Having clean teeth helps keep your child healthy

 

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Tooth decay is the number-one dental problem among preschoolers, but it can be prevented. Starting children with good dental habits from an early age will help them grow up with healthy smiles. The following is important information about how to care for your child's teeth from birth to 24 months of age and beyond.

 

Baby teeth are important!

Tooth decay can develop as soon as the first tooth appears. It’s important to care for your child’s baby teeth because they act as placeholders for adult teeth. If baby teeth are lost too early, the teeth that are left may move and not leave any room for the adult teeth to come in. And tooth decay in baby teeth can be painful and cause health problems like infections, which can at times be life-threatening. It can also lead to teasing and speech development problems.

How to care for your child’s teeth

Birth to 12 months

• Good dental habits should begin before the first tooth appears. After feedings, gently brush your baby’s gums using water on a baby toothbrush that has soft bristles. Or wipe them with a clean washcloth.
• Ask about fluoride. After the first tooth appears, ask your child’s doctor if your baby is getting enough fluoride. Many experts recommend using a fluoride-free toothpaste before the age of 2, but check with your child’s doctor or dentist first.
• Schedule your baby’s well-child visits. During these visits your child’s doctor will check your baby’s mouth.
• Schedule a dental checkup. If your baby is at high risk for tooth decay, your child’s doctor will recommend that your baby see a dentist.

12 to 24 months

• Brush! Brush your child’s teeth 2 times a day using water on a baby toothbrush that has soft bristles. The best times are after breakfast and before bed.
• Limit juice. Make sure your child doesn’t drink more than 1 small cup of juice each day and only at mealtimes.
• Consult with your child’s dentist or doctor about sucking habits. Sucking too strongly on a pacifier, a thumb, or fingers can affect the shape of the mouth and how the top and bottom teeth line up. This is called your child’s “bite.” Ask your child’s dentist or doctor to help you look for changes in your child’s bite and how to help your child ease out of his sucking habit.
• Schedule a dental checkup. Take your child for a dental checkup if he has not had one.

24 months

• Brush! Help your child brush her teeth 2 times a day with a child-sized toothbrush that has soft bristles. There are brushes designed to address the different needs of children at all ages, ensuring that you can select a toothbrush that is appropriate for your child. Encourage her to brush her teeth on her own. However, to make sure your child’s teeth are clean, you should brush them again. If your child doesn’t want her teeth brushed, it may help to turn it into a game. For example, the toothbrush can look upstairs and downstairs in the mouth for missing treasure in the teeth.
• Use fluoride toothpaste. You can start using fluoride toothpaste, which helps prevent cavities. Teach your child not to swallow it. Use a pea-sized amount or less and smear the paste into the bristles. Swallowing too much fluoride toothpaste can make white or brown spots on your child’s adult teeth. If your child doesn’t like the taste of the toothpaste, try another flavor or use plain water.
• Floss. You can begin flossing your child’s teeth as soon as 2 teeth touch each other. But not all children need their teeth flossed at this age, so check with your dentist first.
• Schedule a dental checkup. Take your child for a dental checkup at least once a year.

What is a cavity?

Your child’s teeth are protected by an outer coating called enamel. Tooth decay happens when germs in the mouth mix with sugar in foods and drinks. The germs then make acids that break down the enamel. Cavities are holes in the enamel caused by tooth decay.

 

Next time your are in our office as for a referral to a local dentist. We have several suggestions for you!

 

**Thanks to healthychildren.org for a great reminder . Click here for full article

How to show love for your child this Valentines Day

 

It is that time of the year again when we all rush to the store to find the perfect Valentine. What are you ding this year to make your child feel extra special?  This year we thought it would interesting what the AAP thinks we should be doing. Here are some amazing tips from the AAP

