Dental tip of the week: Toothbrush Contamination

It is very important to replace your child's toothbrush every three to four months (and your own). When you brush your teeth, some of the bacteria remains on the brush and, therefore, can reinfect your teeth, gums or body again. This is especially important in this time of year-flu season! If you, or your child, become ill, immediately replace the toothbrush upon recovery.



Here is a helpful link to help prevent toothbrush contamination:
http://www.dentalresource.org/topics25.htm


Do you have any questions you would like us to answer? Let us know! Comment to this post, give us a call or ask us on our facebook: www.facebook.com/GrinDental.

The great social media adventure

Isn’t social media great? Dr. Patrick Ryan and Dr. Courtney Keel and team love connecting with our patients online, whether it’s by sharing news on our blog or communicating ideas on our interactive Facebook fan page. For social media to work, conversation is vital, and that’s why we invite you to join in and tell us what’s on your mind. Although social media is hugely popular these days, we know it is unpredictable and ever-changing.

While we’re taking a little time to research and decide how to best use social media, we thought we’d ask you, our loyal patients: How would you like us to use our social networks? What would you like us to share on our blog? Send us your thoughts or give us a call!

--The team at Grin Pediatric Dentistry

Halloween TIPS from the American Dental Association

It’s almost that spooky time of year again! Whether you are going door-to-door trick or treating, attending a party dressed in a clever, silly or scary costume, or simply getting together with friends and family to watch scary movies, Drs. Patrick Ryan and Courtney Keel and our team want you to keep in mind the following tips from our friends at the American Dental Association to help reduce tooth-decay.

•Eat treats with meals. Saliva production increases during meals washing out food particles and helping to neutralize cavity causing plaque acid.

•Consider chewing ADA-accepted sugarless gum after meals. Certain sugarless gums have earned the ADA Seal of Acceptance for scientifically proving that chewing the gum for 20 minutes after meals helped prevent tooth decay.

•Follow the 1-2-3s of good daily oral hygiene: Floss once a day, brush twice a day and eat three balanced meals a day.

•Visit Drs. Ryan and Keel for regular checkups.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN from your friends at Grin Pediatric Dentistry!

Cold season is here, from Grin Pediatric Dentistry

Cold and flu season is here - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that a common cold usually includes sneezing, runny nose, sore throat and coughing. Symptoms can last for up to two weeks.

To promote a healthy and clean environment, Drs. Patrick Ryan and Courtney Keel and our entire staff give a great deal of attention to sanitation and sterilization in our Plano, TX office at all times, as well as following all requirements for sterilizing instruments and work surfaces. For the protection of other patients and our staff at Grin Pediatric Dentistry, we always ask that patients reschedule their appointments if they have any type of cold or illness that can infect others.

And remember to constantly wash your hands and avoid contact with those who are ill! Stay healthy!

Ask. Grin Pediatric Dentistry: When is thumb-sucking a cause for worry?

Many of you have asked us at Grin Pediatric Dentistry about whether it’s healthy for children to suck thumbs (or, less frequently, fingers). If you’ve got a thumb-sucker in the house, you are not alone. Research tells us that between 75% and 95% of infants suck their thumbs.

Is this anything to worry about? In most cases, probably not. Sucking is a natural reflex for an infant, and can provide security and contentment as well as relaxation for your little one. It’s a habit that most kids grow out of between the ages of two and four.

However, if your child keeps sucking after he’s gotten his permanent teeth, it’s time to take a closer look. If your child sucks his thumb aggressively, putting pressure on the inside of his mouth or his teeth, it could cause problems with tooth alignment and proper mouth growth. If you’re worried, give us a call and we will help assess the situation, and provide tips for how to help your child break the habit.

From Grin Pediatric Dentistry: Artificial sweeteners and your child's health

Grin Pediatric Dentistry knows that there is always a lot of debate in the health community about the health effects of artificial sweeteners, and aspartame is most surely one of the most controversial food additives to ever be approved by the FDA. We try to provide you with the most up to date information on topics relating to the health of our patients and their loved ones. That is why we want to share with you a few facts that we recently learned in a Huffington Post article.

Did you know that aspartame is now sold under many commercial names, including NutraSweet, Canderel, and AminoSweet? Yes, that’s right. When checking nutrition facts, it is important to keep an eye out for all of these ingredients! This sweetener can be found in diabetic foods, jams, breakfast cereals, chewing gum, soda, and even prescriptions and vitamins.

What’s so harmful about aspartame?
With over 10,000 official complaints, aspartame reactions are more commonly reported than that of all other food additives combined. Of these reports, two-thirds consist primarily of headaches, mood alterations, and hallucinations. Determining your nutritional type and the foods that your body craves is key to satisfying sugar cravings. The recommended fructose level is below 25 grams per day, which includes both natural and artificial sweeteners.

Next time you're in for an appointment at Grin Pediatric Dentistry let us know if you have any questions about aspartame or this article. As always, please remember to use a straw if you choose to sip soda, coffee, or other dark colored beverages to take care of that beautiful smile!

The trouble with bottled water

Our team at Grin Pediatric Dentistry know that as more families turn to bottled water and away from the traditional tap, they may be missing out on one important ingredient that most brands of bottled water fail to include: fluoride!

For more than 60 years, water fluoridation has proved to be a safe and cost-effective way to reduce dental caries. Today, water fluoridation is estimated to reduce tooth decay by 20- to 40 percent in children who have access to fluoridated toothpaste.

Bottled water, however, which remains one of the more popular drinks in the world, may not contain any fluoride, which is known to help prevent and even reverse the early stages of tooth decay. The majority of bottled waters on the market do not contain optimal levels (0.7-1.2 ppm) of fluoride, according to our friends at the American Dental Association, or ADA. Many dental health specialists suspect bottled water’s increased popularity as the culprit behind rising rates of cavities.

Because fluoride helps strengthen teeth, it is an important component of maintaining good oral health. So if bottled water is your water of choice, be sure to check the label to make sure that your brand contains fluoride. As of a 2006 decision, the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, allows bottled water containing .6 to 1.0 milligrams per liter (parts per million) of fluoride to carry a label stating that fluoridated water may reduce the risk of dental cavities or tooth decay. The ADA has backed this decision.

Of course, simply drinking fluoridated water is not a magic ticket to perfect teeth. To keep your pearly whites in tip-top shape, it’s important to brush and floss daily and avoid sugary sweets, in addition to maintaining your fluoride intake and visiting Drs. Patrick Ryan and Courtney Keel and our team at the office regularly.