by Miranda Booher | Apr 19, 2021 | Children's Oral Health, Community News, Dentistry News, Pediatric Dental Treatments, Uncategorized
It’s no secret that parents and experts alike worldwide are concerned about how life under the duress of COVID-19 is influencing (for better or – more talked about – worse) our children’s lives. We worry about the physical effects on their eyes and their brains from so much time in front of a computer or tablet screen when virtual school has caused such a significant up-tick in screen time. We worry about their behavioral development as our societies have turned very insular and social interactions are so limited if they occur at all. We worry about their mental health as more are subjected to internalizing major stresses in the home from food and job insecurity or the direct stress issues that come from parents managing so much all while everyone is in the home all the time.
Less talked about, although certainly a concern from all our staff at the four Utah Pediatric Dentists locations, is the impact the pandemic is having on children’s dental health.
Mott Poll Report on the Challenges to Children’s Oral Health Due to the Pandemic
In February 2021, the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital released their findings of a report conducted to study the impact of COVID-19 on the dental health of children in the United States. The survey was conducted recently, in January 2021 to families with at least one child under 18 in their home. Some of these findings aren’t surprising. However, thankfully not all are negative, there were a few pleasant surprises as well. Here’s a thorough run-down of their findings directly from the source:
60% of parents surveyed reported they had at least attempted to get preventative dental care for their child since the onset of COVID-19.
- 69% of those parents reported they were able to get an appointment in the usual timeframe.
- 24% of those parents reported they were able to get an appointment, after a delay.
- 7% of those parents reported they were unable to get an appointment.
Of the parents, unable to get an appointment, a small percentage of them did have private insurance (4%) or no coverage (5%) at all while a significantly higher percentage had Medicaid dental coverage (15%). 40% of parents reported they had not attempted to schedule preventative dental care for their child. When asked to give a reason most responses fell into one of the following four reasons:
- 40% of the parents in this group gave the reason that they did not want to risk coronavirus exposure.
- 23% of the parents in this group said their dental office was closed or only accepting patients with dental emergencies.
- 23% of the parents in this group said their child wasn’t due for an appointment.
- 28% reported their child didn’t have any dental issues.
- 67% of parents surveyed reported that it felt safe to seek dental care for their child now.
- 14% of parents surveyed reported that it felt unsafe.
- 19% of parents surveyed reported that they were unsure if it was safe or not.
- 33.33% of parents say the pandemic has been a barrier to getting preventative dental care.
Now for the pleasant surprises:
- 28% of parents reported at least one change to the benefit of their child’s dental health.
- 37% of this group of parents have Medicaid dental coverage.
- 32% of this group of parents have zero dental coverage.
- 24% of this group of parents have private dental insurance.
Of the positive changes reported:
- 16% are brushing more often.
- 11% are flossing more often.
- 9% are using a fluoride rinse more often.
- 15% are drinking sugary beverages less often.
While the survey doesn’t exactly give a pediatric dentist an overwhelming feeling of success, the positive changes that were reported in almost 1/3 of surveyed households are absolutely encouraging. We want to follow that feeling of encouragement and share it with the parents of our pediatric patients in our communities.
What You Can Do in Home to Combat Negative Dental Effects During the Pandemic
While our kids are spending more time at home, and less time in the actual classroom their access to food has become almost unlimited. The problem with unlimited access to food for kids is that it can result in grazing, which means snacking lightly but steadily over a long period of time. Grazing, simply stated, is bad for anyone’s dental health (not only kids) because it is a near-constant assault of sugars and acids on your teeth.
What Can You Do About It?
We’re not asking you to put locks on the pantry, fridge, and cabinets (although technically you could do that.) We’ve got a few simple things you can do to help reduce the grazing and reduce the damage snacking can cause.
- Create a meal and snack schedule for the household.
- Maximize the healthy snacks that are available such as crisp fruits and vegetables like apples, pears, carrots, celery. Nuts are also a great snack packed with protein. For more about teeth healthy snacks, check out this blog post.
