Pediatric Dentistry of Redlands

Spring is here and it is the perfect time to go through your children’s bathroom and throw away old toothbrushes, old toothpaste containers and empty floss containers. Keeping old toothpaste containers around can be a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus. Along with toothbrushes that have not been changed in three months. Taking time to clean up the bathroom with your children can help encourage them to spend time brushing their teeth. Even sprucing up the tooth brushing area, by purchasing a new toothbrush holder, or a new tooth brush, new toothpaste can help your children become excited again about being in the bathroom and brushing.   But more importantly than that, is getting rid of old toothpaste containers that are harboring bacteria and old toothpaste around the top of the toothpaste container. Using old, dried toothpaste decreases the effectiveness of your child brushing their teeth. Tooth enamel is a critical component to keeping your children’s teeth healthy...

It may seem easy to put toothpaste on the list for the next time you go to the store but before you know it weeks have gone by and your little ones have not brushed their teeth because it’s the one item you keep forgetting. Stock up on extra when you go to the store and there is a sale. Dr. Cameron Fuller says, “Brushing their teeth is the single most important task, next to flossing, for their smile.” Because brushing with a little toothpaste helps to remove food from their mouth, teeth, and tongue. While bacteria is already present in their mouth, without toothpaste, it becomes a wide spread problem that can cause permanent damage to their smile. Toothpaste contains multiple good agents that not only remove food from the teeth but help to whiten, strengthen, and keep your child’s smile as healthy as possible. Brushing with water or without toothpaste will still remove the food from their teeth, but does not strengthen the enamel or protect against bacteria....