Happy “Tooth-Day!”

Good Day, Farah Flossit here!

For todays report I am going to just keep it light!  I hope to amuse you all  & make you giggle to help you get through your first day back from a long weekend.

Here are some of my favorite spoofs, jokes, & dental funnies:)

Anyone heard of the latest search engine?

“Old School” video game for modern day dentistry!:)

Pre & post braces portrait for Mona Lisa.

How your Orthodontist keeps your hopes up! LOL

The dental truth about drinking sodas all day! How the real ad should look.

Something to think about the next time you eat those “jolly” candies!:)

If you don’t brush after a chocolate bar, this may just happen!

A very interesting man with very interesting things to say.

BEWARE! Don’t get “TAKEN” by the Mouth Monsters!

The Dental Version.

The 3 Stooges!

One of the dental wonders of the world!

Summer’s biggest blockbuster coming soon! Feature film! Saved the best for last!

 

Thank you for tuning in on today’s Happy “Tooth-Day’s” report! I hope today’s post put a smile on your face:)

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)

Happy “Tooth-Day”!

Farah Flossit here, BRACE yourself for a special SMILE FASHION REPORT!

Why should you hide your brace face or metal mouth?  Who said you can’t make a fashion statement with your smile?  Not only are you improving your smile by wearing your braces, but you can also now coordinate your style or occasion with cool & funky designs.  Make the best of it & make it fun!  Coordinate your colors with your favorite football team, or with your new sunglasses.  You can choose to glow in the dark or even choose to be subtle & go with the clear look; the options are unlimited.  Set the trend–wear your braces with style–show your self confidence with a fashionable smile!

Just to give you an extra boost of confidence, I would like to share 10 Benefits of Straight Teeth.

1. BETTER BRUSHING:  Overlapping teeth can trap food particles.  Straight teeth allow for easier brushing & flossing.

2. CLEAR SPEECH:  Crooked teeth cause many speech impediments.  As a result, confidence may suffer & school/work performance may be impacted.

3. EASIER EATING:  Crooked, crowded teeth compromise chewing.  Digestive problems can result.

4. LESS ACCIDENT PRONE TEETH:  Protruding teeth are more prone to breaking.  Protective mouthguards may not fit properly.

5. FEWER HEADACHES:  Crowded teeth wear unevenly.  Uneven wear puts pressure on jaw, resulting in chronic headaches.

6. IMPROVED GUM HEALTH:  Better oral hygiene prevents gum disease.  Lower risk of gum disease means lower risk of tooth loss.

7. BETTER OVERALL HEALTH:  Improved oral hygiene means less tooth decay.  Tooth decay & gum disease are linked to heart disease & high blood sugar.

8. COST EFFECTIVE DENTAL CARE:  Fewer severe dental issues with straight teeth.  Fewer issues means less expensive treatment.

9. LOWER RISK OF SOFT TISSUE INJURY:  Crooked teeth can push against soft tissues in mouth.  Cuts, soars, & infections can result.

10. INCREASED SELF-ESTEEM:  One of the biggest benefits of straight teeth.  More confidence at work or school & in social situations.

Life after braces can be fashionable too.  It is imperative to upkeep all the work you put into improving your smile by wearing your retainers.  The good news is you can also customize your retainers to look fun & fashionable.  You can wear stylish retainers once you finish the treatment with the braces.  Retainers are used after the braces to hold teeth in their positions.  Not wearing them long enough can cause more problems than you actually started with.  While retainers are normally made with the traditional pink acrylic, most orthodontists, definitely the funnest dental office (Casa Smiles Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics http://www.casasmiles.com/orthodontics/), now offer cool retainer designs that will make you want to wear them.  Below you will find some design options, but if you have something specific in mind, it’s best to ask if it can be customized just for you.

It’s never too late to wear braces!!  20% of braces wearers are adults over age 18.  Advanced braces options are more discreet than ever before.  Improving oral health is important during all stages in life.  For a straight healthy smile, early treatment is best.  Don’t forget that according to the American Association of Orthodontics https://www.aaoinfo.org/, children should get an orthodontic checkup by age 7.  Even if your child’s teeth look straight, there may be an internal issue.  A checkup may reveal problems with jaw growth or emerging adult teeth not visible to the naked eye.