- Minimize access to “junk” foods. If it’s not in the house, it’s so much easier to curb. Junk foods can be such a temptation, knowing there’s a bag of chips in the pantry just might be torture for your 14-year-old.
Safe access or perceived safe access to preventative dental health was another major concern in the Mott Report, and for that, we ask you to call us. We are open, we are taking precautions to protect ourselves, our staff, and our patients from contagion, and we want to see our pediatric patients!
If you’re a parent who is concerned about the safety of bringing your child in for a dental cleaning and checkup, let us know your concerns and we can tell you specifically about our biosecurity protocols. If you think your child doesn’t have a need for an appointment, nevertheless it’s been more than six months, it’s still time to schedule an appointment. Your child might not have any pressing dental needs right now, but an important part of prevention is dental cleanings every six months. Call us today and get your child scheduled for a cleaning.
by Miranda Booher | Mar 22, 2021 | Children's Oral Health, Community News, Uncategorized
It’s a custom we all grew up loving, the Easter basket goodies found in hidden spots of the backyard garden every year. Somehow, over the years we’ve made it seem perfectly normal to imagine a magical bunny leaving candies and chocolate eggs littered about. It’s quite amusing if you try to ascribe logic to it. Even our youngest children know that real eggs come from chickens, most definitely not bunnies. Nevertheless, it is fun, and aren’t the part of our celebratory tradition of what gives childhood and life in general moments of joy?
Unfortunately for our teeth, more specifically your children’s teeth, those jelly beans, peeps, caramel candies, and chocolate-filled Easter baskets are a slow assault on their dental health. So, what can a parent do to keep fun and tradition alive, while also protecting those happy healthy smiles? We have a list of suggestions for you, some are alternatives, and others merely tips to help ensure that those smiles remain healthy in spite of an Easter sugar siege.
1. Be Selective About the Types of Candies You Include in the Easter Basket
We won’t ask you to eschew sweets entirely for the holiday, but we will advise you to be selective. Sticky candies are among the worst offenders for teeth because they leave behind more than just sugar and bacteria, they leave behind parts of themselves. Sticky candies will get stuck in the grooves and the in-betweens of the molars providing fertile ground for the bacteria to feast throughout the day. Those bacteria secrete acids that attack the enamel of the teeth that can cause damage up until the time of your child’s next brushing routine.
Furthermore, sour candies are acid offenders in the extreme. Sour candy is by its processed nature is acidic. This causes it to be a double whammy on the enamel of teeth. Candies that are to be slowly consumed over a period of time such as suckers are another to be wary of. We’ve shared in previous posts about the negative effects grazing can have on the teeth because the constant assault over an extended period of time doesn’t allow the saliva to work its defensive magic before the teeth are sieged again.
At this point, you may be wondering if there are any candies or goodies that we do approve of for Easter. The truth is, as pediatric dentists we are so very familiar with the damage and even pain that accompany habitual eating of sweets that it’s hard not to say, “omit it all entirely!”
That being said, we are parents, and we realize an Easter basket without any candy at all is hardly realistic. So, we’ll share our secret: Little chocolate bunnies or eggs that are hollow, and easily chewed. Those are the best in a group of delicious “bad”-ness. Little is a subjective term here; some hollow chocolates are quite large. Look for the smallest ones that you can find.
2. Portion Control and Moderation
Here’s your opportunity to draw out the fun of the Easter basket. Don’t set it up for your kids to eat everything in their basket in one day. Instead control the portion and start setting the example or habit of indulging in moderation. Let your child pick one or two for the day, and then do the same the following days until the Easter basket is empty. This will be fun for your kids as they’ll have a treat for a few days in a row instead of just one and will help them develop the habit of moderation instead of bingeing.
3. Incorporate Other Things into the Easter Basket
We suggest that you bring in other items to the hunt that will end up in the Easter Basket. Books are a favorite item, a small toy, stickers, or crayons. Dare we event suggest it? A new toothbrush and toothpaste! There’s no rule for an Easter egg hunt that says everything must be candy or chocolate.
