Pediatric Dentistry of Redlands

There is candy down every aisle and stores are beginning to stock up for the Halloween season, but this is the perfect time to walk by the Halloween candy and find a new way to help your children establish healthier dental habits. The sugar in candy and soda is the number contributor to dental decay and cavities. Cavities that are left untreated can break down your child’s healthy smile and cause them years of dental problems. While a small amount of candy may not negatively impact them, research shows that children are more likely to sneak chocolate and other candy late at night when it is in the house. On Halloween, children consume hundreds of calories in sugar and chocolate before they go to bed. This year, instead of trick or treating, invite some of your child’s friends over and have a small party at your house with healthy snacks. Or go to a movie or bowling instead of trick or treating. Establishing healthy habits now can save your child’s sm...

Have you ever thought that cavities in your child’s baby teeth may not matter and therefore you will wait until later to have them taken care of? I mean, after all, they are ‘just baby teeth.’ Unfortunately, a child’s baby teeth can impact their adult teeth. Here are 5 reasons why baby teeth are important.  Social development. Children who do not have a healthy smile may be shy or struggle to develop friends. They may be afraid that children will make fun of them because of their teeth. Adult dental formation. Baby teeth hold the space for the adult teeth and when decay impacts a baby tooth, many times it can also begin causing problems for the adult tooth preparing to emerge. Problems such as enamel discoloration or even decay. Speech development. If baby teeth are not properly cared for, it can be difficult for your children to say certain sounds or to produce certain words. Once they are in schoo...

Their bodies are drastically changing and it may be difficult to tell the difference between their everyday smells and the trouble of bad breath that is brewing beneath the surface. Halitosis or bad breath may not be caused by the food they are consuming, but it may be caused by something else going on in their bodies. Bad breath can be embarrassing and cause self-esteem issues for your teen. While mouthwash only gets rid of the problem temporarily, utilizing a mouthwash that has a plaque-reducing label can take care of the problem. Plaque is the thick, sticky buildup that can happen on your tongue. When not taken care of it can lead to bad breath even if your teen is brushing and flossing regularly. You may not always be able to tell if you have bad breath. Consuming gum once you have eaten, if you are unable to brush your teeth right away, can help to decrease your chance of bad breath as well as cut down on the bacteria in your mouth that can le...

It can be tricky in today’s society of hustling from one place to another to have your children consume healthy foods. American children are used to eating in the car between practices or rushing a high carbohydrate breakfast with them as they run out the door to catch the bus. These habits can lead to struggles later on to consume the healthy food their teeth and their bodies need. Establishing the habits early on can increase their chance of success. Here are 4 tips to help your children consume more fruit. Always have fruit that is cut up or easy for them to grab. When we are busy we grab what is easy. This is no different for our children. If we have fruit that is already cut in single serving sizes, it can be easier for your children to grab and eat on the go. Introduce multiple types of fruit. Everyone has different tastes. While they may not love grapes, they may really enjoy strawberries or blueberries. Trying ...

Does your child smile and share their pearly whites with you and it makes you cringe? Do you tell them to brush and floss only to wonder if they really did it? Here are five different things you may notice about your child's smile that could be telling you something more. 1.      Yellow stains on their teeth. This can be due to not brushing and plaque building up. It can also be indicative of foods they are consuming that is leaving stains on their teeth. Having a dental cleaning can help to determine what is the problem and then help your child to start off with a healthy white smile. 2.      Bleeding or puffy gums. Similar to adults, children’s gums should not bleed on a day to day basis when they brush. If they are bleeding when they brush it could be due to them not flossing. Helping them develop proper flossing routines can ensure they develop healthy habits from a young age that they can carry over as they get...

Your children are growing up and now they are teenagers. This change can be difficult but it is still important for their dental health that you continue to provide guidance. When should your teen get evaluated for orthodontics? How do you help your child make positive decisions about food choices that help their teeth, and how can you shape their dental habits? Here are 4 dental tips that can help keep your teen on the right path for their smile. 1.      Start young. Once they are a teenager some of these habits are deeply ingrained. The younger they are when you start, the more likely they are to continue to carry them over even when they are teenagers. 2.      Limiting the amount of soda you have in your house is a great way to have them reaching for the water or non-caffeinated drinks. 3.      Provide healthy snacks that are always around. Your child will reach for what is convenient. If t...

Summer is over and your children are heading back to school. For some this is an exciting time, for others this may be stressful. You now have to handle their school lunches, homework, busy schedules and getting them back in the routine of things. One area you should not have to stress about is their dental care. Follow these 4 simple rules when packing their lunch to help keep their teeth healthy while your children are at school. 1.      Pack water instead of juice. Water can help to remove food high in carbohydrates from sticking to their teeth if they do not brush after lunch. It also helps keep them hydrated and can prevent them from being impacted by dry mouth. 2.      Pack cut up carrots, cucumbers or other vegetables that have a high water concentration. 3.      Limit the carbohydrates. Foods that are high in carbs have a tendency to stick to the surface of the teeth. The longer that ...

Eating healthy can be a hard battle to win in a world where unhealthy food is readily available for your teenager. Now that they are back in school, it may be even more difficult to rein in their unhealthy habits as they pick from the food bar at school. Salads are a great way to keep their bodies and teeth healthy. Here are 5 tips and tricks to get your teenagers to love salads. 1.      Put a variety of vegetables in the salad. A salad with only tomatoes and ice burg lettuce can get old. Mix it up a bit with a variety of vegetables including ones that you know they love. 2.      Put chicken, steak or other favorite meat as a toping. While they are enjoying the flavor of their favorite meet they are getting the benefits of eating healthy. 3.      Mix it up with different spices and salad dressings. Now days you can find a recipe for any type of salad you want to try. Enjoy a spin-off of a reg...

A smile is the tool that can help increase your child’s confidence or hinder it. Research shows that an individual ’s smile is important to building their self-confidence, and individuals who have stains, crooked, broken or missing teeth can be negatively impacted for a lifetime. Not only is a smile the item we use to make a connection with other people, from across the room it allows someone to know you see them and are interested in talking to them. Here are 8 habits that may be hindering your child from having the smile they want. 1.      Not brushing or flossing. Brushing and flossing are the two most important things they can do to keep their smile healthy. 2.      Visiting the dentist on a regular basis. This can ward off any problems that may be occurring before it is too late. 3.      Drinking water and avoiding soda, tea or coffee. While millions of teenagers begin their day with a cu...