Pediatric Dentistry of Redlands

We all know that sugar can be damaging to the body, but do you know how harmful it can be to your child’s smile? Decay can happen when teeth enamel is attacked by acid. While sugar not only impacts your child’s overall health and can be the difference between a healthy body and diabetes, sugar can also be incredibly damaging to the smile. The Average American consumes an average of 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, but the recommendation for an adult is only 6 and is less than that for a child. Once your little one consumes sugar, the substance stays on the surface of their enamel. The longer the sugar remains on the surface of their teeth the longer it mixes with the saliva that is in their mouth and then can cause decay and cavities.   It can soften the tooth enamel causing them to be susceptible to decay for up to thirty minutes after consuming food or drinks. Having your child drink water instead of Gatorade, fruit juice, milk or other drinks, especially in the evening, can e...

Halloween is here and the candy may be lining the shelves of the stores, but that does not mean it has to be filling the counters of your kitchen. The more access your children have to candy the more likely they are to consume a large amount which not only impacts their overall health but can decrease the strength of the enamel on their teeth. If you have candy in the house you may want to put it out of reach of your children. Or make a deal with them on how much is an appropriate amount for them to consume. If they are going to eat candy, Dr. Cameron Fuller and his team recommend to have them brush their teeth right away in order to decrease their risk of decay. While a small amount of candy is okay with the right precautions, too much sugar not only impacts their bodies, but it can have catastrophic long-term problems for their smile. As their baby teeth are the place holder for your little one’s adult teeth what happens to them is critical to the health of their smile. ...

Pumpkin spice flavor is hitting the stores in waves and Pumpkin Spice Lattes are in full effect in coffee shops around the United States, but here is why your teen should avoid consuming these drinks.   Pumpkin Spice Lattes contain a large amount of sugar. The more sugar that a drink has the more susceptible your teen’s smile is to developing cavities and other problems.   The longer the sugar is on the surface of the teeth the extra time that decay has to set in. The larger the size of drink the longer it takes to drink it and the more time that bacteria has to cling onto your teen’s smile and eat away at their healthy teeth. It is critical that your teen develops healthy dental habits now. Helping them to avoid this coffee craze is the best option available to you. If they are begging you for the pumpkin spice latte and you feel inclined, there are healthier ways to prepare this delicious drink that has less sugar and fewer calories. They could enjoy this drin...