Did Your Child See The Dentist At School?

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, so the Redmond Dentistry team visited our local preschool to give a presentation on oral health to students!

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children visit their local dentist by age one. Setting the foundation for healthy teeth and gums at an early age is one of the easiest ways to improve a child’s life with preventive care and maintain a healthy smile.

What Did We Learn At School Today?

At Dr. Bickel’s school visit, he covered a lot of ground in just a short amount of time and had a rapt audience! Our team covered the basics from why the dentist is important, to how to hold a toothbrush, and what to eat for healthy teeth.

Parents Deserve An A+ Too!

For the parents who are envious their child got a front row ticket to our presentation, we have some healthy dental tips for parents to share with their little ones to make dentistry fun!

How To Brush Your Teeth

In pediatric dentistry, it’s not uncommon to come across smiles where the toothbrush just seemed to miss a few spots. Do you know how to brush your child’s teeth?

• Make sure each surface is brushed: the top, inside and outside! Some dentists refer to this as cheek side, tongue side, and chewing surface.
• Go easy! A light touch is all that is needed. We advised kids to hold the toothbrush like they would a pencil.
• Come in at an angle: 45 degrees, or a slight slant, is the best way to also brush the gums, which also need dental care!

The Benefits Of Creating Happy Brushers

In addition to making the dentist a positive experience, there are other benefits in making oral hygiene a top priority. You can:

• Create a trusting and supportive environment surrounding dentist visits
• Nurture excellent at home dental hygiene and nutrition habits
• Fix small dental issues like cavities before they develop into bigger, more costly problems
• Predict and plan for changes in dental health

Eat Power Foods To Keep Your Teeth Healthy And Strong!

There are some superpower foods that can help make superpower teeth! We had students guess which foods are best for their teeth and many guessed correctly:

• Dairy foods like cheese, milk, and yogurt protect our enamel.
• Vegetables, especially when eaten raw, help ‘scrub’ the teeth of plaque buildup. Veggies high in Vitamin A, such as broccoli and carrots helps our teeth form enamel.
• Fruits also help to scrub our teeth and massage our gums. The vitamin C found in certain fruits like strawberries helps protect our gums from developing gum disease.
• Proteins, like eggs, chicken, and beef, help prevent decay.
• Water is the best drink we can give our teeth! It has nothing in it that could add to decay. It helps rinse food particles and bacteria from our teeth.

We also discussed foods that are not nice to our teeth like soda and candy. We talked about the way sugar can build up on teeth and cause decay and cavities.

See Your Dentist Regularly!

We talked about the importance of visiting the dentist. Without regular cleanings, it’s easy for little teeth to develop cavities that hide between teeth in areas that only dentists can see!

We discussed what happens at exams; how we gently examine mouths for signs of tooth decay and to make sure that bites are aligned and that there are no issues with the gums or jaw.

Start Living Healthy…Now!

We were so pleased to be invited to speak and share our earned knowledge with such a fun group of bright young minds. It’s our pleasure and joy to promote healthy living at a young age and to set everyone up for long term success!

Due for your six month checkup? Visit your family Dentist in Redmond today! Call us at (425) 883-1331 or visit our office, conveniently located at 16455 NE 85th St #101, Redmond, WA 98052.