TheValentine's Day tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

1. Use plenty of positive words with your child. Try to avoid using sarcasm. Children often don’t understand it, and if they do, it creates a negative interaction.
2. Respond promptly and lovingly to your child's physical and emotional needs and banish put-downs from your parenting vocabulary. Be available to listen to your child when he/she want to talk with you even if it’s an inconvenient time.
3. Make an extra effort to set a good example at home and in public. Use words like "I'm sorry," "please," and "thank you."
4. When your child is angry, argumentative or in a bad mood, give him a hug, cuddle, pat, secret sign or other gesture of affection he favors and then talk with him about it when he’s feeling better.
5. Use non-violent forms of discipline. Parents should institute both rewards and restrictions many years before adolescence to help prevent trouble during the teenage years. Allowing children of any age to constantly break important rules without being disciplined only encourages more rule violations.
6. Make plans to spend time alone with your young child or teen doing something she enjoys. Send a Valentine’s Day card to your older child or teen. Make Valentine’s Day cards together with your preschool or younger school age child.
7. Mark family game nights on your calendar so the entire family can be together. Put a different family member's name under each date, and have that person choose which game will be played that evening.
8. Owning a pet can make children, especially those with chronic illnesses and disabilities, feel better by stimulating physical activity, enhancing their overall attitude, and offering constant companionship.
9. One of the best ways to familiarize your child with good food choices is to encourage him to cook with you. Let him get involved in the entire process, from planning the menus to shopping for ingredients to the actual food preparation and its serving. It is wonderful when families eat together as much as possible. Good food, good conversations.
10. As your child grows up, she'll spend most of her time developing and refining a variety of skills and abilities in all areas of her life. You should help her as much as possible by encouraging her and providing the equipment and instruction she needs. Start reading to your child beginning at six months. Avoid TV in the first two years, monitor and watch TV with your older children and use TV time as conversation time with your children. Limit computer and video games.
11. Your child's health depends significantly on the care and guidance you offer during his early years. By taking your child to the doctor regularly for preventive health care visits, keeping him safe from accidents, providing a nutritious diet, and encouraging exercise throughout childhood, you help protect and strengthen his body.
12. Help your child foster positive relationships with friends, siblings and members of the community.
13. One of your most important gifts as a parent is to help your child develop self-esteem. Your child needs your steady support and encouragement to discover his strengths. He needs you to believe in him as he learns to believe in himself. Loving him, spending time with him, listening to him and praising his accomplishments are all part of this process.
14. Don't forget to say, "I love you" to children of all ages!

**Check out this link for the full story and great ideas WWW.Healthychildren.org

Reminder on new Dosage on Fever and Pain medicine

Parents need to be aware of a major change in infant’s and children’s liquid acetaminophen products (such as Tylenol) available on store shelves. Since Summer 2011, some manufacturers have changed the amount of acetaminophen in these medicines to one standard amount. Infant drops, which contain 3 times more medicine than the children’s liquid, will be phased out and no longer available.
However during this transition, you may find both concentrations on store shelves and in your home.
Parents need to be aware that the dosing amounts are different depending on the concentration they are using.

Why the change?

The change to one concentration for all children is being done to help reduce dosing errors that can lead to accidental overdoses. Too many times parents have mistaken the strength of the infant drops, which are stronger than the liquids, and accidentally given their children too much medicine.
What to do
Always call your pediatrician before giving acetaminophen to a child under 2 years of age, and call right away if your child is under four months of age and has a fever. Be sure when calling that you know which concentration you have, either 80mg/0.8mL (these are the drops which are being discontinued) or 160mg/5mL (children’s liquid). You can find this information on the front of the medicine bottle.  Have the bottle with you when you call.
For children over the age of 2 years, check the label to see how much medicine to give. If you know your child's weight, use that. If you do not know your child’s weight, go by age for the dose amount.
Important reminders
•Keep all medicines out of the reach of children
•Use only the dosing device that comes with the product
•Never give adult medicines to children
•Always read and follow the instructions on the label
•Talk to your pediatrician if you have any questions
•If you think your child has taken too much of this or any medicine, call poison control at 800.222.1222

*AAP info

Spend three minutes more at the dinner table

Spending an Extra THREE minutes at the dinner table can help keep children thin--Parents can improve their children's weight by simply keeping them longer at the dinner table according to a new study. In fact, keeping children for an extra three minutes longer at the table during family mealtimes is a practical way to prevent child obesity, scientists at the University of Illinois said.

Researchers studying ways low-income families can help children achieve and maintain normal body weight found that the extra minutes invested in mealtimes significantly improved a child's chances at maintaining normal weight.
In the latest study published in the journal Economics and Human Biology, researchers looked at 200 family mealtimes and found links between mealtime behaviors and children's weight.
They found that children who regularly sat down for family meals were more likely to have a healthy weight compared to those whose mealtimes were cut short.
"Children whose families engaged with each other over a 20-minute meal four times a week weighed significantly less than kids who left the table after 15 to 17 minutes. Over time, those extra minutes per meal add up and become really powerful," study author Barbara Fiese, director of the University of Illinois' Family Resiliency Program, said in a statement.
The findings suggest that the factors at play are likely to be communication and the importance of a scheduled mealtime.
Researchers found that families who said that shared mealtimes are an important part of family life and have special meaning for them were less likely to have a child who was obese or overweight.
The study also revealed that families who talked more together and interacted more positively during the meal were more likely to have children with normal weight.
Fiese said that teaching low-income families how to make the most of family mealtimes was a viable intervention to help them tackle obesity.
"This is something we can target and teach. It's much more difficult to change such factors as marital status, maternal education, or neighborhood poverty," she said.
"It's also important to recognize the increasing diversity of families and their sometimes complex living arrangements that may challenge their abilities to plan ahead and arrange a single time to communicate with each other," she added.
Researchers noted that while families in the low-income neighborhoods faced a multitude of problems like poor access to healthy food. However, even after accounting for these risk factors, they found that regular, high quality, family mealtimes made a significant difference to children's weight.
"Three to four extra minutes per meal made a healthy weight more likely," she concluded

Thank you to Dr Jopling for finding this article
Read more at http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/13977/20130122/spending-extra-three-minutes-dinner-table-help.htm#TxYPrqLPaVfQVlJV.99

How to prevent illness

 

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How many times have you and your child washed your hands today? We are seeing a lot of sickness right now and this is a great reminder how Hand Washing can be a powerful antidote to illness!  You might not have given it much thought. It’s either part of your routine, done frequently without thinking, or maybe you don’t do it much at all. But as your pediatrician may have told you, hand washing may be the single most important act you and your child have for disease prevention
The CDC and American Pediatrics association has put together some great suggestions! .

