In my last post, What Is Fluoride, I discussed what fluoride is and how it affects our enamel. It aids in remineralizing enamel and prevents the demineralization of enamel. It can also prevent bacteria from producing cavity enhancing acid. Community…
What is Fluoride?
The short answer to this question is fluoride is an ion that bonds to enamel and hardens its chemical structure. If you are curious about the chemistry behind it, keep reading. If you are fine with the previous answer, there…
Can My Baby Use Orajel for Teething Pain?
Orajel is a topical numbing agent that’s uses range from relieving pain from canker sores, tooth and gum pain, as well as for cold sores. The active ingredient in Orajel is 20% Benzocaine which is a topical local anesthetic (pain…
When Will My Baby’s Teeth Come In?
Those sweet, gummy smiles! I, personally, cannot get enough of them, but at some point, we hope the teeth start to come in. Teeth serve many purposes: they can aid in chewing food, developing the child’s speech, give soft tissue…
Amber Teething Necklaces
I had the wonderful opportunity to write an article on teething for our local Parents and Kids magazine. Nowadays, when I discuss teething, I am frequently asked about amber teething jewelry. Until writing the article, I had not dug deep…
Can I Protect My Child’s Teeth Before They Are Born?
Congratulations!! You are having a baby! I have been blessed to go through the process twice, and it is the best of times; it is the worst of times. I do not consider myself an anxious person, but both times…
What Age Should My Child See the Dentist?
I am going to go ahead and say it. I have no time or space for “mom guilt” in my life. Every single one of us is trying to do the best we can for those that we love most. …
How Do I Floss My Child’s Teeth?
When I was a child, my parents gave me chores to do around the house, and one of those chores was to vacuum. From the age that I began vacuuming until I was in college, I vacuumed in no certain…
Why Do I Need to Floss?
I hear it repeatedly: “How often do you brush your teeth?” “Twice a day, morning and night.” “How often do you floss?” Crickets… OR “I don’t know why they have cavities. They eat well, and we brush their teeth.” “How…
At What Age Should My Child Use Fluoridated Toothpaste?
“Parents should use a smear of fluoridated toothpaste on a soft-bristled infant toothbrush twice daily as soon as the first tooth erupts.” ~AAPD Guidelines~ WHAT?!? My child cannot spit. What if my child swallows it? This is too much too…
When Should I Start Brushing My Child’s Teeth?
Once upon a time, in a land that was so magical, it could only have been dreamt up by fairy princesses, there lived a kind, peaceful woman and her newborn daughter. This baby girl was the light of her mother’s…
Why Do I Need to Brush My Child’s Teeth?
Please do not take offense to this blog post! I am not trying to insult your intelligence. Most parents know that is important to brush their children’s teeth in the morning after breakfast and before bedtime with fluoridated toothpaste. But…