Pediatric Dentistry of Redlands

New environments with lots of action, lights and commotion can be very difficult for any child, especially when they are facing a dental procedure that they may interpret to be painful. While it is critical for children to visit the dentist on a regular basis, it can be trying on your patience and you may feel like giving up. But there is a better solution. Here are three tips from Pediatric Dentist, Dr. Cameron Fuller that can make the visit easier. Provide a supportive toy or blanket that can help them feel safe. If there is something that they hold onto when they are scared, this can be a great item for them to have close to them during the visit. When they have something that reminds them of home, it is easier for them to feel calm. Dr. Fuller recommends, showing them videos or completing a social story that allows your child to know what is expected. A short video or story can help explain what is going to happen when they are at the dentist and ...

Acid on the enamel of the teeth causes problems for your smile. The longer the sugar is attached to the teeth, the more opportunity the bacteria have to cause cavities. Dr. Fuller recommends decreasing the amount of candy your children consume overall in order to prevent cavities.   Once a cavity has occurred, if it is not taken care of, it can cause long-term damage and perhaps even need a root canal in order to fix.   Carmel, and other candy that is sticky, creates even more of a problem. The longer that sugar sticks to the teeth, the more opportunity sugar has to cause decay. While all candy can be bad for the teeth, sticky candy is even worse because it is difficult to remove from the teeth with drinking water or saliva. Once decay has set in, it can cause problems for your child’s body as well as their teeth.   It is not just the amount of sugar that is consumed that causes a problem, but the amount of time that candy is allowed to ...

It is never an easy chore to floss a child’s teeth, especially one who is not used to the process from a young age. It can be even more difficult when your child has special needs. While this is no easy chore, it is certainly a critical one. Dr. Fuller recommends a few tips and tricks to help provide support to your child to learn healthy flossing habits and to attempt to make the process easier. Start early. As soon as your baby has their first tooth erupt, begin to floss. This will help them get used to flossing from a very young age. This sets the stage that this is an important habit for your child to develop and will provide consistency. Utilize a reward for your child flossing their teeth without having a difficult time. When they initiate flossing, read them an extra story that night. Or take them for a walk the next day. The reward does not have to be expensive and it does not have to require a lot of time. Providing a small reward will continu...

Now that Halloween is over and the candy has entered the cupboards in your house. You may find the little fingers of your children eating handfuls of the stuff. You may be finding candy wrappers in their beds, in the pockets of their clothes and the remnants of the stuff on their lips. These weeks can be stressful trying to balance out letting them have a few pieces and arguing over why they can’t just have one more piece before bedtime. Dr. Cameron Fuller recommends these three tips to help.   1.      Put the candy in a container that has a seal on it and put it up higher in the cupboard or on top of the cupboard where it is out of sight. Children who do not see the candy are less likely to be asking for some.   When you do decide that they can have a piece of two, you may want to consider having them not watch where you take the bag from. Having it put away can also limit the pieces that are taken when everyone is walking in...

Delta Dental reports, “Close to 9 billion dollars was spent on Halloween candy. It flooded the isles of the stores weeks prior and is left the shelves to end up in your home on the shelf.” Children consume over 100 pieces of candy in the first few weeks after Halloween. While candy in moderation isn’t necessarily the problem, candy does have an impact on children’s teeth. Candy has both short and long-term impact on children’s teeth and the health of their bodies, and not all candy is created equal. While sticky treats tend to stay on the teeth longer, this increases the opportunity for decay and plaque to attack the enamel and cause cavities.   The longer that candy is on the surface of the teeth, the greater the impact. Dr. Cameron Fuller suggests, "ff your children do consume a food that is sticky or any high sugar foods, it is important that they brush right away to remove debris from the surface of the teeth." This lessens the opportunity f...

While it may be difficult at first for your children to understand, there are alternatives to trick or treating that can keep your children’s teeth healthy and free of decay. Here are five activities that are fun for the family instead of trick or treating.   Watch a movie. Spend a few minutes preparing for a fun at home movie night. Comfortable seating, healthy snacks, popcorn and some drinks. Now you are ready to enjoy a movie night. Don’t put your front lights on & you will let your neighbors know that you are not available to give out candy this year and your family movie night will remain a quiet, fun night at home. Pediatric dentist, Dr. Cameron Fuller suggests, “Go bowling or hit up a healthy restaurant.” It can be fun to spend time with family. Relax with your kids inside a location that is not promoting or giving candy away. Your children will enjoy the quality time with you and the fun instead of what candy they didn’t get. Play ...

Halloween is right around the corner & last post we discussed the three worst Halloween candies for kid’s teeth. This post we are going to focus on the best candy for their teeth. Here are four of the best treats for children, if they are going to participate in trick or treating. Lollipops are a great way to increase saliva production. The more saliva that is produced the better chance your child has of warding off cavities. Saliva will rinse food from the surface of the teeth. Hard candies are also good for increasing saliva and helping to reduce the risk of cavities. “After candy is consumed it is important to have your child brush their teeth in order to remove any leftover sugar from the teeth,” says Pediatric dentist Dr. Cameron Fuller . Sugar-free gum helps to remove food particles from the teeth as well as increasing saliva. Dr. Fuller suggests, “While sugar free gum may not be a common Halloween candy, you can replace each piece of candy off of ...