Happy Halloween!

 

 

Did you know that Halloween is the biggest candy-selling day?  To our Safari parents: We know many kids love candy, especially after a fun day of trick-or-treating. 

Here are some examples of teeth friendly candy habits:
-xylitol chewing gums
-candy consumed after a full meal
-non sticky candy - try little M&M's instead of the chocolate caramels
-brush your child's teeth with fluoridated toothpaste

Some examples of non teeth friendly candy habits:
-chewy candy like gummy bears that promote snacking throughout the day
-hard candy or lollipops that promote sugar staying in the mouth for a long period of time

If you would like a more detailed explanation or more tips, please feel free to call Safari Children's Dentist and we would be more than happy to provide creative ideas to customize your child's personal needs.  We are serious about preventing dental cavities for your child!  Happy teeth equals happy child!

For the original article link: http://www.hccmis.com/blog/sugar-and-health-facts-sweet-tooth-infographic-part-3/

Is Your Kid Addicted to Sweets?

Here's how to make peace with junk food and still eat healthy. By Marisa Cohen from American Baby

A Realistic Approach to Sweets

My daughter Molly was 18 months old the first time she tasted a piece of candy. We were at the hair salon watching her older sister get a trim when the stylist offered Molly a yellow lollipop. As she took her first lick, her eyes opened wide as saucers, and she looked at me as if to say, "Mommy, where have these yummy treats been all my life?"

That was just the start. Her sister soon introduced her to gummy bears and M&Ms, and now, whenever I offer apples or grapes as an afternoon snack, Molly pouts and says, "Nooo, chocolate!" It's a struggle, but I'm trying to teach her that treats are only a small part of an otherwise balanced diet.

Sure, it would be great if we could eliminate all sugary, fatty foods from our kids' lives and have them happily munch on carrot sticks all day. But unless you plan to lock them in the house until they leave for college, that's not practical. "As soon as you tell a child a certain food is forbidden, it becomes very desirable," says Laurie Higgins, RD, a pediatric dietitian at the Joslin Diabetes Center, in Boston. The first time he encounters a stack of Oreos at school or a Snickers bar at his friend's house, it could trigger an obsession as serious as the one you had for that bad boy your mother warned you not to date.

A more realistic approach is to accept the fact that children love sweets, and that there is a healthy way to integrate them into your family meal plan. Here, some simple rules for taming your child's sweet tooth.

 

 

6 Simple Rules for Taming Your Child's Sweet Tooth

1. Introduce treats as a regular part of your child's diet early on.
The little health fairy in your head may be telling you to avoid giving in to requests for ice cream and brownies for as long as possible, but dietitians say it's better for you to introduce sweets, usually between 18 months and 2 years, than to have kids pick up their eating ideas from friends or TV. "If your child has established a well-rounded diet including vegetables and fruit, it's fine to introduce treats as soon as she starts asking for them," says Amy Jamieson-Petonic, RD, manager of the Fairview Hospital Wellness Center, in Cleveland. Just be sure to emphasize moderation and portion control.

2. Keep it small and sweet.

3. Don't attach emotional baggage to food.
Children should enjoy snacks and candy for their flavor and texture and not as a reward or comfort, says Jamieson-Petonic. We know it's tempting to dangle a bag of chocolate kisses in front of a child who's having a meltdown in aisle 12. Instead, try tempting them to behave with an activity, like an extra story or a Candy Land marathon.

4. Take care to preserve those pearly whites.
When it comes to caring for your child's chompers, you might be surprised to learn that a piece of chocolate is no worse for teeth than a Goldfish cracker. In fact, it may even be preferable, says Michael Hanna, DMD, a pediatric dentist in Pittsburgh. "It's not the food itself that causes cavities," he says, though some 90 percent of foods contain sugar and starches, both of which can lead to cavities. "What matters is how long they remain in your mouth."
Smooth, creamy foods like chocolate, cheese, and ice cream get washed down by saliva as soon as you finish chewing them; but crumbly snacks like crackers, pretzels, and chips tend to break up into smaller pieces that get wedged into your molars. And the longer they're stuck there, the more opportunities there are for the sugars and starches in the food to set off an acid attack, which eventually causes decay. Just be sure your child washes down cookies and crackers with water or milk and brushes her teeth soon after.

5. Sticky food should be an occasional treat.
"When Anna was 15 months old, we started giving her chewy fruit snacks, which I thought were a healthy alternative to junk food," recalls Tracy Bauer, of Kirkwood, Missouri. "When she turned 2, I was brushing her teeth and noticed some discoloration on one of her molars. I took her to the dentist, and she had a cavity." Dr. Hanna warns that fruit roll-ups should be given in moderation because they get stuck in the teeth, causing more decay. Although they are nutritious, dried fruits such as raisins and apricots fall into this sticky category as well, so brush your kids' teeth thoroughly after he eats them.

