Week 3: Second Molar Triumphs Over Tartar the Terrible, Shows Off Healthy Oral Routines

Posted on February 23, 2016 by casasmiles

Happy “Tooth-Day”!

Farah Flossit here, hoping your “Mouth Madness” month has been a “slam dunk” thus far:)

Taking on a Mouth Monster is a cinch for a Second Molar with Healthy Oral Routines. Executing moves he learned in practice with a Pediatric Dentist, the victorious tooth dodged sugary foods and drinks and chose tap water for his water bottle instead. The Mouth Monsters feasted on sour gummies, but Second Molar avoided sticky situations on the court and in his lunch box. He munched on carrots and apples to keep his oral care game fresh and clean between brushing.

Below you will find a printable brushing tracker or we can call it a “Mouth Madness” score card, that you can use during “Mouth Madness” & there after!

In addition to all the useful information that the AAPD, I came across some tips to keep in mind during “Mouth Madness”.

There’s still time to join our “Mouth Madness” challenge. Create match-ups at home with your family members. Track the games with the tools I have provided & create activities with your little ones with the free downloadable coloring pages & brushing tracker. Lastly, take pictures of your team members brushing & flossing & share them with others to promote the importance of Good Oral Hygiene.

Thank you for tuning in on today’s Happy “Tooth-Day’s” report!

I look forward to chatting with you all next week!

In the meantime, you can follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/casasmilespediatricdentistryandorthodontics?pnref=lhc. Instagram http://instagram.com/casasmiles/, Twitter https://twitter.com/casa_smiles, Yelp http://www.yelp.com/biz/casa-smiles-pediatric-dentistry-and-orthodontics-coral-gables & Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/casasmiles/ to hear all about our daily news! You can always call or email us with any questions, concerns, to make an appointment, or for a complimentary Ortho Consultation http://www.casasmiles.com/contact-us/.

Your Friend,

Farah Flossit (Special Agent Flossit)

MOUTH MADNESS-WEEK 2 UPDATE

Posted on February 16, 2016February 16, 2016 by casasmiles

Happy “Tooth-Day”!

Farah Flossit here, wishing all my readers a blessed week!:)

Just a reminder, February is Mouth Madness!!! I hope you all had a great & Mouth Monster-Free Valentine’s Day Weekend. This week’s post is all about reinforcing the importance of Good Oral Hygiene & celebrating Mouth Madness. Thanks to the AAPD I can provide you with the latest news & updates about The Tournament of Tooth Care!

1st Matchup Update: First Molar Beats Tooth D.K., Thanks Fluoride

A little fluoride every day went a long way for First Molar in today’s Mouth Madness matchup. Ranked #1 in cost-effective ways to prevent tooth decay and a favorite play among Pediatric Dentists, strengthening teeth with fluoride is a smart strategy for little molars everywhere.
Tooth D.K. has stepped on the oral care court many times – tooth decay is one of the top chronic infectious diseases among children in the U.S. – but with a fluoride-focused game plan, its victories are nearly 100% preventable.

Recruit fluoride to your team of healthy teeth.

Score BIG with Oral Care. Moms & dads, this challenge is for you! Hopefully you have #1 taken care of with Casa Smiles:)

Below you will find 3 printable coloring sheets for you little ones. Great way to encourage Good Oral Hygiene while having fun coloring!

I hope you are all taking on the challenges for Mouth Madness! It is my pleasure to help you all with fun activities & useful information about you & your family’s Oral Health.

Thank you for tuning in on today’s Happy “Tooth-Day’s” report!

I look forward to chatting with you all next week!

Your Friend,

Farah Flossit (Special Agent Flossit)

SWEET LOVE~no sugar added~

Posted on February 9, 2016February 9, 2016 by casasmiles

Happy “Tooth-Day”!!

Farah Flossit here, hoping you show your teeth & smile some LOVE this Valentine’s Day!

I’m sooo excited today to share with all of you some great ideas for NON-CANDY Valentine’s Day treats. The best way to express your love this Valentine’s Day is to love your teeth & share your healthy smile. Send your friends & loved ones sweet messages without the sugary Mouth Monsters! Start your day with this kind of love,…

The information below is courtesy of http://www.parents.com/holiday/valentines-day/crafts/8-heartfelt-no-candy-valentines.

