Make Brushing Fun for Kids!

It may be a bit of a stretch to imagine your child getting excited about their morning and evening brushing. While they may not absolutely not love to brush, there is no reason they should hate it either. It can be years before your child develops required motor skills and coordination to maintain healthy brushing habits on their own. Until they can do it on their own, they will need your help! Read on for some ways you can make brushing teeth more fun for your child.

Be a leader.

The best way to show your child the importance of brushing is to brush right alongside them. This can be a fun, bonding experience. Your child will be mimicking your brushing motions, and pick up your good brushing habits. Be sure to make a funny face or two to make them laugh!

Brush selection.
Food and toy industries both appreciate the value of marketing for children by using bright colours and images of their favourite characters. When you are selecting a toothbrush for your child, bring them along with you so they can pick out the one they want. If your child views the toothbrush the way they view their toys, they will want to use it more often. Toothpastes also come in colours and flavours for children which makes the brushing experience that much more enjoyable.

Bring a friend.
Don't hesitate to bring your child favourite toy or stuffed animal to the bathroom when brushing. You can explain to the stuffed animal what you are doing, and why it is important and your child will be listening as well. You can also count aloud as you brush, checking off one tooth at a time to ensure you have cleaned your teeth thoroughly. As a bonus you are helping your child practice their counting.

Facts about the Tongue

The tongue is a muscular structure attached to the floor of the mouth. It is responsible for many various tasks. Read on to learn some facts you may not have known about tongues!

• The tongue is the main sensory organ for taste. The surface of your tongue is covered with taste buds which have taste receptors.
• On Average, the human tongue has 3,000 - 10,000 taste buds.
• The bumps that you can see on your tongue are called papillae. Our taste buds sit on top of the papillae but they are not visible to the human eye.
• There are five elements of taste : salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and savoury.
• These tastes can all be detected anywhere on the tongue, there are not specific taste areas.
• The tongue helps with changes in sound during speech.
• The tongue also works as a natural way of cleaning your teeth after you are done eating.
• The human tongue is divided into two parts the anterior and the posterior.
• The anterior part of the tongue is the visible part at the front and is about two-thirds of the tongue's length.
• The posterior tongue area is closest to the throat, and roughly one-third of length.
• There are eight muscles in the human tongue which can be classified as intrinsic or extrinsic.
• There are four intrinsic muscles which are not attached to any bone. These are the muscles that allow the tongue to change shape, such as point, roll, tuck, expanding and contracting.
• There are also four extrinsic muscles but these are attached to bone. They allow the tongue to change position, such as poke out, retract, side-to-side movement.
• The average length of the human tongue from the back to the tip is 10 cm (4 in).
• Taste receptors cannot actually taste food until saliva has moistened it. This is why we usually taste salty things first as salt dissolves quickly in moisture.
• Traditional human food dishes sometimes include tongue of various animals. In Mexico, they have a taco filled beef tongue dish. Pig and cow tongue is popular in Chinese cuisine.
• Sticking your tongue out to people is seen as immature or rude in many countries, however, in Tibet it is considered a greeting.
• Dogs and cats use their tongues to clean their fur and body. The rough texture of their tongue allows them to remove oils and parasites from their coat.
• Some animal tongues are specially designed to catch their prey. Chameleons, frogs, and anteaters have tongues that can extend out of their mouth and grab insects!

The blue whale has the largest tongue of all animals. Its tongue weigh's around 2.7 metric tons or 2700 kilograms!

How to Help Your Child With Dentistry Fear

Taking your child to the dentist can be stressful, especially if your child is afraid of the dentist. Going to the dentist is a crucial part of maintaining optimal oral health, so it's important for your child to attend their appointments on a regular basis.

There are ways to decrease the amount of stress and anxiety your child feels at the dentist. The more comfortable they feel with the office and people who work there, the better! If they look forward to getting a toy or prize at the end of their appointment they are more likely to jump in the car to go to the dentist.

Familiarize your child with the office and the dentist prior to their first appointment. Allow the child to see the atmosphere, meet their future dentist, and maybe learn a few things about oral care! If you can, schedule your child's appointments to be with the same hygienist and dentist every time. This allows your child to form relationships with the people doing their check ups, and creates trust.

Choose a pediatric dentist for your child. A practitioner whose main focus is children has extensive experience and knowledge when it comes to making your child calm and comfortable. Consider pediatric dentists to be experts when it comes to fearful young patients.

Reward your child with a small toy for behaving at the dentist. They may be more likely to sit still and allow the dentist to examine their mouths if they're thinking about what action figure or my little pony they're going to get afterwards.

The Truth About Baby Teeth

Many people believe that since baby teeth fall out that they're not important. However, this is very inaccurate. Baby teeth create a strong basis for healthy permanent teeth. When you help to teach your child how important oral health is, they will carry on that mentality for the rest of their lives.

