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!

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, 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!

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 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.

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!

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)

<a href=’http://www.freepik.com/free-vector/cartoon-happy-apples_801853.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>

ANSWER KEY: 

1. b
2. a
3. a
4. b
5. a
6. a
7. b
8. b
9. a
10. b
11. c
12. a

 

Happy “Tooth-Day”!

Farah Flossit here, hoping you are still fully committed to your 2016 goals! It’s ok to modify or add new resolutions as the year commences.  What matters is that you are on the road to improvement for you & your family.

It’s no secret that we live in a digital & technological age.  This is a fact that as parents you can use to your advantage. Knowing the importance of dental health & overall health, we can help our kids become interested & aware of oral hygiene through available technology.  Making the importance of health educational, fun, & functional is an advantage parents have now-a-days!  After doing some research, I will fill you in on some of the best dental apps for kids.  Throughout the year I will continue to fill you in on some useful & interesting finds.

(c) petro www.fotosearch.com

Dental Office Kids

This app from Beansprites puts kids on the other side of the dentist’s chair.  It is a simple, interactive way to familiarize children with dental procedures & tools.  After selecting a patient , they can clean or extract teeth with the free version.  For a few dollars more, users can upgrade this app & gain access to additional procedures & challenges.

Chomper Chums

Targeted to ages 4-11, Chomper Chums helps teach children proper oral hygiene & encourage them to practice it using 3 friendly characters–a horse, a lion, & an alligator.  After creating a profile by selecting a Chomper Chum character & naming him or her, users begin to practice brushing, flossing, & rinsing.  The app tracks these behaviors & awards coins & Super Smile Award points, which may be used to buy food & drinks for the Chomper Chums.  Each oral hygiene practice is timed & animated as it guides children through each procedure.  They can follow the toothbrush as it brushes each quadrant of the mouth for the recommended time, the floss as it gets between each tooth, & the water as it swishes around in each side of the mouth.

Monster Mouth DDS

Monster Mouth may be a less realistic simulation of a trip to the dentist, but it’s definitely more fun.  Kids–and adults–select from 9 creatures with differing oral ailments–all free to access.  Each patient requires special care.  For instance, Dracula needs breath spray to protect him from garlic odors & the Loch Ness Monster keeps getting covered in water.  Users can X-ray to find dental problems hidden behind plaque-filled teeth that need to be brushed & treated.  Of course, it may be wise to explain that the dentist does not use a bomb to remove teeth & that extractions do not have eyes.  Monster Mouth DDS is a colorful, fanciful & even educational app that will keep kids engaged & entertained.  Modes can be set to hard or easy.

Tiny Dentist

This low-cost, hands-on app allows kids to perform dental procedures including fillings, X-rays, tooth whitening, extractions, tackling bad breath, brushing and more on fun cartoon characters.  Parents appreciate that this is simple but the design is vivid enough to capture their little ones’ attention.  Recommended for kids age 3 & older.

Kids’ Dental Health Lite/Kids Dental Health

Kids’s Dental Health is an app that’s also an interactive book.  Readers choose a character & can read that character’s story on their own or opt to have the story read to them.  It is colorfully illustrated & does a good job teaching kids about the hows & whys behind brushing, flossing, healthy eating & visiting the dentist in an understandable way.  The lite version includes only the story, while the full version allows access to 4 educational games.

Remember to keep finding new & fun ways for your kids to practice good oral hygiene!  I will continue to share fun finds & ideas to help promote healthy family living!

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 & your loved ones a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!:)

After suggesting some New Year Resolutions & Dental-utions, today I’d like to suggest just one more healthy choice that can also be good for your teeth.

(c) Julia_Ch www.fotosearch.com

Previous research has shown weight loss, heart health, & cancer prevention to be among the potential benefits of drinking green tea.  A study that examined the dental health of 940 men found that those who regularly drank green tea had better oral health than those who didn’t.  Men between the ages of 49 & 59 were examined on 3 indicators–(1. periodontal pocket depth, 2. attachment loss of gum tissue, & 3. bleeding on probing of the gum tissues) of gum disease & researchers found that for every cup of green tea consumed per day, a decreased in all 3 indicators occurred.

The presence of the antioxidant catechin in green tea may be responsible for its beneficial effect on periodontal health, researchers said.  Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the gums & bones supporting the teeth; green tea & the catechin it contains may help promote periodontal health by interfering with the body’s inflammatory response to periodontal bacteria.

