April is National Facial Protection Month

Pediatric Dental Specialists

The team at Pediatric Dental Specialists wants to remind our athletes to play it safe by wearing a mouth guard during recreational and organized sports.  

A mouth guard is an essential piece of athletic gear that should be part of your standard equipment from an early age. Mouth guards prevent injuries to the bone and tissues around the teeth. They also help prevent injuries to the lower jaw and temporomandibular joint in the jaw.

A properly fitted mouth guard may be especially important for people who wear braces. A blow to the face could damage the brackets or other fixed orthodontic appliances. A mouth guard also provides a barrier between the braces and your cheek or lips, which will help you avoid injuries to your gums and cheeks.

There are three types of mouth guards:

1. Stock mouth guards come ready to wear. They are inexpensive and can be bought at most sporting good stores and drug stores. However, little can be done to adjust their fit.

2. Boil and bite mouth guards can also be bought at many sporting goods stores and may offer a better fit than stock mouth guards. The "boil and bite" mouth guard is made from thermoplastic material. It is placed in hot water to soften, then placed in the mouth and shaped around the teeth using finger and tongue pressure.

3. Custom-fitted mouth guards are individually designed and made in a dental or orthodontic office. Due to the use of the special material and because of the extra time and work involved, a custom-made mouth guard may be more expensive than the other types of mouth guards, but a custom-made mouth guard provides the most comfort and protection.

Mouth guards should be used by anyone playing contact sports such as football, boxing, soccer, ice hockey, basketball, lacrosse, and field hockey. However, even those participating in non-contact sports (gymnastics) and any recreational activity (skateboarding or mountain biking) that might pose a risk of injury to the mouth would benefit from wearing a protective mouth guard.

If you are an athlete and a patient at Pediatric Dental Specialists, talk to our doctors about selecting a mouth guard that will provide the right protection for you.

Also, if you have a retainer or other removable appliance, do not wear it during any contact sports. For more information give us a call our Long Beach Office at (562) 377-1375. Our friendly and knowledgeable team will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Pediatric Dental Specialists Share Pool Safety Tips

Summer is coming and with it comes lots of swimming! Here are some helpful tips from Pediatric Dental Specialists that we found on the American Association of Pediatricians' web site.

--Install a fence at least four-feet high around all four sides of the pool. The fence should not have openings or protrusions that a young child could use to get over, under, or through.

--Make sure pool gates open out from the pool, and self-close and self-latch at a height children can't reach.

--Never leave children alone in or near the pool, even for a moment.

--Keep rescue equipment (a shepherd's hook - a long pole with a hook on the end - and life preserver) and a portable telephone near the pool. Choose a shepherd's hook and other rescue equipment made of fiberglass or other materials that do not conduct electricity.

--Avoid inflatable swimming aids such as "floaties." They are not a substitute for approved life vests and can give children a false sense of security.

--Children may not be developmentally ready for swim lessons until after their fourth birthday. Swim programs for children under 4 should not be seen as a way to decrease the risk of drowning.

--Whenever infants or toddlers are in or around water, an adult should be within arm's length, providing "touch supervision."

Have more questions about your children this summer? Give us a call at Pediatric Dental Specialists, we'd love to help!

Bottled Water, What's It Missing? -- Pediatric Dental Specialists

As more families turn to bottled water and away from the tap, they may be missing out on one important ingredient that most brands of bottled water fail to include: fluoride.

As of 2005, bottled water is second only to soft drinks as the most popular drink in the United States, beating out milk, juice, and – more significantly – tap water. Between 2001 and 2006, the amount of bottled water sold in the U.S. rose an average of 10% per year. And many dental health specialists point to bottled water’s increased popularity as the culprit behind rising rates of cavities.

Because fluoride helps strengthen teeth, it is an important component of maintaining good oral health. The benefits of fluoride were noticed in the early part of the twentieth century, when researchers found communities with low levels of tooth decay. It turned out that these towns had measurable levels (around 1 part per million) of fluoride in their drinking water.

Beginning in the 1940s, communities have fluoridated their water supplies, and dentists have seen a significant decline in cavities ever since. The American Dental Association endorses both community water fluoridation and the use of fluoride-containing products as a safe means of preventing tooth decay. Between tap water and toothpaste, most of us get sufficient amounts of fluoride.

But if your family avoids fluoridated tap water in favor of ever-more-popular bottled water, you could be missing out on the levels of fluoride necessary to make a difference in your oral health.

If bottled water is your water of choice, check the label to make sure that your brand contains fluoride. As of a 2006 decision, the FDA allows bottled water containing .6 to 1.0 milligrams per liter of fluoride to carry a label stating that fluoridated water may reduce the risk of dental cavities or tooth decay. The ADA has backed this decision.