4. Convert Your Kids to Dark Chocolate Connoisseurs
When it comes to your teeth, dark chocolate is the better option among chocolates for a few interesting reasons: polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins. Cocoa beans are very rich in all three of these antioxidants. Polyphenols can help neutralize some of the microorganisms that are responsible for bad breath, gum disease, and tooth decay. Flavonoids can help to slow tooth decay, and tannins can help reduce how much bacteria can stick to your teeth. Milk chocolate does have these antioxidants as well but on a much lower scale. The darker your chocolate the more antioxidants and the better for your teeth.
5. Drink Water with Fluoride
If your kids are going to indulge, try accompanying those indulgences with fluoride water instead of a juice or soda. Fluoride is a strong defender of dental health. Studies show that fluoride in community water systems prevents at least 25 percent of tooth decay in children and adults, even in an era with the widespread availability of fluoride from other sources, such as fluoride toothpaste. So, while any water is better than juice or soda, fluoride water from the tap is the best.
6. Brush
Don’t give up on the morning and evening brushing and flossing routines, but consider adding in a brushing session after the Easter Egg Hunt! If you include a new toothbrush and/or toothpaste in the Easter basket, brushing after some Easter basket sweets would be easily accomplished. All kids like to try out their new stuff.
7. Schedule a Cleaning at Your Pediatric Dentist
It’s always a good idea after a season of indulgence to schedule a dentist checkup. We’re offering $25 gift cards for our patients who have an appointment for a cleaning and checkup at any of our four locations through to April 15. Give us a call and come see us!
by Miranda Booher | Mar 6, 2021 | Children's Oral Health, Community News, Pediatric Dental Treatments, Uncategorized
Come in and celebrate National Dentist’s Day with us by showing your pediatric dentists how you prioritize your children’s oral health. Dentist’s Day falls on March 6th every year and while this time last year we were closed due to pandemic restrictions, we’re happy to be able to look back on a year full of trials, changes, and joys while being grateful this year is already better than the last!
A Little History About Pediatric Dentistry
The profession of dentistry can be dated all the way back to the year 7000 B.C. Despite its ancient origins, it wasn’t until the 1700s that it gained significant formal attention and developed into a more specific profession.
In the early 1700s a book was published outlining a specific and thorough routine for dental hygiene titled “The Surgeon Dentist, a Treatise on Teeth”. The book’s author Pierre, Fauchard furthermore discovered the link between sugar and tooth decay.
1840 was the year of the first dental college, and in 1859 the American Dental Association was founded. It is only decades later that the profession of dentistry begins to take an active interest in pediatric dentistry. In 1913-1914 the Fones Clinic for Dental Hygienists in Connecticut began a program of sending its female students into public schools to clean children’s teeth. In Los Angeles, California around that same time, the first dental clinic for kids was opened by dental hygienist Minnie Evangeline Jordan. She went on to publish the first English book on pediatric dentistry in 1924.
In 1940, pediatric dentistry was finally recognized as its own specialty of dentistry. Less than a decade later, in 1947, the American Academy of Pedodontics was founded. The American Academy of Pedodontics would later become replaced by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. This decade also saw the first city to add fluoride to the water supply, Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1945.
In the 1950s more children began to visit the dentist annually, and in the 60s the federal government creates the Pediatric Dentistry Training Program due to the rise in need of specially trained dentists. Moreover, in the 60s dental sealants are developed to help reduce cavities in children.
In the 1980s a children’s book is published teaching children about the dentist, your kids might be familiar even today with the characters of the book. “The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist” showed children what to expect when visiting the dentist and taught them about having their teeth cleaned and checked for cavities and even the tools a dentist uses.
In 2000, the Surgeon General released the first-ever Oral Health in America Report, and the American Dental Association endorsed the comprehensive oral healthcare plan for children starting before the age of one year old.
Celebrate Dentist’s Day with Us
As you can see, pediatric dentistry has come a long way and in not so very much time! Our specialty profession is only around a century old, and yet we know so much now about how to take care of children’s dental health and work to see more happy and healthy smiles in our communities.
