Helpful Dental Tricks and Tips for a Happy Halloween

The Fall season is here, and it is an exciting time of year for many children as they prepare for Halloween festivities and trick or treating. Here are a few “tricks” and tips from the team at Pediatric Dental Specialists that may help protect your children’s oral health.

Inspecting Candy:
An adult should inspect the candy and discard any items that display the following: unusual appearance, tears/ holes in the wrappers, anything homemade should be discarded unless you know who personally gave it to them. For young children, discard any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys.

Moderation is Key:
After trick-or-treating, set a specific treat time with your child for when they can eat a treat. The best time to have a treat is following a meal such as lunch or dinner. Saliva production increases during and after a meal, and the extra saliva can help wash away sugars and clean the teeth. If your children are eating candy throughout the day they may be at increased risk for tooth decay.

Choose the Correct Candy:

Select candy that won’t be as harmful to teeth. Hard candies can chip or crack teeth. It is best to allow these treats to melt in the mouth. Avoid giving your children sticky candies as they tend to dislodge fillings and crowns and stay in the grooves of back teeth. Plain chocolate bars melt quickly, are softer, and the least harmful to teeth.

Good Oral Hygiene:

It’s important that your children brush their teeth twice daily for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste. Flossing is also recommended to help keep the sugar bugs away where the toothbrush can’t reach. Good oral hygiene will help keep your children’s mouth healthy.

Candy Buy Back:

Consider donating Halloween candy or else join us for our buy back. We want your Halloween candy and will pay you for it! We will give our patients $1 per pound of candy up to 50 pounds of candy. All candy donors will also be entered into a raffle to win a gift card. Come by the office from 11/1 to 11/7 to make the candy switch. Check our website for drop off dates.

Different Types of Mouthwashes

Mouthwash is an essential part of a good oral hygiene routine, that often goes unnoticed. But did you know there are multiple types of mouthwash? Each also has a different function and works in different ways to help your teeth.

Fluoride Mouthwash: You’ve heard how fluoride helps your teeth. Well fluoride in mouthwashes, does just that and helps protect your teeth from cavities and tooth decay. Be careful when using this type of mouthwash because an intake of too much fluoride is not good.

Antiseptic Mouthwash: This is the most common type of mouthwash, you probably have some in your cabinet. This type of mouthwash contains alcohol and used to eliminate bad breath and fight infections in your mouth. Along with brushing your teeth and flossing, all three work together to fight bad breath and bacteria.

Cosmetic Mouthwash: The only benefit of this mouthwash, to your oral health care is to mask bad breath.

Natural Mouthwash: Natural mouthwash has the same functions of all the other mouthwash, except their ingredients are natural. It is the popular alternative to alcohol-free mouthwash.

If you have any questions about what type of oral hygiene products to use during and after your orthodontic treatment, please do not hesitate to ask us.

When Should I Take my Child to the Dentist?

Our commitment at Pediatric Dental Specialist is to providing the highest quality oral health care services and education for infants, children and teenagers including those with special needs. Our qualified professional team is dedicated to guiding our patients to obtain optimal oral health in a nurturing and friendly environment.

We recommend that children as young as one-year old have their teeth evaluated by a pediatric dentist. The earlier you start, the better chance we have to prevent any potential problems. In addition to checking for decay and other conditions, our staff will teach you how to clean your child’s teeth properly, identify your child’s risk for cavities, and offer you helpful advice that will help your child build a lifetime of good dental habits.

By 2 1/2 - 3 years old, most children have all their baby teeth in place. This is a perfect time to introduce them to a healthy routine of brushing their teeth, flossing and eating the right foods. Baby teeth hold space for permanent teeth, and they are just as essential for oral hygiene and a key component of maintaining healthy adult teeth.

It is best that kids see us on their first birthday and twice-yearly after that. These combined with the right home care will keep those teeth healthy all through childhood.

During the first exam, we will check all of your child’s existing teeth for decay, examine their bite and look for any other potential issues with the gums, jaw and oral tissue.

Your First Visit

We offer pediatric dentistry and orthodontics for children, teens, and patients with special healthcare needs. With years of education, hands-on training, and experience, our doctors and staff are uniquely able to meet the specific dental needs of our young patients.

We strive to make your child’s first dental visit an enjoyable one. Young children receive a personalized storybook in which their name appears throughout the story. Our intention in providing this book is to familiarize your child with our dental office.

The storybook contains the doctor’s as well as staff members’ names. Knowing who they will meet and what to expect allows your child to feel more at ease and somewhat curious for this new experience. Perhaps the most exciting part of this book is the back page that has a place for our signatures, stickers, and the picture of your child’s first visit with us. This is a keepsake for our new patients.