Your little love bugs will dig matching up their favorite party favors with our printable templates! In just an hour or two, they’ll have sweet, customized cards for every kid in the class! Find templates for all of these valentines at familyfunmag.com/printables. We found all the party favors featured here at U.S. Toy and Party City.

Yo-Yo

Print the template onto 81⁄2-by-11-inch sticker paper (at office-supply stores), and have your child trim it out using pinking shears. Stick it onto the yo-yo, and you’re good to go!

Zoo Animals

Print greeting onto card stock; cut out. Trim a piece of sushi grass (we found ours on Amazon) to the width of the card. Insert the greeting, grass, and zoo animal into a cellophane bag; tape it closed.

Playing Cards

Print the template onto 81⁄2-by-11-inch sticker paper; cut out. Wrap a box of cards once with washi tape, then stick the greeting onto the box.

Paint Palettes

Help your child splatter card stock with watercolors; let dry. (Practice on a test template first.) Print greetings onto the painted card stock and cut out. Punch holes in each, then attach the tags to the paint sets with string.

Jacks Set

Insert scrap cardboard into a small muslin bag (we found ours at Paper Mart). Help your child stamp a heart onto the bag; let dry. Print the greeting; cut out and insert into the bag, along with a jacks set.

Crayons & Notepads

Place crayons on top of a notepad and wrap with a rubber band. Print the template onto plain paper; cut out. Wrap it around the bundle and tape in place in the back.

Parachuter

Print greeting onto cloud-patterned paper (we found ours at officesupply.com); cut out. Adhere paper to card stock with a glue stick. Attach parachuter with a glue dot.

Silly Glasses

Print the greetings onto card stock; cut out. Use double-stick tape to attach the glasses onto the card stock, or punch holes for each of the temple pieces, thread them through, and fold closed.

I absolutely love all of the ideas above, but if you are still looking for some more crafty, fun & non-candy ideas you will find a wealth of ideas with free pintables by doing a search for “candy-free valentines for kids” on Pinterest.

I hope you all have a very Happy Valentine’s Day!!!:)

Thank you for tuning in on today’s Happy “Tooth-Day’s” report!

I look forward to chatting with you all next week!

Your Friend,

Farah Flossit (Special Agent Flossit)

FEBRUARY IS “MOUTH MADNESS”!!

Posted on February 2, 2016 by casasmiles

Happy “Tooth-Day”!

Farah Flossit here,…hoping you are all having a slam dunk of a day!:)

I’m sure most of you have heard of “March Madness”. Well, in the world of Dental Care, February is “Mouth Madness”!! In honor of “Mouth Madness”, I have prepared some fun “Did You Knows” to jump start our celebration. I challenge all moms & dads to nominate their children to be MVP’s in the tournament of tooth care. Take pictures of them brushing & flossing & post them to promote oral health awareness! At the end of this entry I will be providing a printable certificate you can award your kids with for being MVP’s.

The fun facts & posters above are intended to inspire you all to go the extra mile this month to help your kids be MVP’s this “Mouth Madness”! Create the “Mouth Madness” spirit in your households by setting up weekly matchups among your family members & send eachother fun pics showcasing your oral hygiene super skills.

Stay tuned for next week’s special report as we continue honoring “Mouth Madness” by celebrating Valentine’s Day with the best & most creative NO CANDY Valentine ideas. We need to show our teeth, gums, & smiles some love without all the sugary Mouth Monsters. Your kiddos will not even miss the candy with how adorable these projects will be.

Below you will find the Monster Free Certificate you can print & give your MVP’s for doing their best during “Mouth Madness” (Courtesy of the AAPD).

Thank you for tuning in on today’s Happy “Tooth-Day’s” report!

I look forward to chatting with you all next week!

Your Friend,

Farah Flossit (Special Agent Flossit)

Smile Spotters:)

Posted on January 26, 2016 by casasmiles

Happy “Tooth-Day”!

Farah Flossit here, hoping you are all well:)

In some of my prior posts I have shared some fun information about the Tooth Fairy. We have touched on traditions from around the world & some cool resources & ideas that you can use when the Tooth Fairy comes to visit your home. Recently, I discovered a new addition to the Tooth Fairy team. Did you know that she has little helpers? They are always watching! This recent discovery is a very cute & fun way to get your kids to be mindful of their oral hygiene every day. Today’s share is the perfect way to making the daunting task of getting your children to brush their teeth & floss, turned into a fun activity. Meet the Smile Spotters!!!