As a last note, I am excited to share a fun find,….BRACED-LETS!  This is just another cool way to be ORTHO-FASHIONABLE.  Check them out by clicking on the links below:)

 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/289145238547365405/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/51087776992755984/

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

Continue to be Fashion Forward
& remember that,….

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)

Happy “Tooth-Day”!

Farah Flossit here,…wishing you well on this fine day!

Sometimes what we perceive to be the most obvious, is not really all that clear.  I’m always stressing the importance about BRUSHING & FLOSSING, but do we really know how to do it right?  Moms & Dads know that their kids need to brush & floss to prevent cavities & to have good oral hygiene, but do we actually show our children how to do it right from the start?  I’m reporting today so that I can help all caregivers create good habits early on. Lets go over some basics that we should already know before we go over the proper steps for brushing & flossing right.

1.  Use a good toothbrush. Kids should use a soft toothbrush.  The size & shape of the brush should allow them to reach all areas of their mouth.

2. Replace toothbrushes every 3-4 months, sooner if the bristles are worn out or if your children have been sick.

3. Brush at least 2x a day for 2 minutes.

4. Use a fluoride toothpaste as soon as your child can learn to spit after brushing.

5. In a perfect world, floss everyday!

 

*Start with a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste (non-fluoride if your child does not spit yet) on a soft bristled brush.

*Angle the bristles about 45 degrees to the gums & gently massage the gums & teeth in little circles.

*Don’t forget to brush all the surfaces!

*Once you have brushed all surfaces of your teeth & gums, gently brush your tongue from back to front.

*Rinse & spit.

*If your child has teeth that are touching, be sure to floss around each side of the teeth.

As you continue to brush & floss with your child, it will become second nature to do it right!  Don’t forget to always make it fun by putting on some music or come up with your own jingle.  Visit http://2min2x.org/ for some cool & encouraging videos & ideas to keep your kids interested in keeping their teeth clean & happy.  Below you will find a printable & helpful chart that you can use to reward your child every week for having good oral hygiene.

 

 

Below you will find a great video to show your kiddos about how to brush right!:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy8JurvYlH4&feature=player_detailpage

 

Printable coloring activity to reinforce brushing right!

Remember that practice makes perfect!  The more you practice brushing & flossing the better you’ll do it & the easier it will get.  One of the best ways to prevent tooth decay is to get your children enthusiastic about daily dental hygiene.  It is our job to make brushing & flossing fun.  Look for toothpaste with fluoride that may appeal to your kids with yummy flavors, cool colors, & familiar characters.  Now that you know how to show your kids the proper technique, they can be on their way to be free of those sneaky Mouth Monsters.  You can count on me, Farah Flossit, to continue sharing helpful & fun tips & tools to keep your kiddos’ smiles healthy & happy!

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)

 Happy “Tooth-Day”!

Farah Flossit here,…Wishing you well on this rainy day:)

I am thrilled to report some great news!

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention have reported that cavities in young children are on the decline.  Most people are surprised when I mention that tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases among children in the United States.  However, with this recent report, we have many reasons to be optimistic.  The report also stressed that tooth decay is almost 100% PREVENTABLE.  Practicing  proper oral care & establishing a dental home for children by age one, parents & care givers can significantly increase a child’s chance for healthy teeth & optimal overall health.  All of this GOOD NEWS really gets me excited to do my job as Mouth Monster Fighting Super Agent!  I’m here to inform you & help you get on the path to good oral health & prevention.  With Farah Flossit on the case, I can guide you in the funnest way possible:)

Dental services are often underutilized & many children live with untreated tooth decay until it must be addressed due to pain or infection.  To that end, one of the most overlooked & readily available preventative services that you should take advantage of are SEALANTS.  Sealants offer a layer of protection that can save your child from needing expensive & unpleasant fillings.  Sealants are probably the most cost-effective services your child can receive.  Not only do sealants cost less than half of the price of a filling, they are often covered by insurance.  This news is all the more reason to take advantage of an easy way to keep your child’s smile cavity-free.

