Halloween is coming up but it doesn't have to be all about sweets! Here are a few ideas of treats you can give to your child on Halloween to celebrate!
Jack-o-lantern Fruit Cups: Fill a hollowed out orange peel with various types of cut up fruit (apples, pears, grapes - anything your child loves!). To make it more fun, cut out a jack-o-lantern face in the orange peel.
Monster Apple Bites: Cut up slices of apples and fill with your child's favorite type of nut better (or alternative if your child has allergies). Then place a strawberry slice (for the monster's tongue), some type of seeds (for monster's teeth), and place some googly eyes! This makes for a fun "spooky" snack!
Mini Mummy Pizzas: Make your child's lunch on Halloween pizza, with his/her favorite ingredients! To give the "mummy" look, place slices of cheese in horizontal lines before baking. Halloween Roasted Veggies: Make vegetables more fun by cutting them into fun Halloween shapes! Roast them in the oven for a healthy snack option.
These are just a few ideas on what you can do with your child. Just remember to make sure to brush your child's teeth after they have their sweet treat!
As your child gets settled into the new school year, here are a few of our tips on making sure your child's teeth are taken care of!
1) Establish a brushing routine! - Kids love routines and having brushing as part of the routine prevents them from forgetting to brush. 2) Pack healthy lunches and snacks! - Avoid any sticky foods like gummies or crackers as they stick to teeth and can cause cavities! We also recommend reducing sugary drinks! 3) See your child's dentist regularly! - As your schedules get busy with activities, don't forget to make sure your child has their regular 6 month visits scheduled!
We hope everyone has a wonderful school year ahead!
As the weather warms up and gets sunny ☀️, children are outside more participating in sports and recreational activities ?♂️
As pediatric dentists, we highly promote the use of facial protection, such as mouth guards and helmets. But why may you ask?
There is a high chance of injury to your child's teeth and mouth during participation in sports and recreational activities! As dentists, we work hard to help families prevent these injuries as best as we can.
But of course, dental injuries unfortunately do happen quite often. If your child ever has an injury to their mouth, please contact to our child's dentist ASAP! We take dental injury emergencies very seriously and some injuries may be time sensitive to take care of.
A great resource that families can use is a phone app called ToothSOS (Disclaimer: we have no financial obligations to this application, it is just a great resource!). Families can easily pull up what injury their child has and follow the instructions on the app until they can reach their dentist.
Have fun and stay safe in the sun! ☀️ Don't forget to have your children wear mouthguards and helmets!!
With each new year comes new resolutions! We came up with a few to help you start off the year with great dental health for your child!
Regular brushing routine: Our guidelines recommend that parents help their child brush 2x/day for 2 minutes each time. We know how hard it can be to do this, especially for our youngest patients. The most important thing is to establish a regular brushing routine - such as bath, brush, book, bed. Having a regular routine that your child can get used to brushing is much better than pushing for brushing 2x/day.
Healthy food choices: It's always easy to say: "we have to eat healthier!" Healthy food choices doesn't have to mean no sugar, no sweets ever. What's more important is how often your child is consuming these sweet treats. Having the treat ocassionally as a dessert or special occasion is much healthier for your teeth than having it every day throughout the day. The more we expose our teeth to sugar, the more likely your teeth may develop cavities!
Don't forget to see your dentist at least 2 times a year! Regular check ups not only have keep your child's mouth healthy and cavity free, this helps establish a healthy habit that your child will hold on to when they are adults. Children who had great experiences at the dentist as a child are more likely to continue to seek dental care when they are older!
Here are a few ideas of treats you can give to your child on Halloween to celebrate!
Jack-o-lantern Fruit Cups: Fill a hollowed out orange peel with various types of cut up fruit (apples, pears, grapes - anything your child loves!). To make it more fun, cut out a jack-o-lantern face in the orange peel. 
Monster Apple Bites: Cut up slices of apples and fill with your child's favorite type of nut better (or alternative if your child has allergies). Then place a strawberry slice (for the monster's tongue), some type of seeds (for monster's teeth), and place some googly eyes! This makes for a fun "spooky" snack! 
Mini Mummy Pizzas: Make your child's lunch on Halloween pizza, with his/her favorite ingredients! To give the "mummy" look, place slices of cheese in horizontal lines before baking. 