“Any new study which brings dental healthcare into the spotlight is a step in the right direction,” said Dr. Nigel Carter, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation.  “Like any study of a relatively small number of people we can never be certain of the results–but because tea is relatively cheap & easily available, we must take notice of studies of this type, & we at the foundation will continue to watch & report on this & similar stories.”

Proper nutrition means eating a well-balanced diet so that your body can get the nutrients needed for good health & wellness.  If your diet is low in the nutrients your body needs, your mouth may have more difficult time resisting infection.  With this in mind, remember that your dental health directly affects your overall health and visa-versa.

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)

(c) Kakigori www.fotosearch.com

 

Happy “Tooth-Day”!

Farah Flossit here, today I would like to encourage all my readers to start the New Year with a big healthy smile & fresh breath!!  To continue this all through 2016, it is important to add your Oral Hygiene Habits to your resolution list, or should we say DENTAL-UTION! LOL

My suggestions with respect to any RESOLUTIONS, is to say them as affirmations so that you WILL it so!  Resolutions are not only for adults, they are also great for children.  It is a great way to show children how important it is to make positive changes in ones life.  You acknowledge room for improvement & you can use the start of the new year as a great place to begin.  Below are some suggestions for you & your children to carry into the New Year.

1. I WILL brush & floss regularly.  Commit to brushing your teeth 2x a day for 2 minutes at a time.  Use simple & fun tools like your favorite songs, timers, or mobile apps to keep track of time.  Pledge to start flossing once a week & increase to once a day.
2. I WILL have a dental home.  If you aren’t already part of the Casa Smiles family, then don’t hesitate to call us & make your first appointment for your children.  Establishing a relationship with your dental home & scheduling your routine cleanings & exams is essential in accomplishing your goal of a healthy smile.  It is recommended to visit your dentist at lease every 6 months for an exam & cleaning.
3. I WILL eat healthy meals & snacks.  Good nutrition is an important aspect in maintaining good dental health.  Poor nutrition can affect the entire immune system, increasing susceptibility to many common oral disorders, including gum (periodontal) disease.  Antioxidants & other nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, legumes & nuts improve your body’s ability to fight bacteria & inflammation, helping to protect your teeth & gums.  In addition, crisp fruits & raw vegetables like apples, carrots, & celery help clean plaque from teeth & freshen breath.
4. I WILL take it easy on the sweets.  Limit the consumption of sugary snacks. If you do splurge, make sure to brush & floss shortly there after to keep the mouth monsters away!
5. I WILL protect my children’s mouth during contact sports by providing them with a mouthguard to wear.  Wearing a mouthguard can prevent chipped, fractured or displaced jaws, TMJ trauma, & lacerations to the lips & mouth that can result from the edges of the teeth.
6. I WILL buy new toothbrushes for the whole family.  Change your toothbrush every 3-6 months, depending on what type of brush you use.  If you have been sick, it is also a good idea to replace your toothbrush as soon as possible.  A new toothbrush helps to ensure that your brushing sessions are more effective overall.
7. I WILL not partake in bullying.  If you see someone being bullied, do not encourage the bullies or watch along with everyone else.  Tell the bullies to stop or go & inform an adult of what’s going on.  As a parent, if your child tells you about any other child being bullied or if you suspect that your child is doing the bullying, take action!  Bullying not only happens with children, but among adults as well.  If you are witness to bullying by a child or adult, take part in making it STOP!
8. I WILL clean up & put my toys away.  Help your little ones create tidy habits to help out at home.  Encourage them to clean up after themselves & give mom & dad a much deserved break.
9. I WILL show those I love appreciation.  Whether it is a quick PLEASE & THANK YOU to mom, dad, or children, or giving Grandma a call more often, find ways to show those you love that you care & appreciate them.
10. I WILL give back to my community.  Lending a hand & volunteering in the community or through a charity is a great way to give back & help others who are struggling or less fortunate.  Make it a point this year to sacrifice some of your time to make another’s life that much brighter.
11. I WILL read Farah Flossit’s Blog every “Tooth-Day” so that you can learn more every week about dental health & news for you & your family!:)

Feel free to add more to this list of resolutions.  The ones I have suggested above are just some that I think are reasonable goals that any family can benefit from.  Any or all of these can help your overall health & smile.  Making others smile is also very good for your soul.  May you & your loved ones have a great New Year!  I hope to provide you with more interesting & useful information in 2016!

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

I look forward to chatting with you all next year!

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)