When your child is teething they may experience sore gums. This is completely normal. Your baby may become irritated which can contribute to problems sleeping and digestion. There are plenty of remedies you can try to sooth your child's pain. Teething rings that are made of soft material and can be cooled in the fridge are a great choice. A gentle pain reliever may be used as well to help decrease the pain. 

The front teeth start to appear around 6-12 months of age. Throughout the next two years the rest of the baby teeth will grow in. When your child turns three all of their baby teeth will be showing. This is twenty teeth in total.

As we all know sugar is your mouth's worst enemy. For strong oral health monitor the amount of sugar your child is ingesting. Provide foods for your child that will contribute positively to their overall development and growth.

Avoid bottle feeding your child sweet or sugary drinks. If you're going to give your baby fruit juice dilute it with water first.

Remember to have your child see a dentist by their first birthday. To book an appointment at Woodbridge Kids Dentistry click here!

Pacifiers & Thumb Sucking

Your child may use a pacifier or their thumb as a coping mechanism. They may even use one of these methods to help them fall asleep each night. As your child grows it's important to know that thumb sucking and pacifiers can deter the growth of their mouth and proper alignment of their teeth. The sooner your can break these habits, the better for your child's mouth.

Your toddler's use of a pacifier can be limited. However, when it comes to thumb sucking the removal process can be more difficult. Do not sweeten your toddler's soother. In the past parents have put honey or other sweet liquids on the soother to make it more appealing to their child. This will only make it harder as they will perceive their soother also as a treat. This can provoke early decay. Also do not clean your child's soother by putting it in your mouth as this shares bacteria instead of removing it.

Your child is less likely to experience negative side effects of thumb sucking and pacifier usage if they stop prior to their permanent teeth growing in. This occurs around the age of five. Children use their soother or thumb to calm themselves down, they find it comforting. Offer them snuggles or gently remind them not to participate in that habit. The earlier you can deter your child from thumb sucking and pacifier usage, the better.

Healthy School Lunches

Getting your child to eat healthy can be difficult. Since your child most likely indulged in tons of sweets over the holidays it can be a difficult transition for them to understand that every lunch will not be accompanied with a candy cane.

You want to ensure your child is eating foods that won't harm their dental and overall health. Snacks like gushers, and fruit-to-go may become lodged in the back of your child's mouth. This can increase your child's risk of forming a cavity. Include water or milk with your child's lunch to help wash away any food that may have gotten caught in their teeth.

Try to make their lunches fun. Allow your child to help in the process of packing their lunch. Try to include their favourite fruits and vegetables to ensure it all gets eaten! Provide them with colourful vegetables, fun shaped fruit, and cheese strings. Choose whole grain bread for your child's sandwich. Send them with a healthy snack like whole grain pretzels or cheerios.

To ensure your child's oral health is in tact, ensure they are brushing and flossing regularly. Allow them to choose their tooth brush with their favourite Disney character or super hero on it. Small things can help to make eating healthy and maintaining good oral health fun!

To make an appointment for your child at Woodbridge Kids Dentistry click here!

3 Tips to Help Keep Your Child's Smile Safe

The Western World is currently facing a childhood obesity epidemic that has threatened adolescent populations with a myriad of health issues including increased risk of hypertension, heart disease, and type II diabetes. Public health authorities and community stakeholders have pushed back hard against advertising companies who had previously targeted children with sugar-loaded snacks draped in the names and faces of their favourite cartoon characters. This movement targeted sugary foods as the culprit for rising levels of childhood obesity, but this sweet substance has also been fingered as the leading antagonist for failing oral health among adolescents. Over 26,000 primary school children were admitted to the hospital for tooth decay in the past year, suggesting that parents could use a few tips to reduce their child's exposure to sugar. Read on for 3 simple tips to improve your child's oral health care outcomes.  

• Make brushing fun. When faced with the choice between allowing their child to eat a more sugary food option, such as fruit, or having their child refuse to eat, most parents will concede to their child's wishes. There is nothing wrong with this, especially since fruits have a variety of oral health-boosting properties, but even natural sugars must be brushed away. Find a fun song for your child to brush along to, and join them in their morning and evening routine to make it fun.

• Limit sugary foods to meal-times. Try to choose low-sugar snacks for your child. Some classic favourites include nuts, carrots or celery and dip, or a spoonful of peanut or almond butter. If your child must have a sugary snack, try to fit it into regular mealtime so that their teeth are not exposed to sugars throughout the day when brushing and rinsing is not likely. 

• Educate yourself on nutrition. Most parents aren't aware of the amount of sugar contained in a glass of fruit juice, or that even fat-free yogurt is brimming with added sweeteners. Always read the labels on foods and try to cut out excess sugar where possible. Your child is depending entirely on you to provide them with adequate nutrition.