When Should Your Child’s First Dental Visit Be? 

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend that infants be seen shortly after the first tooth erupts or no later than their first birthday. This first visit will help establish a dental home for your child.
The earlier you start, the better chance we have to prevent any potential problems. In addition to checking for decay and other conditions, our staff will teach you how to clean your child’s teeth properly, identify your child’s risk for cavities, and offer you helpful advice that will help your child build a lifetime of good dental habits.

Giving Back at Pediatric Dental Specialist

At Pediatric Dental Specialist, we believe giving back to our community and around the world is part of who we are. The way we give back is through our charitable giving program that’s so easy for everyone to participate. This month, we are supporting our International Fund for Animal Welfare! Every time you Check-in on Facebook from our office, a donation is made on your behalf. It’s that simple, you check-in with a photo, status update or review and we make the donation on your behalf. Every month we will feature a new charity organization that are near to our hearts. They will be local and national charity organization that make a difference.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare’s vision is a world where animals are respected and protected. The international organization rescues individual animals, safeguard populations, preserve habitat, and advocate for a better future. Founded in 1969, IFAW has provided almost 50 years of global leadership, innovation and hands-on assistance to animals and communities in need.

Common Questions

1. When should I take my child to the dentist for the first check-up?
In order to prevent dental problems, your child should see a pediatric dentist when the first tooth appears, or no later than his/her first birthday.

2. What is the difference between a pediatric dentist and a family dentist?
Pediatric dentists are the pediatricians of dentistry. A pediatric dentist has two to three years of specialty training following dental school and limits his/her practice to treating children only. Pediatric dentists are primary and specialty oral care providers for infants and children through adolescence, including those with special healthcare needs.

3. Are baby's teeth really that important to my child?
Primary, or "baby," teeth are important for many reasons. Not only do they help children speak clearly and chew naturally, they also aid in forming a path that permanent teeth can follow when they are ready to erupt.

4. What should I do if my child has a toothache?
See a dentist as soon as possible.

5. What should I use to clean my baby's teeth?
A toothbrush will remove plaque and bacteria that can lead to decay. Any soft-bristled toothbrush with a small head, preferably one designed specifically for infants, should be used at least once a day and for sure at bedtime.

Back to School Oral Health Basics

The summer days are passing by, and it is almost time to start a new school year.   As you prepare your children for back to school, the health of their teeth and gums may not be be on the top of your list, but good smiles denote: friendliness, good overall health, and confidence. Here are some suggestions that will help in maintaining healthy smiles:

Daily Oral Care Practices 

Educating our children at a young age on oral health practices is key in prevention of decay and gum disease. Here are some recommendations:

• Brushing

Brushing morning and at bedtime with a soft-bristle brush. We recommend using a timer for 2 minutes. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), it is recommended that children be assisted with brushing until the age of 8. At the very least, an inspection by the parent is very helpful. Children may swallow some toothpaste when brushing, these are the recommended amounts of toothpaste based on age: A smear or rice size amount of children’s fluoridated toothpaste is for children less than three years of age, and  a pea-size amount for children three to six years old.

• Flossing

Floss to clean between teeth and remove the plaque a toothbrush can’t reach. Initial supervision by a parent is necessary. There are special flossers with handles to help reach between molars.

Healthy Diet

Healthy snacks are just as important as a good daily hygiene routine. Here are some ideas for healthy options for your child’s teeth: string cheese, fruits, veggies, yogurt, hummus, almonds. Try to avoid sticky snacks such as fruit snacks (fruit roll-ups) and gummies, these can stick to your child’s teeth and may lead to tooth decay.

It is recommended to limit juice. Provide at most 4 ounces daily for toddlers age 1-3; for children age 4-6, fruit juice should be restricted to 4 to 6 ounces daily; and for children ages 7-18, juice intake should be limited to 8 ounces. Encourage water intake.

Schedule a Dental Check-up

Children starting kindergarten or in their first year of public school must have a dental check-up by May 31, according to California law.  A check-up/oral health assessment is important for children of all ages and helps to ensure healthy smiles. Undetected dental problems may be identified before
they become big concerns. Dental disease may result in infection/ pain that makes it difficult for children to eat, speak, and learn in school. Missing days from school as a result of dental disease may be prevented.

For more pediatric dental tips or to schedule your child’s appointment contact us at Pediatric Dental Specialists Long Beach (www.lbpds.net) Phone 562-377-1375