Casa Smiles

Valentine’s Day has long since been a holiday that revolves around that gushy-mushy stuff we call love, but once you look into a common holiday tradition- you may be shocked to learn the truth. Can kissing be a bad thing?

As great as kissing on Valentine ’s Day may be, some of those bacteria that transfer from mouth-to-mouth aren’t so great for your teeth as the kissing is for your heart.

If your partner has gum disease or peridontitis, you’re swapping some of that into your mouth with each loving smooch.

“In fact, you’re sharing around 80 million bacteria with them! The worse the bacteria in their mouth are, the worse it will affect your mouth.”- WaterTower

Upper respiratory tract infections are also spread through kisses, as are many different viruses responsible for the common cold. Meningococcal Disease is a life-threatening condition which includes meningitis, inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord which, studies show, can be spread through “deep kissing”.

Careful with your babies!

Sometimes tasting a bottle or eating something before passing it to your newborn may not be such a great idea. The bacteria that causes tooth decay is not present in the mouths of babies, so when you spread that love and tenderness, you may be introducing some bad guys into that babies mouth.

Prevention Tips While Kissing

“There are a number of things you can do to reduce the risk of passing on, or catching, an infection while kissing. You should try to:

Avoid kissing when you or the other person is sick.
Avoid kissing anyone on the lips when you, or the other person, have an active cold sore, warts or ulcers around the lips or in the mouth.
Maintain good oral hygiene and visit your dentist regularly
See your doctor about immunizations. Vaccines are available to prevent some infectious diseases, such as chickenpox, hepatitis B and group C meningococcal infection.”

Always consider what may be lurking just beneath the surface!

Check out our Facebook, Instagram and all of our social media sites for tips, tricks and funny things all about Oral Health!

Happy “Tooth-Day”!

Farah Flossit here…spreading holiday cheer:)

In doing some research for today’s report, I came across some great content. I had a little cousin ask me if Santa and his Elves have to brush their teeth, and with no hesitation I replied, but of course…. To that end, I began the search to find some substantial information to back up my quick response. I’m happy to provide Moms and Dads with solid and clever replies for this type of question:

*Santa and his Elves DO have to brush their teeth. Like all boys and girls, if the elves don’t brush their teeth, they may just be put on the “Naughty List” too. Santa and his elves need to make sure they have fresh breath, cavity prevention, and a healthy smile. If Santa had poor hygiene and was unable to deliver gifts because he had a tooth ache, that would be devastating! He wants to be an example for all children and enjoy the eternal joy of chewing, eating, smiling and tasting. After eating all of the cookies and milk left by all the children, the first thing he does when he gets back to the North Pole is brush, rinse, and floss!

Here’s a clever story,.. I found a great post by Delta Dental (2015) that your children will love to hear!

‘Twas the day after Christmas, elves and reindeer relaxed;
They worked hard this 25^th, and the days before that.
While the North Pole snoozed, Santa sat wide-awake;
But why wasn’t St. Nick taking his much-needed break?

Mrs. Claus was nestled and snug in her bed,
While dreams of next Christmas danced in her head;
When out from Santa’s mouth screamed such a clatter,
Mrs. Claus sprang from bed to see what was the matter.

“What’s wrong my dear, do you need a candy cane?”
To which Santa replied, “No, my teeth are in pain!”
Mrs. Claus knew what to do, dialed the dentist in a flash;
She scheduled a visit and they were off in a dash.

“Now Dancer, Now Dasher, Now Rudolph! Let’s go!
Get Santa to the dentist, so his tooth pain can slow!”
The sleigh got there quickly, with minutes to spare;
The dentist greeted Santa and rushed him to his chair.

With tools and his gloves, he could find St. Nick’s flaw
So the dentist told Santa, “Open wide and say, Ahhhh”
After using the mirror for careful inspection,
The dentist detected the site of infection.

On Santa’s back tooth sat a spot that was shocking;
Black as the coal in a naughty list stocking!
He took a deep breath and told St. Nick unhappily,
“I’m sorry to say that your tooth pain’s a cavity.”

Santa’s eyes lit up like a tree full of tinsel;
His smile went from jolly to a face full of wrinkles
“What did I do to deserve such a fate?
Could it be Christmas cookies left out on those plates?

“You have to cut down on the cookies and sweets
Sugar causes cavities and Ho, ho holes in your teeth!
Make sure to make time for your teeth in a rush
The holidays are busy, but remember to brush!”

Santa smiled at the dentist, it was clear he agreed
“I’ll cut down on sugar and brush to succeed!”
St. Nick was relieved the dentist had the answer
Good dental health is a sure smile enhancer.

The dentist filled the cavity and sent Santa on his way
Mr. Claus grabbed his Mrs. and they headed to the sleigh
With his cavity fixed, Santa echoed for miles,
“Happy brushing to all, and to all a strong smile!”

Below you will find a free downloadable fun activity book you can share with your kids:

I hope all of your elf shenanigans are going great! May we all continue to spread kindness and holiday cheer through the New Year!

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, Instagram, Twitter , Yelp, Youtube, & Pinterest 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.

Your Friend,

Farah Flossit (Special Agent Flossit)

Holiday Seasonal

The Truth About Kissing: A Valentine’s Day Story

Careful with your babies!

Even Santa and his helpers need to brush!