Smile Spotters are helpers to the Tooth Fairy. They hang in your bathroom to watch you brush and floss and at day’s end, they report to the Fairy Boss. The Smile Spotters are friendly fairies that watch & report brushing habits to the Tooth Fairy. They easily suction cup to the children’s bathroom mirrors & they have a special pouch for storing lost teeth on nights when the Tooth Fairy visits. Not only are they cute, & there is the option of a girl & a boy, but the whole package comes with a book & a tooth chart. Children get to name their Smile Spotter & read the hard-cover storybook about the Smile Spotters & the pesky Sugar Buggs, Bad Breath Fairy Hal, & Ginger the Gingivitis Fairy.

What differentiates the Smile Spotters from other Tooth Fairy dolls? 1. The Smile Spotters watch & report brushing habits to the Tooth Fairy. 2. The Smile Spotters help encourage healthy brushing habits. 3. The Smile Spotters stay put at their bathroom watch spot on the mirror so you don’t have to remember to move/hide them. 4. There is an option for boy or a girl Smile Spotter. 5. The Smile Spotters have wings so they don’t need magic to fly (so children are allowed to touch & play with them with permission form mom or dad). 6. The Smile Spotters have a perfect tooth-sized pouch on their belly for storing lost teeth. 7. The Smile Spotters are NOT the Tooth Fairy…they are the Tooth Fairy’s helpers, so the Tooth Fairy still visits & leaves her surprise under the child’s pillow! The “Smile Spotters, A Tooth Fairy Tradition” is a NEW product that includes a hardcover storybook, 9″ doll, suction cup, tooth loss chart, & a list of dental terms.

Children (ages 2-12) will love reading the rhyming story and looking at the playful watercolor illustrations for many years until all of their baby teeth have fallen out. The Smile Spotters not only make tooth brushing less work and more fun for parents and kids, but the story helps to educate children on why brushing their teeth is so important. I applaud Travis & Wren Anderson for having taken the initiative to create such a wonderful product & concept that will help promote Oral hygiene & literacy in today’s modern world. Wren Anderson shares, “As a mother of three children under the age of six, I’ve seen first-hand how this story and these characters have changed the way that my own children take care of their teeth. I hardly have to remind my children to brush their teeth anymore!” The same way society has embraced & adopted “The Elf on the Shelf”, I’d like to welcome “The Smile Spotters” to be an important part of the daily lives of children today. These pals can really help moms & dads make Oral Hygiene awareness fun & educational. I hope to hear about & see pictures of your kids while their Smile Spotters watch them brush & floss!:)

Thank you for tuning in on today’s Happy “Tooth-Day’s” report!

I look forward to chatting with you all next week!

Your Friend,

Farah Flossit (Special Agent Flossit)

ORAL HEALTH LITERACY

Posted on January 19, 2016 by casasmiles

Happy “Tooth-Day”!

Farah Flossit here, wishing you well today & always:)

As a blogger, I too read other blogs & appreciate information that others share. Today I give credit to The Children’s Dental Health Project & Katy Battani, Health Coordinator at the Maryland Dental Action Coalition, along with Mary Ann Williams, Research, Education & Outreach Librarian at the Health Sciences & Human Services Library, University of Maryland, Baltimore.

I found it to be a brilliant idea to put forth dual efforts to improve oral health awareness & literacy at the same time. The power of reading & the awareness of oral health. In today’s report I will share a recommended list of 22 oral health books for children under the age of 7. These recommended books include categories of oral health care, visiting the dentist, & general information about teeth. This book list will help support access to oral health information for children, families, & health professionals–& will help guide those who purchase & utilize children’s books to promote good oral health.

In addition to increasing access to oral health information by the public & raising awareness about the importance of good oral health, the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly encourages reading aloud with young children as one of the most effective ways to enrich language & encourage early literacy skills needed to promote school readiness. Regular reading, early conversations & play activities around books increase parent-child interaction & strengthen these relationships, which are essential to a child’s development.

BOOK LIST

http://guides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/c.php?g=211666&p=1396722

In the spirit of Oral Health Awareness, below you will find a quiz you can print & share with caregivers, educators & children. Reference the very end of this blog post for the correct answers.

https://www.cdhp.org/resources/325-oral-health-icebreaker-quiz

Thank you for tuning in on today’s Happy “Tooth-Day’s” report!

I look forward to chatting with you all next week!

Your Friend,

Farah Flossit (Special Agent Flossit)

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ANSWER KEY: