birthday. Scheduling regular dental visits from the get go will also help establish your child’s dental home and get them comfortable - and even excited - to go each time.

Thinking cavities are no big deal. If a cavity becomes infected, it can affect the development of the adult teeth. If cavities at an early age go untreated they can lead to problems with speech articulation, trouble sleeping, even low self esteem and school performance.

Not using fluoride. Fluoride is a substance that helps teeth become stronger and resistant to decay. Regularly drinking water treated with fluoride in addition to brushing and flossing regularly ensures significantly lower cavities. If you have any questions regarding fluoride and your child, we encourage you to give us a call.

For more information, check out Fox News’ original article 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.

 

DOs and DONTs This Valentine’s Day

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We know that expecting your kids (or yourself) to avoid sweet treats this Valentine’s Day isn’t realistic - but the good news is there are plenty of healthier and tooth friendlier choices you can make without sacrificing the holiday.

Show your teeth some love this Valentine’s Day by keeping these DOs and DONTs in mind!

DO eat dark chocolate: The cocoa bean in chocolate has tannins, polyphenols, and flavonoids - all of which are antioxidants that can benefit your mouth and teeth! The darker the chocolate, the least processed and closed to the cocoa bean it is.

DONT choose hard or sticky sweets: Caramels, taffy, and others like it can all easily adhere to the tooth’s surface, allowing the mouth monsters to come out to play.

DO limit the amount of candies: Allow sweets in moderation. Set aside a few pieces to have as an after meal treat, don’t ravage the chocolate box in one sitting!

DONT forget to brush! Regardless of what you are consuming this weekend, brushing for 2 minutes, twice a day is the best way to promote good oral health.

DO try some non-candy alternatives: Halve some strawberries to display their natural heart shape, stick some chocolate chips in raspberries, or slice some cheese into heart shapes(with a cookie cutter) and serve with whole grain crackers. 

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.

The 5 Worst Foods for Teeth

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Brushing and flossing isn’t the only way your kids can achieve healthy smiles, paying attention to the foods and beverages they consume also has a huge impact. In honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month, we have some of the most damaging foods for teeth:

Processed Carbohydrates (ie: White Bread) - As you may know, carbs are actually sugars. When the digestion process begins in the mouth, the saliva works to break these carbs down into sugar. Snacking on crackers all day will simply keep the sugar in the mouth longer, thus creating dental decay.

Ice - Yes, ice is natural, sugar free, and refreshing - but chomping on cubes should not be your number 1 choice. Biting down on hard, frozen cubes can weaken enamel, leading you to crack or even chip a tooth.

Dried fruit - Dried fruit has the same amount of sugar as regular fruit - but this time it’s sticky and easily adheres to teeth. If eating this throughout the day, make sure to always brush after - otherwise you could see some serious decay.

Sour candy - Similarly to the above, not only does sticky, sour candy stick to your teeth - there’s also added citric acid, the worst acid for teeth! This acid causes tooth enamel to dissolve which can cause serious problems down the line.

Sports and energy drinks - These beverages do more acid damage on teeth than soda! Additionally, they have a high amount of sugar. Stick to water as often as possible.

This month, encourage more water consumption in your household - not only to replace sports drinks, sodas, or sugary juices, but also to increase rinsing after eating sticky or sugary foods.

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.

What to Do When your Child Has a Toothache

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Today is National Toothache Day and while we hope your kids aren’t experiencing any tooth woes, we do want to make sure you are prepared should you find yourself in such a situation. 

Toothaches can have a variety of causes - from something as simple as having a piece of food trapped between teeth to something more severe like a cavity or a broken tooth. If your child comes to you complaining of tooth pains, we first recommend looking at the area to see if there are any food particles lodged there. If so, proceed to floss around the bothered tooth followed by a warm water rinse (or salt water combination). This can soothe the area and help dislodge any food debris that may be stuck between teeth.

Also, look for a chipped tooth or filling that may be loose or missing. Offer a cold compress to help alleviate any pain or swelling and encourage your child to keep their jaw relaxed so no pressure is placed on the sensitive tooth.

These above remedies are temporary, but will help keep the pain manageable until you are able to give us a call. We will be able to diagnose the more serious problem. If your child’s symptoms include throbbing pain, fever, or fatigue please contact your doctor as soon as possible. 

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.