5 Tips to Manage Your Child’s Dental Anxiety

Dental anxiety is prevalent among young children and, in many cases, can stem from an adult’s own dental fears (whether you recognize them or not). If left unmanaged, going to the dentist can become an unpleasant ordeal for children. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

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7 Dental Hacks to Protect Your Child’s Smile

Take notes, tired parents! If you’ve all but emptied your bag of tricks to get your little one to brush and floss regularly, there are still a few more cards you can put up your sleeve to help keep smiles cavity-free.

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Parent’s Cheat Sheet: 5 Steps to Solving the Sweets Problem

Birthday celebrations, holidays, and countless school or extracurricular activities in between children’s social calendars can seem like endless fun, until you realize they can also translate into a non-stop, cavity-inducing sugar high. This doesn’t necessarily mean, however, that your child is destined for a long list of dental problems. Use this dental cheat sheet when a special occasion arises to keep his or her smile cavity-free.

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Baby Teeth and Bad Hygiene: What’s There to Lose?

Don’t fall for it, parents! Just because baby teeth are temporary doesn’t mean they don’t matter. Despite what naysayers and wishful thinkers might have you believe, forgetting to care for primary teeth comes at a steep price for your child.

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No Crying Necessary: Simple Ways to Stop Thumb Sucking

At first it was adorable, but now it has become worrisome. Starting to fear your child is addicted to thumb sucking? Push those worst-case scenarios and harsh weaning tactics from your mind. Here is the truth about the dental risks, when it is necessary to intervene, and effective ways to break the habit for good.

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Your Child’s Sippy Cup: Is it a Friend or Foe?

Shaped like your child’s favorite action heroes and in every vibrant color imaginable, sippy cups seem like an innocent way to prevent spills. But with increased cavities and speech issues abound, pediatric dentists have recent research suggesting that what was once a friend is now a foe.

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Sealants: A Simple Way to Fight Tooth Decay

Does it feel like pulling teeth to get your child to brush and floss every day? Instilling good hygiene in your little one can often be a struggle, but you don’t have to fight this battle alone! Pediatric dentists can help you win the war on tooth decay simply by applying a protective barrier, or “sealant”, to the surface of your child’s teeth.

Invisible yet effective, dental sealants just might be the secret weapon you’ve been looking for.

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A Child’s First Visit to the Dentist

It can be shocking to many parents, if not perplexing: many dentists now recommend you schedule your child’s first visit before he or she turns one. Before you brush it off as a bit of overzealous advice, you should know it’s supported by the American Dental Association and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry—and with good reason!

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Nature vs. Nurture: Dental Problems Parents Pass Down To Children

Parents, in particular, want to know: does DNA predetermine dental health? It’s the classic nature vs. nurture question that dentists get asked often, but the answer doesn’t simply boil down to one or the other. The scary truth is that many dental problems are indeed “inherited”–but not from genetics alone! Harmful habits that run in the family can also play a huge role in the health of your child’s smile. Find out which oral issues you could be passing down, and what you can do about them.

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