Arizona Pediatric Dental Care

🎆🎇 **We will be closed for the 4th of July!** 🎇🎆

We’re taking the week off to celebrate Independence Day!✨ Enjoy the fireworks, BBQs, and time with loved ones! 🎉🍔🌭

Have a safe and fun holiday! 🎇❤️🤍💙

Thank you to all our amazing patients for brightening our days! 🦷✨ We appreciate you! 💖 😁🪥

📞✨ Don't forget to schedule your child's summer dental visit! 🦷🌞 Call us now to book an appointment and keep those smiles bright all summer long! 🌟😃

🦷✨ Keep your smile shining bright! 🌟 Don't forget to floss every day to keep those pearly whites healthy and happy! 😁🧵

Keep those little smiles shining bright! ✨ Regular pediatric cleanings are key to setting up your kiddo for a lifetime of healthy teeth and happy grins. 😁🦷

☀️👧 Don't forget to bring your child in this summer for a sparkling smile! 😁✨

🚫 Don't let cavities creep in unnoticed! 😬 Untreated cavities in children can lead to bigger issues down the road. 🛑 Let's prioritize early detection and prevention for those precious smiles! 🦷💖

🦷👶 Early dental visits are key! Pediatric dentists keep an eye on tooth and jaw development, from baby teeth popping up to checking that bite. 🔄 Catching any issues early means prompt action for a healthy smile! 😁

It’s always a good reminder to think about your teeth as three dimensional, and that each surface needs love and care! Teach your kids to brush each surface of the tooth for a healthy smile 🦷🪥

🦷🌟 Did you know? Baby teeth don't always play by the rules! 😄 While most kiddos start losing their baby teeth around age 6, it's totally normal for some to start as early as age 4 or as late as age 7 or beyond! 🔄✨ The sequence of tooth loss usually follows a pattern, but every smile is unique, just like your child! 💖 Keep up with those dental check-ups to make sure their pearly whites are on track! 📆✅ Embrace the journey of their little teeth sprouting and falling out like the unique adventure it is! 🎉👶

🌷🍏 Spring's here, and so are these tooth-friendly treats!

Dive into nutritious snacks bursting with seasonal goodness: sliced strawberries with yogurt, crunchy carrot sticks and hummus, snap peas with creamy ranch dip, apple slices paired with almond butter, crisp cucumber rounds and cream cheese, refreshing mixed berry smoothies, and crunchy celery sticks with peanut butter. 😁🌼

Let’s learn about sealants!

Sealants are thin, plastic coatings painted on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth.
Getting sealants put on is simple and painless. Sealants are painted on as a liquid and quickly harden to form a shield over the tooth.

Sealants have been around since the 1960s.

Sealants are put on teeth to prevent tooth decay. Fluoride in toothpaste and in drinking water protects most surfaces of teeth, but chewing surfaces of the back teeth need extra protection. Sealants cover the chewing surfaces of the back teeth and keep out germs and food.

Having sealants put on teeth before they decay will also save time and money in the long run by avoiding fillings, crowns, or caps used to fix decayed teeth.

Source:
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (nidcr.nih.gov)

Summer is in full swing and we are loving our patients’ beautiful smiles! Here’s what Olivia and Cash have to say about going to the dentist:

“I like the play spot. I like to wash a show and the strawberry stuff they put on my teeth” - Cash

“It’s so fun and I love the people that clean my teeth” - Olivia

(Thank you for the submission!)

There are so many great books about going to the dentist and caring for your teeth! Check your local library for some of these to read to your child before their next visit 📖📚

You can often miss the first signs of tooth decay by just glancing at your children’s teeth- be sure to lift their lip to check underneath every so often!

Things to watch out for:
1. White spots or lines along the gums. This can be an early sign of cavities.
2. Browns spots or lines along the gum line show that tooth decay is getting bigger.
3. Browns spots all over the tooth or broken teeth are a sign of cavities.

See your dentist soon if you notice any of these things!

Don’t forget to show your teeth some love this Valentine’s Day! ❤️🦷

Why floss? You miss 40% of your tooth’s surfaces if you skip it! Start building a good flossing habit this year for a cleaner and healthier mouth 👄

Happy Thanksgiving to our wonderful patients! We are so grateful for you!💖

Parents, do you have a thumb sucker at home?

Thumb sucking is very normal in infants. Many children naturally stop sucking their thumb between ages 2-4. Past this age, continued vigorous thumb-sucking can cause: misaligned bite, palate issues, speech problems, and overbite or overjet.

Tips to stop:
🌟Praise your child for not sucking their thumb. Don't scold them if they do, more stress or shame can increase their desire for comfort through thumb sucking.
🌟Children often suck their thumbs when they feel insecure or need comfort. Focus on why your child is anxious and comfort them in other ways. Try a blanket, stuffed animal, or favorite toy.
🌟Try bandaging the thumb, or putting a sock over their hand at night to prevent thumb sucking. Dentists might also recommend a bitter medication or a thumb sucking guard.
🌟If your child is old enough, explain how thumb sucking can negatively affect their oral health.

Source: 2min2x.org
Partnership for Healthy Mouths Healthy Lives

The answer? Dental cavities! Untreated dental disease in children can lead to significant pain, difficult emergency visits, and countless hours of school lost each year.

Early dental visits (starting as young as one year old) can prevent suffering, financial expense, and can maximize the chances of growing up with a healthy smile!

Source: AAPD foundation

What’s the deal with dental sealants? Here’s some reasons why they might be something to ask about at your next appointment.

Sealants are a thin protective coating applied to the chewing surfaces of teeth that shuts out food particles that can cause cavities. The application is fast and comfortable and the results often last for many years.

In fact, sealants have been shown to reduce the risk of decay by nearly 80% in molars. According to the CDC, "school-age children without sealants have almost three times more cavities than children with sealants."

Children and adults can benefit from sealants, but the earlier you get them, the better. Your first molars appear around age 6, and second molars break through around age 12. Sealing these teeth as soon as they come through can keep them cavity-free from the start, which helps save time and money in the long run.

Sources:
www.aapd.org
www.mouthhealthy.org

Dr. Welch and grand baby Mia had a great visit this week! 🦷 Mia sure loves her papa!

Even babies can experience tooth decay 😢 🦷 Here's some tips from the AAPD on how to prevent this!

👶 Avoid nursing children to sleep or putting anything other than water in their bed-time bottle.
👶 Learn the proper way to brush and floss your child's teeth.
👶 Take your child to a pediatric dentist regularly to have his/her teeth and gums checked.
👶 The first dental visit should be scheduled by your child's first birthday.

Source: https://www.aapd.org/resources/parent/faq/

You didn’t think you’d be getting an anatomy lesson today, did you? 😁

Here’s some cool facts about tooth anatomy!

⭐️ENAMEL is the only tissue in the body that has no living cells. Because it’s not alive, it can’t repair itself from decay! Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, harder than bone

⭐️GUMS have an important purpose to protect the jaw bone and roots of the teeth!

⭐️ROOTS make up about 2/3 of your tooth’s overall length. The crown (exposed tooth) is only about 1/3 the length

Wishing you a happy Easter and happy Passover season 🌸🌷🌸

We love our cute little patients with all our hearts! Macall (Dental Assistant) is the best of the best! ❤️

Is a soft or hard bristle toothbrush more effective? Swipe to learn🪥🪥🪥

Happy Valentine’s Day from your friends at Arizona Pediatric Dental Care! 💗❤️

Wishing you a happy 2022! Give us a call today to get on our schedule and start the year off right! 🥳🎉🦷✨