For Dentist’s Day, what our pediatric dentists really want is to see happy healthy smiles. Tag our Instagram accounts with your kids’ healthy smiles #NationalDentistsDay. Other ways you can celebrate with us include:
- Commit to prioritizing your children’s dental hygiene by establishing morning and nighttime brushing routines.
- Set an example to your kids of good dental habits by taking care of your own dental health.
- Encourage family members and friends to place importance on their children’s oral health, and spread the word of your favorite pediatric dentist.
- Make dentist appointments for each of your kids in one of our four convenient locations; professional cleanings and checkups are an integral part of preventive care, don’t wait for complaints of pain!
- Give us a review on Google, Yelp, or Facebook.
Dental Facts: Did You Know?
- U.S. News & World Report releases an annual ranking of the 100 Best Jobs, and dentist consistently ranks very highly. For this year, Dentist ranked ninth place, for 2020 Dentist ranked second place, 2019 fourth, and in 2017 first. (We are not surprised by this, we love being pediatric dentists!)
- You should replace toothbrushes every three to four months.
- On average, Americans spend 38.5 days of their lifetimes brushing their teeth.
- In the year 1950, the average amount left under pillows from the Tooth Fairy was 25 cents. (How much are you leaving under pillows?)
- Your bite is super strong, on average a person can bite down with 200 pounds of pressure!
- The majority of Americans drink at least one sugary drink daily and adolescents and young adults are the heaviest consumers.
- A 20 ounce Coca-Cola has upwards of 16 teaspoons of sugar in it.
- Most dental insurance plans will cover two standard cleanings per year. If you aren’t sure about your plan, let us know.
- Giraffes only have teeth on their lower jaw.
- If chewing gum gets stuck in your hair, you might not have to cut it out. Instead of reaching for the scissors, grab the peanut butter. The peanut butter will help lift the gum from the hairs.
Come in For a Cleaning and Walk Out with a Gift Card
That’s right, we’re offering all our patients who book a dental cleaning a 25$ gift card. This offer is valid through April, but don’t wait to get your appointment booked. Give us a call and schedule your kids at one of our four locations, we want to see you!
by Miranda Booher | Feb 23, 2021 | Children's Oral Health
Spring is almost here, and with it often comes later bedtimes, busier days and fuller weekends. It’s easy to get caught up in it all and let some other things start to slide. However, one relatively small part of your morning and evening routines needs to remain firmly entrenched: brushing teeth.
Tooth decay, early cavities, and bad breath are all products of poor oral hygiene that we’ve seen in kids. It’s not because parents don’t care about their children’s teeth. To the contrary, our experience has shown us that parents care, very much. The issue is usually education. Parent’s need more guidance in how to care for their children’s teeth and how to teach and instill good dental hygiene habits.
Here we’ve put together a healthy teeth guide for kids (and parents) to help you right here in your own home.
Healthy Guide to Prevent Tooth Decay in Children
When Should We Start Brushing Teeth?
The answer to this one is simple. Start earlier than you may think, before the first tooth has even erupted. Yes, you might not see a tooth in your sweet baby’s gummy smile, but they are there. The primary teeth begin to form, usually, during the second trimester of the pregnancy.
Before any teeth have come through, you’ll want to take a clean, wet washcloth and gently rub it over your baby’s gums. This will wipe away bacteria, and begin to familiarize your baby with the idea of something being put in their mouth that does not have a drinking, eating, or chewing purpose.
Once a tooth has erupted, you’ll switch to an infant toothbrush and use a dab of fluoride toothpaste no larger than the size of a single grain of rice. Start flossing when your baby has two teeth side by side.
At three years of age, you can graduate from grain of rice size to pea sized dab of toothpaste. Around two years old, work with your child to practice spitting out the toothpaste instead of merely swallowing it.
When Should the First Dentist Visit Take Place?
We recommend that kids have their first dentist office visit by the age of one year. We’ll take the time to explain brushing and flossing to your toddler, and even do a quick dental exam. It’s important for your kids to become familiarized with the dentist office early on to both normalize it, and minimize the potential for anxieties and fears to develop and become associated with a trip to the dentist.
