Children and Oral Hygiene

September 28, 2012

Filed under: News — elmbrookfamilydental @ 8:45 pm

Here at Elmbrook Family Dental, we start seeing children near their 3rd birthday for a routine visit. This is when most children have their full set of 20 primary (baby) teeth. So, what can you expect at this first visit? Every child reacts differently in the dental chair. Often times the first visit is simply a “Happy Visit” in which your child takes a ride in the chair, and we take a brief look in their mouth. As a parent, you shouldn’t be discouraged if the first visit or two aren’t successful cleanings. Your child will eventually have a full cleaning, exam and x-rays. Unless their is an urgent need for restorative dental care, there is no urgency to their first full visit. As a general and family dentist, we see love to see children and adults of all ages!

Routine dental visits are only part of a healthy mouth. At home care plays a significant role in plaque and cavity prevention. Be sure your little one is brushing 2x daily, just like you! It is ok to be involved in your childs brushing routine until the age of 9, or whenever they are removing plaque effectively themselves. Allow them to brush first, then finish the brushing yourself. Incorporate floss picks to make an easy transition for daily flossing. The Hygiene staff at Elmbrook will be happy to personalize  treatment goals for your child and every family member! Call our office today to schedule. We look forward to seeing your smile 🙂

Dental visits do more than prevent tooth decay!

September 21, 2012

Filed under: News — elmbrookfamilydental @ 2:27 pm

Although many patients do not look forward to coming to the dentist, they show up for a visit every six months in order to avoid build up and undetected cavities. But, did you know that your Dental Hygienist and Dentist are also screening you for early signs of cancer? Screening the lips, tongue, thyroid and lymph node chain are a standard part of your visit every six months. Early detection of abnormal lesions is key to a good prognosis. So, before you procrastinate your next dental visit. Think of what you might be risking.

How much toothpaste is too much?

September 14, 2012

Filed under: News — elmbrookfamilydental @ 9:54 am

How much toothpaste do you use on your brush every day? If you take a moment to read the instructions on the tube you have in your bathroom, you will notice it says: “use a pea size amount”. Truth be told, when searching for an image for this article, we could not even find a picture with a pea size amount of paste on a brush!

So, why only a little paste? In order for the fluoride to be effective, you just don’t NEED more than this amount. A pea size contains an appropriate amount of fluoride in order to fight tooth decay, so why waste? Another reason is that it becomes difficult to rinse your bristles completely clean if there is paste gunking it up. Left over paste can hibernate nasty oral bacteria that you just spent two minutes removing from your mouth. Do you really want to put that back in your mouth next time you brush?

Next time you squeeze that tube, stop at a pea size. That’s all you need!paste