So when should you have sealants done?  Well, if you take your child to visit the dentist http://www.casasmiles.com/pediatric-dentistry/ every 6 months for routine exam & cleaning, the doctor will definitely let you know when your child is ready.  Sealants are most commonly applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth.  Typically, the first permanent molars erupt & are ready to be sealed around age 6 & the second permanent molars erupt & are ready to be sealed around age 12.  According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) http://www.aapd.org/, most children’s cavities happen in places that sealants could have protected.  In fact, sealants have been show to reduce cavities by 86% after 1 year & 58% after 4 years. 

What can you & your child expect?  Having sealants applied is a quick & painless process–no drilling required!  After the dentist dries & preps the tooth, she simply paints on the sealant in liquid form & allows it to harden for about a minute.  Once the sealants are set, encourage your child to avoid chomping on ice or chewing especially hard or sticky foods that could dislodge the sealant.  Sealants are pretty durable, though, & can last for up to 10 years.  Teeth are most vulnerable to decay when they first come in, says the AAPD, so the sooner a tooth is sealed the better protected it will be.

While sealants are an excellent tool for cavity prevention, they don’t replace the need for a healthy diet & proper oral hygiene.  So, to help moms & dads make good oral health interesting & fun, below I have provided a few new cool finds that will keep brushing & flossing fun!

 

         Kids’ Activities Printable activity sheets with fun Disney characters for children of all ages.

English Disney – Make Brushing Amazing Activity Book (PDF)

http://www.dentalcare.com/media/en-US/dhm/2015/DHM2015-Kids-Activity-Book.pdf

Past Activity Sheets (PDF)

http://www.dentalcare.com/media/en-US/dhm/DHM2013-PastActivitySheets.pdf

Spanish

Disney – Cepillarse es algo Divertido – Libro de actividades (PDF)

http://www.dentalcare.com/media/en-US/dhm/2015/DHM2015-Kids-Activity-Book-SP.pdf

Hojas de actividades pasadas (PDF)

http://www.dentalcare.com/media/en-US/dhm/DHM2013-PastActivitySheets-Sp.pdf

 

Happy “Tooth-Day”!

Farah Flossit here, wishing everyone well on this blessed day!:)

Today I want to share a collection of fun facts & did you knows.  I’m also going to BUST some myths & give you the real facts.

 

DID YOU KNOW?

*Dental Floss was first made in 1882 from silk.

*32% of Americans say their co-workers have bad breath.

*Your tongue is as unique as your fingerprint.  No 2 people  have the same tongue print.

*There are more bacteria in your mouth than people on earth.

*In an entire human lifetime, the average person produces around 100,000 gallons of saliva.

*85% of the population can CURL their tongue in a tube.

*The most common disease in the WORLD is tooth decay.

*The tongue is the fastest healing part of the body.

*Unless food is mixed with saliva, you can’t taste it.

*100 years ago, 50% of adults in North America were toothless.

*An elephant’s tooth can weigh over 6 pounds.

*A mosquito has 47 teeth.

*Giraffes only have bottom teeth.

*A snail’s mouth is no larger than the head of a pin, but can contain over 25,000 teeth.

*Tooth bristles were originally made from the hair of cows.

FUN FACTS

 

MYTH BUSTERS:

MYTH:  Baby teeth aren’t important & don’t need brushing.

FACT:  Not brushing baby teeth can cause tooth decay.  Decayed baby teeth can cause pain, speech problems, and malalignment of adult teeth.  Just because baby teeth are going to “fall out” does not make them any less important.  Baby teeth help maintain the proper structure of the mouth in providing a guide for permanent teeth to move in behind them when the time comes.

MYTH:  White teeth are healthy teeth.

FACT:  Gum disease & tooth decay can hide behind white teeth.  Teeth whitening is not a treatment for tooth decay & gum problems.

MYTH:  I don’t like my smile, but I’m too old for braces.

