Category Archives: Pediatric Dentistry

Family In Bathroom Brushing Teeth Together

Creating a Family Brushing Routine

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When teaching your children about oral hygiene and how to keep their mouths and teeth in great shape, it can be difficult to communicate just how important brushing and flossing are for their health. Sometimes, kids can be unresponsive to traditional forms of following healthcare routines, and when that happens, it is helpful to create a more fun approach, so they will enjoy these routines instead of growing to resent them. A fun way to involve your kids in routine brushing and flossing is to make it a family event! Set a time that works for your kids to brush at least twice a day and make a game out of your new routine. Discover more helpful tips about how to create a fun family brushing routine when you read through the entire guide from Samaritan Dental! Schedule a family appointment for a teeth cleaning in Los Angeles at Samaritan Dental now!

Make Brushing Time a Family Event

The easiest way to engage your kids in a healthy brushing and flossing routine is to make it a family event. Every morning and every night try to establish teeth time and gather the whole family together in one bathroom. Everyone will be able to brush together, catch up on their days and just spend five quality minutes as a unit. This method is so beneficial because it will give your children a sense of structure, and everyone will be able to catch up about things that are happening later or share stories from events that happened during the day. And, of course, there is an added benefit of you knowing your kids are maintaining a healthy oral hygiene routine! It is important to include professional teeth cleaning in Los Angeles to every hygiene routine, so be sure to schedule regular appointments with Samaritan Dental!

Make Brushing Time a Game

If the draw of getting the whole family together to brush isn’t working, you may need to step it up a notch. Brainstorm different ways that your kids can play during brushing time in order to make it a more enjoyable routine for them. Think about ways that you can incorporate a little competitive aspect to brushing, like challenging them to brushing for as long as possible before needing to spit! Have a staring contest while you brush and tell them not to spit out their toothpaste for as long as they can! They’ll have a blast trying to maintain eye contact and trying to talk with toothpaste in their mouths will be hilarious. You can also add some fun to teeth time by trying out a variety of different mouthwash flavors. Most brands of mouthwash make a variety of flavors, and grocery or drug stores carry travel sized bottles for flying. Pick up a few different flavors, and some small water cups if you don’t already have them at home. During your teeth time, give everyone a different flavor of mouthwash to see how they like it! Continue rotating mouthwashes until everyone has tried each flavor and picked a favorite!

 

Maintaining a consistent and enjoyable tooth brushing routine can be easy when you gather the entire family together to make every brush fun! Using games and competition to engage your kids to brush their teeth is an easy, fun, and effective way to ensure that they develop healthy hygiene routines for life. Making their dental health enjoyable can also help calm any nerves they may have about going to the dentist for checkups in the future as well. If you have been looking for the perfect family dentist for a teeth cleaning in Los Angeles, call Samaritan Dental today to schedule your first appointment, and see the difference with our team of talented and dedicated dentists!

Close up portrait of cute little girl in Halloween costume holding pumpkin bucket outdoors at the park. Little girl child out for trick or treating on Halloween.

Candy Substitutes for Halloween

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Whether it’s Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, there are plenty of sweet treats to go around. This is also the time where many people may see a decline in their dental hygiene, with kids being the most susceptible to dental problems. For any dental needs you may have, including dental crowns in Los Angeles, be sure to talk to Samaritan Dental and schedule an appointment today.

Statistics About Halloween and Your Teeth

Halloween is a great time to dress up and enjoy some well-deserved treats, but it is important to know the risks involved with that sack full of candy. Because bacteria loves to feed off that sugar that you are feeding on, there is an increased risk of dental problems during the Halloween season, especially due to all the candy readily available. Three of the most prominent dental problems that are seen during Halloween are cavities, infected teeth, and gum disease. You may also experience problems with previous fillings and crowns that you have. Because of the increased risk to your dental health, be sure to contact a dental professional at the first sign of symptoms. Samaritan Dental can help you with all your dental needs, including dental crowns in Los Angeles.

Candy Alternatives for Halloween

There are many reasons why you may want to elect to give out substitutes for candy during Halloween this year, but the trick is to find an alternative that kids actually like. First, try giving them something other than an edible treat. It doesn’t say anywhere in the Halloween handbook that a “treat” is solely something you can eat. Things such as little toys, bouncy balls, mini flashlights, stickers, coloring books, bubbles, novelty gag gifts, and spooky jewelry are just some ideas for fun, non-candy treats. There are plenty of alternatives that are edible as well, including honey sticks, organic candy, trail mix, oranges, popcorn packs, pretzels, and even snack packs with a bunch of these things together. Ultimately, the goal is to find something with significantly less sugar so you are not adding to the problem, but also being something enjoyable that kids want. And the added benefit is that without the candy in the house, the adults are being better about their dental health as well.

