Your Safety is our First Concern

Pediatric Dental Specialists

We hope you and your family in good health. Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.

Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.

To ensure the safety of our patients we have also invested in a hospital grade Advanced HEPA filtration system (AF400-NP by Quatro) for our treatment rooms to help remove airborne microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, and fungal spores).

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example:

• Our doctors and team members will be screened and their temperature taken each day prior to entering the office. 
• Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office. 
• We have touchless hand sanitizer dispensers that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed. 
• You may see that our waiting room/game room will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys or video games, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect. 
• The waiting room will have a Honeywell True HEPA Console air purifier. 
• Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment. 
• We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time. 
• Forms will be digital and will be texted or emailed so you can complete them prior to your visit.

We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. 

Thank you for being our patients. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back to our office in the near future.

    

If you have any questions about our re-opening procedures and the steps we have taken to ensure our patients safety please do not hesitate to call our Long Beach office at (562) 377-1375. Our friendly and knowledgeable team will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

When To Bring A Baby To The Dentist

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend that you take your child to the dentist within six months after the first tooth erupts, or by his or her's first birthday, whichever comes first.

In the meantime, your primary healthcare provider should take a look at your baby's teeth (if he or she has any) and apply fluoride varnish every three to six months. Risk factors include a family history of cavities and poor dental health in the mother during pregnancy.

When you are ready to bring your child to the Pediatric Dental Specialists in Long Beach, be sure to communicate what fluoride treatments your baby has already received at the doctor's office.

If you can't afford dental care for your baby, consider getting in touch with your local health department to ask about resources.

Help Us Grant Wishes This February

Join us this month in supporting the Make-A-Wish International Foundation when you check-in at our office. As most of you are aware, Pediatric Dental Specialists-Long Beach became a member of Check-in 4 Charity last month! This program allows us to turn your Facebook check-ins into something much more; donations. By joining us in this movement, it costs YOU absolutely NOTHING!

How does it work?

Every month, we will be working with different charities to turn your check-ins into donations. Each check-in amounts to a specific monetary amount paid by Pediatric Dental Specialists-Long Beach, and at the end of the month, we make a donation to the charity of the month after receiving your check-ins. It's simple. You check-in, we donate. 

4 TIPS FOR A HEALTHY SMILE THIS HALLOWEEN

Halloween and its accompanying candy can be a scary time for teeth. October is National Orthodontic Health Month, celebrated by orthodontists throughout the U.S.  The doctors at Pediatric Dental Specialists want to remind patients and the entire community that even though Halloween treats can play tricks on orthodontic treatment, there are a few quick tips to keep teeth safe from decay, and protect braces, orthodontic “appliances” during the Halloween season.

1. AVOID STICKY SITUATIONS WITH YOUR BRACES

Stay away from hard, sticky, crunchy or chewy candy and snacks. These include hard or chewy candies, caramel, licorice, taffy, bubblegum (even the sugarless kind) and jelly beans.

2. CAREFUL WITH CRUNCHINESS
Patients want to steer away from hard-shelled peanut candies, nuts or nut-filled candies, taco chips and popcorn (especially unpopped kernels). And whether in orthodontic treatment or not, Dr. Planells says no one should ever chew ice.

3. NOT ALL HALLOWEEN CANDY IS OFF LIMITS.
Good alternatives include soft chocolates, peanut butter cups or other melt-in-your-mouth varieties. The American Association of Orthodontists even offers orthodontic-friendly recipes for Halloween on the website FamilyCorner.com

4. DON'T FORGET TO BRUSH AND FLOSS
Brushing and flossing are more important than ever during the Halloween season, when teeth may receive more exposure to sweets that can cause cavities. Orthodontic patients should be especially conscientious about brushing and flossing after consuming sugary or starchy foods.

It is possible to enjoy some traditional candies at Halloween without causing problems with braces. Everyone really wants to have fun on this holiday, and we encourage patients to enjoy treats that are acceptable, rather than feel that they are missing out.   It’s important to remember that when patients’ orthodontic treatment is complete, and they see their new smiles in the mirror, they will know all of their efforts now were worthwhile.

April is National Facial Protection Month

 

April is National Facial Protection Month, and the American Academy of Pediatrics together with the American Academy of Orthodontics encourages children and adults to take the necessary precautions to prevent injuries common in to those who participate in sports. Dr. Cortez, Dr. Sanchez and Dr. Planells at Pediatric Dental Specialists in Long Beach want to remind parents, coaches and athletes to play it safe as they prepare to suit up for recreational and organized sports. A child’s mouth and face can be easily injured if the proper precautions are not used while playing sports. In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control, more than half of the 7 million sports- and recreation-related injuries that occur each year are sustained by youth as young as 5 years old. Last year, the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation forecasted that more than 3 million teeth would be knocked out in youth sporting events – yet, in a survey commissioned by the American Association of Orthodontists, 67% of parents admit that their child does not wear a mouth guard during organized sports. This raises a question: if mouth guards offer a simple and relatively inexpensive solution to help dramatically decrease the risk of oral and injuries, why aren’t more kids wearing them? Parents are encouraged to talk with their dental professionals about the right mouth guards for their young athletes, and to urge coaches to require that young athletes wear their mouth guards at every practice and every game.

 

4 Tips for Young Athletes to Play It Safe

1. Wear a helmet. Helmets absorb the energy of an impact and help prevent damage to one’s head.

2. Wear protective eyewear. Eyes are extremely vulnerable to damage, especially when playing sports.

3, Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin. Hockey pucks, basketballs, and racquetballs can cause severe facial damage at any age.

4. Wear a mouth guard when playing contact sports (such as football, baseball, basketball, and soccer). Mouth guards can help prevent injury  to a person’s jaw, mouth and teeth; and they are significantly less expensive than the cost to repair an injury.

 
April is the perfect time to get into the mouth guard habit. Wear one at every practice and every game. 

Fun fact Friday with Drs. Planells, Sanchez and Cortez!

At Pediatric Dental Specialists, we know our patients love fun facts. The American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO, has come up with some fun facts about orthodontics that our team and Drs. Cortez, Planells and Sanchez thought you might enjoy.

• There are nearly 4 million people in orthodontic treatment throughout the United States. Three out of four are younger than 18.

• The first mechanical treatment for correcting irregular teeth was suggested by Gaius Plinius Secundus (A.D 23-79).The American Association of Orthodontists is comprised of more than 12,000 members in the United States, Canada and abroad.

• The time required to complete orthodontic treatment ranges from 12 to 36 months depending on the nature and severity of the problem.

• Of the 160,000 dentists in the United States and Canada, 8,000 are practicing orthodontists.

• The cement that attaches the braces to the teeth is now made with a special fluoride-releasing substance.

• Wires activated by body heat used in today's braces originally were developed by NASA for use in the space program.

• In addition to alleviating or preventing physical health problems, orthodontics can boost self-esteem as treatment aligns teeth, jaws and lips.

• Famous orthodontic patients include: Dr. Joyce Brothers, Hale Irwin, Cher, Diana Ross, Phyllis Diller, Chelsea Clinton, Whoopi Goldberg, Daisy Fuentes and Brandi.