FACT:  With new technology, even adults in their 80’s can have a great new smile.  There is always time to improve your smile.  Contact our amazing orthodontist for a complimentary consultation to know your options http://www.casasmiles.com/orthodontics/.

MYTH:  Bad breath means poor oral hygiene.

FACT:  While poor oral hygiene can cause bad breath, it can also be caused by one’s diet, medication, or a medical condition.

MYTH:  Eating more sugar means getting more cavities.

FACT:  The longer sugar sits in your teeth, the more cavities you will get.  The real danger is not brushing your teeth after eating sugary foods.

MYTH:  Headaches are mostly caused by stress.

FACT:  Most headaches are triggered by the jaw muscles from tooth clenching.  Teeth clenching is caused by an uneven bite that the dentist http://www.casasmiles.com/pediatric-dentistry/ can fix.

MYTH:  Don’t brush if your gums are bleeding.

FACT:  Gums bleed due to inflammation caused by leaving plaque on the teeth.  Brushing & flossing regularly is the only way to make gums start to heal.

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)

Happy “Tooth-Day”!

Farah Flossit here, wishing you well:)

Tooth-Day’s report is about shark teeth & how you may discover your little one may take on a shark mouth!  The good news is, this phenomenon is actually very common & not as dangerous as a real shark, lol.  Most parents become alarmed when they look in their child’s mouth & see the permanent teeth growing behind the baby teeth.  Parents first reaction is:  What went wrong?  Aren’t permanent teeth supposed to grow under the baby teeth & push them out?  Below you will see an example of what your little jaws may look like.

SHARK TEETH=PERMANENT TEETH COMING IN BEHIND BABY TEETH

Rest assured, permanent teeth coming in behind baby teeth is NOT an emergency!  The clinical term (that you probably don’t want to use when explaining this condition to your child) is lingually erupting incisors.  It is most common with the lower front teeth when a child is about 6 years old and then the upper back molars when the child is about 11 years old.  Often teeth come in pairs, so if one tooth is not coming in correctly its partner on the other side probably won’t either.  Ordinarily, as the permanent teeth push up, the roots of the baby teeth dissolve & the baby tooth eventually falls out, allowing the permanent teeth to come in.  Sometimes, the baby teeth don’t want to leave the mouth, & the permanent teeth come in right behind them.   Don’t be alarmed if the baby teeth don’t find their way out, just tell your munchkin he or she will temporarily be a little like our friend Bruce from “Finding Nemo”:)

There are a few guesses why shark teeth occur.  Some dentists believe that this occurs because the roots of the baby teeth don’t get dissolved like they normally should & the permanent teeth have nowhere else to go, so they just come into the mouth where there is the least amount of resistance.  Other opinions are that the permanent teeth start growing in behind the baby teeth because there is too much crowding.  Another theory is that because the permanent teeth develop behind the baby teeth, this is simply a slight deviation from the norm & they just didn’t make it as far forward as they should have.  Luckily, many times shark teeth will resolve on their own.  If those baby teeth decide they don’t want to fall out on their own, most of the time, the dentist will be able to correct shark teeth before they become a problem.

If your child’s shark teeth don’t resolve on their own within a couple of weeks (like real sharks), it would be a good idea to have a dentist take a look to see what’s going on.  If needed, the baby tooth can be removed & it usually solves the problem & it becomes a great opportunity to involve the “Tooth Fairy” & make it a celebration (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/154037249729643439/).  If the baby tooth/teeth are removed & there is still not enough room for the permanent teeth to move forward & assume their permanent position in the mouth, then the dentist may perform a procedure known as disking where the dentist slims down some of the remaining baby teeth by removing a bit of enamel from them.  Doing this, should allow enough room for the permanent teeth to move into their final position.  Just to clarify, SHARK TEETH happen to approximately 1 in 10 children, so it is more common than most people think.  SHARK TEETH can be resolved & sometimes even without intervention.  When in doubt, just give us a call & we will put you at ease & provide healthy dental guidance http://www.casasmiles.com/contact-us/.  Whether or not your little ones have SHARK TEETH, keep on brushing, flossing, & smiling!:)

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)