West Maitland Dentistry Blog

As your child goes back to school, make sure there are no distractions this year, such as teeth!   Did you know that dental health could have a big impact in the classroom?  One study points out that unplanned dental care for children 5-17 equals 34 million school hours lost a year!  So now that we’re back to school, help prevent those lost school hours by introducing your child to the dentist if you haven’t already.  To help do so, here are some tips to make sure your child’s dental visit is a pleasant one!

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

Role play: The week leading up to your child’s first visit have fun with them by pretending to be at the dentist.  You can act as the dentist and your child the patient.  Then have fun with it and switch the roles.  This gives your child a sense of control not to mention the giggles it creates!  Be sure to role play some common procedures your child will encounter.  Some things to act out are: taking x-rays, having a dental exam, cleaning the teeth, using suction, flossing and putting on fluoride.

Terminology: When you role play try using age appropriate words and descriptions.  Some ways we explain common procedures are:

• Taking x-rays: “taking pictures”
• Exam: “counting teeth”
• Explorer: “tooth counter”
• Cavities/bacteria: “sugar bugs”
• Polishing/Cleaning: “tickler or tickling toothbrush”
• Suction: “Mr. Thirsty or vacuum”
• Air/water: “squirt or water gun”
• Fluoride: “vitamins”

Read to them: Dental themed children books are great tools to prepare your child.  Reading these books ahead of their dental appointment can help them not only hear but also see what to expect. Two of my and my children’s favorites are The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist by Stan and Jan Berenstain and Just Going to the Dentist (Little Critter) by Mercer Mayer.

Make Sure They are Well Rested

If your child still naps, try not to schedule their dental visit around that time.  Tiredness and crankiness often go hand in hand!

Feed Them

A hungry child can be a crabby child.  Try to have your child eat 30 minutes to an hour before their appointment.  After a routine visit your child won’t be able to eat or drink for 30 minutes if fluoride is placed on their teeth.  If your child is having more complex dental work done that requires numbing, they may not be able to eat for a few hours!  Having your child fed can help ensure no growling tummies or tempers at their visit.

Check Your Anxiety at the Door

It’s not uncommon for adults to have a dental phobia.  Children can often pick up and sense the anxiety of a parent.  This may lead to their becoming apprehensive as well.  But the good news is that the reverse is also true!  Having an upbeat and excited attitude about your child’s dental appointment can rub off on them.  This can help make the visit a pleasant one for all!

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Does your child have an older sibling that is used to visiting the dentist?  If so, have them observe their big sister or brother during a routine check up before their first visit.  Make sure to have a talk with the older sibling.  Have the sibling show enthusiasm and discuss how nothing hurt after the visit is over.

Keep Your Cool

If the dental office is a new environment for your child it can often be a scary one.  At the first appointment, your child is getting used to new sights, sounds and smells.  Meeting new people and often times people wearing a lot of funny things (gloves, masks, eyewear, gowns, etc) can be tough for anyone.  If your child doesn’t react well try to stay calm and let the dentist and team members take the lead.   Raising voices or threatening can often make an already stressful situation worse.  Remember that every child is different and we all have our bad days!  Sometimes it is in their best interest to reschedule at a different date and time. 

Prevention

Preventing cavities can lead children to have only routine visits making their trips to the dental office easy, peasy.  Check out my previous blog with tips on good oral hygiene for your kids.

Before your child heads back to school be sure to get their mouths examined. Remember regular dental visits can prevent missed school days. Make sure the only thing bothering them this year is homework and not their teeth.  To book their appointment contact us!

So we all know that brushing and flossing are good for your teeth but did you know there are ways to improve your oral health just by what you eat? Sugary and acidic foods can cause long term damage to your teeth.  These foods can strip away the enamel or causing cavities.  Fortunately there are foods that can help strengthen your teeth and prevent cavities. Our favorite dentist, Dr. Avni Dhaliwal, shares some of her favorite mouth healthy foods and easy ways to incorporate them into your diet. Check out the list below!

Green Vegetables

Vegetables like broccoli, spinach and kale contain high amounts of calcium. Calcium helps your teeth remineralize and become stronger.  Leafy greens like spinach and kale also contain folic acid, which during pregnancy can help decrease the chances of pregnancy gingivitis. An easy way to incorporate these veggies into your diet is by throwing a handful of them in either a salad or a smoothie.

Hard Fruits and Vegetables

Hard fruits and vegetables are a great snack option to promote a healthy mouth.

Hard fruits such as apples and pears have a high water content, which helps dilute the sugars that they contain.

Crunchy vegetables, like carrots and celery, can help stimulate saliva production and can also act as a natural scraper to scrape away food particles. Dr. Dhaliwal likes to add peanut butter or cream cheese to these crunchy treats for some extra taste!

Nuts

Nuts, such as almonds, are a great source of calcium for your teeth. Nuts are also low in sugar and high in protein. Pack a handful of almonds as a great anytime go to snack or crush them and top your favorite salads with them for a little added crunch.

Dairy

Cheese lovers can rejoice in the fact that most cheeses are high in calcium and can even increase the pH of the mouth, which helps reduce the chances of cavities. Another dairy item that can be healthy for your mouth are yogurts. Yogurt is not only another great source of calcium but also contains probiotics. Probiotics can help increase the good bacteria found in your mouth, making less room available for the bad bacteria that can cause cavities. Remember with yogurts to buy the plain kind without any added sugars. Dr. Dhaliwal recommends putting plain yogurt into your smoothies for a silkier and delicious tasting smoothie.  She also likes to replace  sour cream  with plain yogurt when it comes to topping a baked potato or making her favorite creamy dip recipes.

Remember that every time you consume foods the pH in your mouth will tend to go down. Anytime the pH goes down, the acidic environment can cause your enamel to wear away and become weaker. When indulging in acidic foods and drinks such as tomatoes, citrus, sodas and red wine, try to pair them with a meal instead of snacking or sipping on them to decrease their negative effects. So the next time you go for that glass of wine try snacking on some cheese with it!

After snacking or eating a meal the best option would be to brush and floss of course but we know that it isn’t always an option. Dr. Dhaliwal recommends sipping on water or chewing sugar free gum after a snack or meal to increase saliva flow, wash away food particles and to raise the pH in the mouth back to normal.

Foods to Avoid

Finally, Dr. Dhaliwal does not recommend foods that are high in sugar, sticky and hard. Sugary foods and drinks, like sodas, will promote bad bacteria growth in your mouth which can eventually lead to a cavity. Sugary foods that are also sticky, such as caramels and raisins can get stuck in the crevices of your teeth and stay for long periods of time. Sugary hard foods, such as hard candies and cough drops can damage your teeth if you bite down on them and can even crack your tooth. These foods also can be sucked on for long periods of times, such as lollipops, which can keep that pH down for extended periods of time.

The next time you reach for a sugary treat, think twice and try to swap it out for one of these healthier options and always remember to brush and floss afterwards!