Moreover, by the age of one, your little one is likely drinking more than just milk or water, and has definitely graduated to foods. We can identify potential problems early on and help your little one get on track to having a healthy and happy smile.
Why Should You Take Your Kids to a Pediatric Dentist?
Please consider taking your children to a pediatric dentist. The importance of establishing healthy oral hygiene early on in life, makes a huge difference when your kids are older and more independent. A pediatric dentist is specially trained to work with children. In fact, pediatric dentists do an extra two years of dentistry school. We are trained to handle the communication and development limitations that young children have, and our offices are designed to be appealing and comforting to children.
Can You Prevent Cavities?
Yes! Cavities occur when food is left on, in between, or around the teeth instead of being brushed away. Bacteria forms, acid can collect and from there a cavity can form.
There are several things as a parent that you can do to help prevent cavities. As you might have guessed, routine brushing and flossing make the top of that list. Make it part of their morning and nighttime routines if it’s not already. Nevertheless, there are other things we can add to this list.
Fluoride toothpaste is important because fluoride introduced at regular intervals will strengthen your child’s teeth. If your town or city water supply doesn’t have fluoride added, you talk to your pediatric dentist about what you can do to make sure your child’s getting enough fluoride.
Limit their sweets, sodas, and even juices. All those sugars can cause enamel erosion and damage to their teeth. Substitute for water when you can, or try watering down the juice. We recommend you don’t provide soda at all, and if or when you do place limits on how much, and encourage them to rinse their mouths out with water.
Can You Get Rid of Cavities?
Yes, if we determine that your kid does have a cavity, whether it be a cavity on a front tooth, or one more hidden in the back, we can treat cavities. This is typically done by doing a filling, where we literally fill the cavity. For front teeth, we may recommend a composite resin filling that will match the color of the tooth.
Pediatric Dental Treatment Options for Cavities
In spite of all prevention and routine brushing, it’s not uncommon for us to find cavities in the kids we see. Sometimes we may recommend fluoride treatments. Sometimes we may recommend sealants, which is a seal that covers the tooth to protect the enamel all while maintaining the appearance of the tooth.
So, there you have it. A quick guide to healthy teeth for kids. When was the last time your kids were in to see us? We are currently offering $25 gift cards for kids who come in to sit in the big chair and have their teeth cleaned and checked from now through to April 15. That should give you time to fit it into your busy schedules.
We have offices in four convenient locations in the Salt Lake City area, thereby making it easier for you to get your kids in to see us. For more information about those gift cards, go here. We hope to see you soon!
by Miranda Booher | Jan 26, 2021 | Children's Oral Health, Uncategorized
Valentine’s Day is a holiday that comes every February 14th and it’s traditionally all about love. For kids, this love is usually expressed in the form of treats. Most kids exchange Valentine’s Day candy or sweets in a social setting around this time of year – such as at school, church, or even at home.
Why not change the narrative on Valentine’s Day for your kids? With this holiday just around the corner, use these kids’ dental tips to teach your children more about their food choices and how those can affect their teeth. Finally, we will also give you some Valentine’s Day treat ideas on what to avoid and what to choose instead.
Explain Cavities to Kids this Valentine’s Day
If your child is looking forward to receiving the candy on Valentine’s Day, be sure they understand the importance of brushing the morning and evening of that day to keep their teeth strong and healthy.
Kids can develop healthy oral hygiene habits most effectively when they understand the importance of the proactive decision to take care of their teeth. In order for children to care about proper brushing and flossing, they need to first understand what a cavity is and how one develops. Dr. Adam Silevitch, DMD, who is an attending pediatric dentist at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia, explains in an article how he teaches kids about cavities using the analogy of a white apple:
“When we ‘do a filling,’ or ‘fix a tooth,’ we are removing the rotten part of the tooth of a bruised apple. A cavity is like the brown part of an apple, and underneath the brown apple area is healthy until we see a healthy tooth. We then put a hard material in to make that tooth strong again.”
