pediatric dentistry

How to trick kids into brushing their teeth

April 24, 2019 By DentalBuzz Staff 2 Comments

It’s a no-brainer. Dental hygiene, specifically brushing your teeth, is important. But, if you’re a parent with little kids, it’s not always easy. Kids can be stubborn – especially when every aspect of their life is controlled by their parents. This can quickly turn a two-minute task, like brushing your teeth, into a difficult ordeal and even a chore. But, don’t worry! We’ve asked parents what their go-to tricks are to get their kids to not only brush their teeth, but enjoy doing it.

Tip 1: Make it a competition

There’s nothing like sibling rivalry, and it happens even without parental interference. So, why not use this to get your kids pumped about brushing their teeth? Tell them that the winner is chosen by who has the best -smelling breath after two minutes of brushing their teeth. The prize can be something simple, like a temporary tattoo or a glow stick they can take to bed. If you can’t tell the difference between whose breath is better, just switch up the winner every time, you sneaky parent, you.

Do you only have one child? Then brush your teeth with them and use the two-minutes as a countdown. Once the clock hits 0, use the below tip to see whose teeth are the cleanest.

Tip 2: Use a “Tooth Check” after every brushing

If you don’t think your kids are brushing their teeth properly, take a picture of their smiles after every brush. Then, use the picture to zoom in and show them how icky their teeth are when they don’t brush correctly. Not only will this show them why brushing is important, it’ll hold them accountable so they learn the right way to take care of their teeth.

Tip 3: Show your kids pictures of neglected teeth

This is a classic scare-tactic type tip. If your kids are being stubborn and refuse to brush, show them what it looks like when you don’t take care of your teeth. You can also show them this video that explains what happens to neglected teeth.

Cavities are only the beginning of the painful and gross domino effect that can happen if you don’t take dental hygiene seriously. Research from the American Dental Hygienists Association has found a connection between heart disease and key bacteria in periodontal disease. Also, inflammation in your mouth may cause inflamed arteries which can lead to a stroke. Depending on how old your kids are, you can decide how much of this information is necessary to get them to brush those teeth!

Tip 4: Get fun toothbrushes and decorative cups for mouthwash

As a kid, I hated brushing my teeth. And apparently, I didn’t understand how to do it correctly. I’m the baby of my family with two older brothers. By the time my parents had to teach me – the third child – anything, they would lean on my brothers to show me first. So, they were shocked after a trip to the dentist when my brothers had zero cavities and I had SEVEN. Low and behold, my six year old self was unaware that you are, in fact, supposed to brush behind your teeth, too. I had only been brushing the tops and fronts of my teeth. Nice.

My mom intervened and bought me a new, sparkly teal toothbrush and filled me in on the proper brushing etiquette. She also started buying superhero Dixie cups that made mouth-washing fun. While decorated toothbrushes can be overpriced, try seeing what your local Dollar Tree has for kids’ toothbrushes. You might be surprised to find their favorite cartoon character or color available.

Tip 5: Make brushing your teeth a family affair

As we saw above, kids learn by example. So, brushing your teeth alongside them can help teach them while offering up some time to bond with them. If you travel for work or are in a separate household from your kids at times, you can try video chatting with them while you all brush your teeth and get ready for the day or for bed.

It’s recommended that you brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes in the morning and again before you head to bed. Starting your day and ending your day brushing your teeth together can help your kids establish a routine that they’ll carry on for the rest of their lives!

Caroline Gillard is a public relations professional and freelance writer for the health care and financial services industries. As a stand-up comedian on the side (and after the right amount of drinks) she aspires to bring comedy to her writing while providing useful information for her readers.

References:

ADHA: Oral Health-Total Health: Know the Connection. https://www.adha.org/resources-docs/7228_Oral_Health_Total.pdf

Quick Facts: Toothbrushing Infographic. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/~/media/MouthHealthy/Files/A-Z/Infographic_Brushing_102714.pdf

Why your fingers shouldn’t be in the picture

March 15, 2013 By Trish Walraven 7 Comments

“Just this once; it’s okay.”

Does that sound like your practice? You know, you have a gaggy, bouncy kid who’s just about to tongue-thrust their way out of having those radiographs taken, but here comes Amazing Assistant to help you get a diagnostically acceptable image. SCORE!

The problem is that this never happens “just once.” I’ve seen the same person holding sensors in patients’ mouths dozens of times, and that’s when it becomes a problem. Yes, radiation is safer now that we’ve dialed it down and collimators make sure that there’s nothing scattering beyond the focused beam, but that doesn’t mean that we should be flippant about limiting exposure to our patients and most importantly, ourselves.

My best friend from high school could tell you not to hold those films in people’s mouths, too. She was a dental technician in the Navy and also worked for years in pediatric dental offices and orthodontics as an assistant, calming nervous children, helping them to have good dental experiences, and when she was exposing radiographs, sometimes she admits that she would make it easier on everyone if she would stay with the child while the x-rays were beaming through her hand.

She doesn’t have to tell you not to hold the films, though. She can just show you why you shouldn’t:

This is her right hand. Several years ago when she was doing laundry her finger caught on the dryer and “snapped.” This is important, sort of like when your patient tells you exactly what they were eating when their tooth broke – don’t you pay that the most attention of all? Because it was the darn dryer that was the problem….(!) Let’s be serious, though. Like you, her doctor really didn’t care what broke her finger, he wanted to know why it broke.

Turns out that she had developed a giant cell tumor in the first (proximal) phalange of her ring finger that had eaten everything except a small sliver of bone and that was what had snapped. These are very, very rare in small bones like those found in our fingers; most osteoclastomas happen in the larger bones like femurs and such. Hmmm.

Even though the tumor was benign, because of the damage done, the possibility of regrowth and other factors, the decision was made for my friend to have her ring finger amputated. I would have had her flip you the bird for effect but she no longer has a middle finger either…! (think about it…!)

So she was fortunate enough to stay in dentistry as a patient care coordinator for a few more years as she recovered but is now working towards her master’s degree for speech pathology. While she doesn’t seem totally convinced that excessive radiation exposure caused her to lose her finger, she doesn’t count it out for even a second.

And neither do I.

Losing a finger may be anecdotal evidence about the dangers of radiation, but it’s enough for me to feel like enforcing what we already know to be true.

Please share this story with those you care about, even if it makes you feel like the Radiation Nazi.

Does your pedo blow?

June 19, 2012 By Trish Walraven 1 Comment

Here’s proof that pediatric dentistry attracts “special” people – the staff of Teays Valley Pediatric Dentistry and Huntington Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics getting it on and making the right kind of viral video, complete with outtakes. It’s got humor, it’s got sexy, it’s got “we didn’t try hard to get this just right.” And it works, because the following is just plain fun to watch:

So how about it? Does this video make you want to work with the crazy gals? Definitely. But what about sending your kids to become patients in this office? Lower your eyebrows and listen for a moment. You’re just seeing the tip of the insanity. They’ve probably done worse, much worse than gambled with candy. Children shouldn’t be exposed to irresponsibility of this magnitude, and so the parents should be made aware of this seedier side of pedodontics.

Do you remember the drug-induced rant of David After Dentist? To think that a dental professional would bring into question whether or not this was real life. We don’t need none of that existential nonsense. Pediatric dentists should stick to hiring dried up old biddies that don’t like kids. They may not have a lot of personality, but at least they’ll shine the light where you need it instead of dancing around pretending to be Ke$ha.

(just kidding. Party on, you instigators of fun.)

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