Tips and Tricks to Keep Dental Health in Check During Halloween

According to the American Dental Association, there are a bunch of tips and tricks that you can use to be safer with your teeth this Halloween season.

  • Eating candy is alright as a treat, but be careful not to snack throughout the day, choose candy that doesn’t sit in your mouth for a long time, and eating your sweet treat directly after or during a meal will help cancel out the acids produced by bacteria that can harm your teeth.
  • If you are going to enjoy some candy during the Halloween season, be sure to maintain a healthy diet the rest of the time, drink more water than normal to prevent tooth decay, and do not tempt yourself by buying more candy than you need.
  • Two things you should avoid if you are going to treat yourself to candy is sugary drinks, such as soda and sports drinks, and sticky candy.
  • Brush your teeth twice a day, and floss once a day to be sure that sugar does not get more time to prey on your teeth.

Halloween can be an extremely fun time as long as you enjoy candy in moderation, and don’t take your teeth’s health for granted. Scheduling routine appointments with your dentist is a great way to make sure that you do not run into any tooth trouble. Samaritan Dental offers many services to help your family, including dental crowns in Los Angeles; contact us today to schedule an appointment and keep your teeth as healthy as can be!

What is Behind Children’s Dentist-Based Anxiety

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Many adults have severe anxiety about going to the dentist and if you fall into this category, how are you supposed to convince your kids that going to the dentist is fun? Even if you dread those appointments or avoid making them altogether, it’s important to set the right example and help your children develop a healthy understanding of the importance of good oral hygiene. Read on to learn where this anxiety comes from and some fun tips from pediatric Los Angeles dentist Samaritan Dental Arts.

 

The anxiety a child has about the dentist comes from a variety of fears. The child might have a fear of the unknown, a fear of pain (maybe they have heard you complain), or just a lack of trust with someone they don’t know. Here are some tips you can use to make going to the dentist more fun for your kids.

Start Them Out Young

The dentist’s office can be a scary place full of strangers with big metal tools who want to poke around your mouth. By starting the process early, parents are introducing children to the process and finding a good dental home. Kids will lose their teeth and may need to visit the dentist often even before kindergarten. Starting them young makes the process less scary as they become more familiar and establish a good relationship with their dentist.

Watch Your Own Mouth

You might not even realize that you are your own worst enemy when it comes to preparing your kids for a dental visit. The best advice is to keep it simple and don’t explain too many details to your kids. More details could lead to more questions you might not be able to answer. You don’t want to go into the nitty gritty about the process of getting a filling if your kid is just going in for a cleaning and checkup. Take it one step at a time.

 

It’s also a promising idea to avoid those “trigger” words that can cause a lot of anxiety for kids. Keep it positive and stay away from words like “pain” or “hurt.” It’s okay to rely on the dental staff to use their own vocabulary with the kids to help them understand the process. Emphasize “strong, healthy” teeth so they understand the visit is a positive experience that is good for their health.

Host a Pretend Visit

To help your child understand what the dentist will do, host a pretend visit with you as the dentist and have your child then practice on their favorite doll or stuffed animal. Grab a tooth brush and have your child open their mouth in front of the mirror. Count their teeth and show them the right way to brush. Use a small mirror to show them what the dentist might do as they look at the mouth and teeth. Then, have your child do the same thing with their stuffed animal so the process doesn’t seem so foreign and scary.

Prepare for Resistance

Even if you do everything right, your child still might show a little hesitation at going to the dentist. Be prepared for a fussy patient. Let the staff work their magic (they have experience with fussy and frightened kids) and allow them to help calm your child and explain the process in their own terminology.

 

If you are looking for a pediatric dentist in downtown Los Angeles, contact our professionals at Samaritan Dental Arts. We are open on Saturdays and offer evening appointments. You can easily schedule an appointment online. You can also fill out the necessary forms, meet our team of professionals and view a complete list of services. We offer flexible payment options and a caring staff ready to help ease your fears.

 

Don’t take your dental health for granted and don’t set a bad example for your kids. It might seem like a minor inconvenience now, but if left untreated, you could develop serious issues that could impact your overall health or that of your children. For the best pediatric dentist in downtown Los Angeles, make your appointment with Samaritan Dental Arts today.