Of course, simply drinking fluoridated water is not a magic ticket to perfect teeth. To keep your choppers in tip-top shape, it’s important to brush and floss daily and avoid sugary sweets, in addition to maintaining your fluoride intake. And come see us at Pediatric Dental Specialists every six months for a professional cleaning and exam.

Brush Your Teeth!

Understanding Cavities

One word nobody wants to hear when they visit the dentist is Cavity! That’s right, the dreaded cavity; but what exactly is a cavity and how do they happen? A cavity is a hole that develops in a tooth when the tooth begins to decay. It’s important to get a cavity filled as soon as it’s detected so that it does not grow bigger.

So, what causes a cavity? A cavity is caused by plaque, a sticky substance that forms on the tooth as a result of germ and bacteria build-up. Plaque is acidic and as it clings to your teeth the acids eat away the outside of the tooth (also called the enamel) and a hole is formed.

Yes, cavities can be repaired by your dentist, but here are a few simple steps you can take to prevent cavities:

--Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste at least twice daily

--Gently brush your gums to keep them healthy (when choosing a toothbrush it is recommended to use soft bristles)

--Floss your teeth at least once a day to remove plaque and food that may be caught between the teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach

--Limit the amount of soda and sugary treats you eat/drink

--Be sure to visit your dentist every six months for a teeth cleaning and check-up

Toothbrush Trivia

People have been brushing their teeth for thousands of years! In fact, the first “toothbrush” was created around 3000BC! Ancient civilizations used a thin twig with a frayed edge to rub against their teeth for cleaning.

The first toothbrush with bristles – similar to today’s toothbrushes – was invented in 1498 in China. Brushes were made out of bone or bamboo with bristles made from the hairs on the back of a hog’s neck.

It wasn’t until 1938 that the first nylon bristle toothbrush was introduced and people quickly became aware of practicing good oral hygiene.

Here are some other interesting facts about your toothbrush (and toothpaste):

• Most people are said to use blue toothbrushes over any other color
• The first toothpaste was used in 500 BC in China and India
• On average, children smile about 400 times per day
• Your toothbrush should be replaced every two months
• The first known toothpaste was used in 1780, Crest was introduced in the US in 1955 and Colgate in 1873

The Tooth Fairy

Losing your first tooth, or any baby tooth for that matter, can be exciting! Your baby tooth may be gone, but in no time you will have a bigger, “grown-up” tooth in its place. So what do you do with the lost tooth? That’s simple…place it under your pillow at night and when you are fast asleep the tooth fairy will come and whisk your tooth away leaving behind a special gift just for you! Here’s a simple craft project I found a little while back that will help make the tooth fairy’s job a little easier and give your tooth a special place to stay until it is taken away. Please click on the link for instructions and pictures!

Tooth Fairy “Tooth” Box
(remember to ask your parents for help when using hot glue and scissors)


What you will need:
--I large empty match box
--Enough felt to wrap the box and inside sliding tray
--Ribbon
--Glue (tacky glue or a hot glue gun)
--Markers
--White, pink and blue (or your favorite color) felt for decorating the matchbox
--Scissors

Step 1: Pull the inner tray out of the box and line the inside with glue and felt as shown. Wrap the outside of the box with felt and glue it in place.

Step 2: Glue ribbon to the outside of the box in a hanging loop shape. Fold another piece of ribbon in half and glue it to the bottom of the inner tray to create a handle for sliding it in and out.

Step 3: Draw a tooth shape on paper, cut it out, and trace it onto the white felt twice. Cut out the teeth and face details.

Step 4: Decorate the teeth with the eyes and cheeks and draw on a mouth. Glue one tooth to the outside of the box.

Step 5: Create a tooth pocket by applying glue to the sides and bottom of the remaining tooth as shown, leaving an opening at the top. Glue the pocket to the inside tray. Once the glue dries, the box is Tooth Fairy-ready. Have your child put the tooth inside the inner pocket and hang it outside their door before your child goes to bed!

When is Thumb-sucking a Cause for Worry?

Lots of you have asked us at Pediatric Dental Specialists about whether it’s healthy for children to suck thumbs (or, less frequently, fingers). If you’ve got a thumb-sucker in the house, you are not alone. Research tells us that between 75% and 95% of infants suck their thumbs. Is this anything to worry about?

In most cases, no. Sucking is a natural reflex for an infant, and can provide security and contentment as well as relaxation for your little one. It’s a habit that most children grow out of between the ages of 2 and 4.

However, if your child keeps sucking after he’s gotten his permanent teeth, it’s time to take a closer look. If your child sucks his thumb aggressively, putting pressure on the inside of his mouth or his teeth, it could cause problems with tooth alignment and proper mouth growth. If you’re worried, give us a call and we will help assess the situation, and provide tips for how to help your child break the habit. Call us Pediatric Dental Specialists at (562) 377-1375.