6. Be a healthy role model.
"Candy can become a culture in some homes," says Cynthia Northington, PhD, a psychology professor at William Patterson University, in Wayne, New Jersey. "If you don't want your child to become fixated on it, make sure it doesn't play a big role in your own life." Eat healthy meals and snacks, and your kids will follow suit. Besides, think of all the times you've sworn to cut down on the sweet stuff to fit into a swimsuit. Isn't teaching your child how to have her own positive relationship with food the best incentive of all?

Handling Halloween

What to do with that giant bag of candy that comes home on Halloween? This year, institute a buy-back program: Let your child pick out 10 or 20 of his favorite pieces of candy, to be doled out once a day, and offer to trade him an extra-special treat for the rest of the bag. Great options include a special day at the zoo, a trip to the movies, a T-shirt with his favorite character, or a new board game. But make sure you don't eat his booty in front of him -- either toss it or take it to your office.

Marisa Cohen, a mother of two, is a writer in New York City.

Originally published in American Baby magazine, October 2005.

All content here, including advice from doctors and other health professionals, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.

For the original article, please visit: http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/feeding/healthy-eating/nutritionkid-addicted-to-sweets/?page=1

 

 

 

10 Things Your Pediatric Dentist Wants You to Know

By Jennifer Larson                  

Make a visit to your child’s pediatric dentist easy-peasy with these dental hygiene suggestions from the docs themselves. 

istockphoto.com

October is Dental Hygiene Awareness Month. But for many parents, the prospect of taking their child to the pediatric dentist sounds more like a Halloween nightmare.

 

Don’t panic! You can prepare a child so the visit isn’t scary at all. A good rule of thumb is to offer a general overview of what to expect: “The dentist will look at your teeth, take some pictures and clean your teeth with a special toothbrush.”
“If you, the parent, have any apprehension about dental visits, never pass that on to your child,” says Dr. Warren Brill, president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). “Always tell them that the dentist is a person who is there to help keep them healthy and make sure they have pretty teeth and a pretty smile.”

In order to keep your child’s dental visits as painless and cavity-free as possible, here are 10 things that your pediatric dentist wants you to know:
1. Brush at least twice each day. Ideally, your child would always brush after eating, but aim for at least twice a day, including after dinner.
2. Use a toothpaste with fluoride.  “Any toothpaste containing fluoride sold over the counter in the U.S. contains an effective, appropriate amount of fluoride,” says Dr. Joel Berg, past-president of the AAPD. Use a lentil-size amount for a child younger than 3 years and a slightly larger amount for older kids.
3. Make sure your child is brushing properly. If you’re not sure your child has fully grasped the right technique, you might want to do most of the brushwork yourself. When your child is a little older—maybe 7 or 8 years—you can just watch them as they brush. “Keep an eye on what they do,” says Dr. Brill. “And if you have to follow up, follow up.”
4. Schedule your child’s first dentist appointment by age 1 year. You might even go sooner if your child develops teeth earlier.
5. Treats should be treats. Dentists often wince when they hear about children eating lots of sticky foods and candy. “It sticks in the grooves of the teeth,” says Dr. Brill. “Even brushing and rinsing may not remove all the sticky goo from the grooves.” Try to reserve those sticky treats for special occasions.
6. Don’t let your child drink sugary drinks frequently. Think of all that sugary liquid bathing your child’s teeth and gums, over and over. “Sipping on a soda with sugar all day can be seriously cavity-causing,” says Dr. Berg. “When it comes to cavities, it’s the frequency of sugar more than the quantity in total that can cause cavities.”  
7. No drinks in bed. If your child stalls at bedtime by asking for a glass of water, you can give in. But don’t put your child to bed with a bottle or cup of milk or juice, unless you plan to brush their teeth before they nod off.
8. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Since diet does have a relationship to oral health, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends eating lots of fresh veggies, fruits and whole grains.
9. Sealants can be a good protective measure. Dentists can apply a material to your child’s molars to help ward off cavities. “It fills in those grooves where decay is so prevalent, where it’s so easy to occur,” says Dr. Brill. 
10. Floss! As soon as your child has teeth that touch each other, they can get food and bacteria stuck in between them—and floss is the best way to get it out. You can buy pre-strung flossing sticks to make the flossing process easier.
As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Taking these simple steps can create life-long good dental hygiene habits and ensure a pleasant visit to the dentist.

For the original article, please visit: http://dailyparent.com/articles/10-things-your-pediatric-dentist-wants-you-to-know/

Sesame Street: Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me: Brushy Brush PSA

We want our Safari kids to be cavity free!  Parents often tell us: "My child won't let me brush his/her teeth."  Why not try to make it fun?

Here is a great video with Elmo singing the Brushy Brush song.  Elmo even used the right amount of toothpaste (a pea size amount)!  Maybe you can try showing this video to your child while you are brushing his/her teeth?