Set a Good Example for Your Kids to Follow
Adults are equally guilty of getting excited and ripping into the Valentine’s Day candy, too. Remember, your kids are watching you. Always. As such, it’s important to set a good example so that your children will mimic your attitude and behaviors around candy and basic dental hygiene practices. When you brush your teeth of the morning you expect your child to have some extra candy, explain to them the importance of brushing each day. Also, emphasize that since you know your teeth may have some additional exposure to sugars and candies on that day, that you are making sure they are healthy and ready.
Brushing Teeth Post-Valentine’s Day Tips
No matter what treats (if any) your child consumed on this holiday, make the tooth brushing event a family affair on this day. Explain to your children that you’re taking extra care to brush thoroughly because of the candy or treats from that day. Be sure to provide your child with positive reinforcement and extra praise for doing a good job.
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that children who are two years old and up should use fluoride toothpaste while brushing. Be sure to instruct your children not to swallow the toothpaste. You should always ask your pediatric dentist if fluoride toothpaste is the best option for your child according to their age and developmental level. Demonstrate how to properly brush teeth with brushstrokes that go up and down or in a circular motion, not side-to-side.
Tooth-Friendly Valentine’s Day Treats
Taffy. Dark chocolate. Fruit. Truth is, some sweets are worse for our teeth than others. Hard candy, in particular, can launch a serious assault on the pearly whites of your child. Learn more about what treats you should avoid and which ones are good to go this V-day.
Types of Candy to Avoid for Children’s Dental Health:
Any type of hard candy that you suck on for a period of time can leave a sugary coating on the teeth. This causes a prolonged period of exposure of your teeth to sugars. Bacteria will create the acid that can erode your child’s teeth and cause cavities to form. Hard candy can also break or chip a child’s tooth.
Gummy candies that contain tacky sugar can be yummy, but they can also be hazardous to your child’s teeth. Gummy candy is not held in the mouth as long as hard candy, but due to the consistency, it tends to leave behind a sticky mess on the teeth. This sugary residue can erode the enamel on your child’s teeth. This enamel is supposed to serve as a protective barrier – and without it – your child’s teeth are more prone to decay.
Whether it is in gummy or hard formation – it doesn’t matter – sour candies are the worst type of food for your child’s teeth. A heavy-hitting concoction of acids is found in these candies (that includes citric, fumaric, and malic acids) – and it can lay a serious assault on the oral health of your child.
If you are baking some treats on Valentine’s Day, you should avoid adding in substances with sticky consistencies. For example, if you decide to cook brownies or cookies, do not add raisins or toffee, which will just cause all the sugars to stick to the teeth.
Valentine’s Day Treats That are Better for Your Child’s Tooth Health:
You can get creative and offer up some cute fruit cut into hearts on Valentine’s Day. Another type of fruit that is popular on Valentine’s Day is strawberry. Opt for chocolate-covered strawberries instead of chocolates for a healthier twist that is better for your kid’s teeth.
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Sugar-Free Gum and Treats
You can find yummy treats that are sugar-free for your kids on Valentine’s Day. Also, sugar-free gum is a great option, as it can even increase your flow of saliva, which neutralizes acids produced by plaque and bacteria.
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Cookies, Cakes, & Brownies
If you still want to go sweet but with as minimal damage as possible to your child’s teeth, then consider baked goods. Any baked good is going to be better than sticky chewy candy. Plus, you can make these recipes at home and regulate the amount of sugar that is added or even try sugar-free versions of recipes.
If you want to buy small candy bars or chocolate to enjoy on this holiday, go for the dark option. This allows your child to enjoy the flavor of cocoa while gaining a couple of health benefits. In fact, one of those is that cocoa can help harden your child’s teeth enamel!
Does Your Child Need a Pediatric Dental Appointment?
Is it time to get your kid in for a cleaning? Perhaps your child has a cavity that needs to be filled? Whatever the case may be, call us today at 801-948-8880 to book an appointment at one of our four pediatric dentist offices in:
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