Making It Habit

As early as possible, get your child into the habit of washing her hands often and thoroughly. All day long, your child is exposed to bacteria and viruses—when touching a playmate, sharing toys, or petting the cat. Once her hands pick up these germs, she can quickly infect herself by:

• Rubbing her eyes
• Touching her nose
• Placing her fingers in her mouth.

The whole process can happen in seconds, and cause an infection that can last for days, weeks, or even longer.

When To Wash

Hand washing can stop the spread of infection. The key is to encourage your child to wash her hands throughout the day. For example, help her or remind her to wash her hands:

• Before eating (including snacks)
• After a trip to the bathroom
• Whenever she comes in from playing outdoors
• After touching an animal like a family pet
• After sneezing or coughing if she covers her mouth
• When someone in the household is ill

Studies on hand washing in public restrooms show that most people don’t have very good hygiene habits. “Hand washing” may mean just a quick splash of water and perhaps a squirt of soap, but not nearly enough to get their hands clean.

Steps to Proper Hand Washing

So what does a thorough hand washing involve? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following steps:

• Wet your child’s hands.
• Apply clean bar soap or liquid soap to the hands, and then place the bar on a rack where it can drain before the next hand washing.
• Rub the hands vigorously together. Scrub every surface completely.
• Keep rubbing and scrubbing for 10 to 15 seconds to effectively remove the germs.
• Rinse the hands completely, then dry them.

About Antibacterial Soaps

Drugstore shelves are full of trendy antibacterial soaps, but studies have shown that these antibacterial products are no better at washing away dirt and germs than regular soap. Some infectious disease experts have even suggested that by using antibacterial soaps, you may actually kill off normal bacteria and increase the chances that resistant bacteria may grow.
The best solution is to wash your child’s hands with warm water and ordinary soap that does not contain antibacterial substances (eg, triclosan). Regular use of soap and water is better than using waterless (and often alcohol-based) soaps, gels, rinses, and hand rubs when your child’s hands are visibly dirty (and with children, there usually is dirt on the hands!). However, when there is no sink available (eg, the car), hand rubs can be a useful alternative.

How Long to Wash

Keep in mind that although 10 to 15 seconds of hand washing sounds like an instant, it is much longer than you think. Time yourself the next time you wash your hands. Watch your child while she’s washing her hands to make sure she’s developing good hygiene behaviors. Pick a song that lasts for 15 seconds and sing it while you wash. Encourage your child to wash her hands not only at home, but also at school, at friends’ homes, and everywhere else. It’s an important habit for her to get into, and hopefully one that’s hard to break!

--Info from CDC and AAP/Healthychildren.org

Are you our winner??

One of our winners from last month's blog contest has not come to pick up the Gift Card....So please come and get it!!....

Jake and Kim--said ...."Running! Outside, and our home is one level and we run from one end to the other! Walks, dancing to music on the radio, Airborne(jump your heart out!), snowman building, sledding, shoveling snow!!
Please contact our office soon:)....

Screen time near bedtime means LESS sleep for kids

Survey found watching TV, playing video games before bed delays sleep

Dr Jopling found this great article and wanted to share it. It sure makes you think about the time of the day your children watch TV and play with electronics--

By Kathleen Doheny HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Children and teens who spend time watching television, playing video games or using the computer right before bedtime are likely to take longer to fall asleep than those who watch less or none, according to new research.
And that could add up to a sleep deficit, experts said.
"Reducing screen time in this pre-sleep window could be a good strategy for helping kids go to sleep earlier," said study leader Louise Foley, who was a researcher at the University of Auckland in New Zealand at the time of the study.
Foley and her team zeroed in on how much TV watching and video game playing children and teens, 5 to 18, did in the 90 minutes before their bedtime. They also looked at how long it took them to fall asleep. The more screen time, the longer it took to doze off.
The study was published online Jan. 14 and in the February print issue of the journal Pediatrics.
The findings are no surprise, said Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a distinguished professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington, in Seattle. Christakis has studied the effects of media use on children.
"There is growing evidence that media use around sleep time is bad for sleep initiation," Christakis said.
The new study, he said, suggests that "it's not so much having a bedtime for your children. You have to have a bedtime for their devices."
Although previous research has found that television viewing and other "screen-time" activities are linked with a decline in the length of time children and teens sleep, the new study is believed to be the first to look at the pre-bedtime period by asking youth (or their parents, for the younger children) to account for their time in detail.
In the new study, the researchers found that about one-third of the 90 minutes before bedtime, on average, involved watching television, playing video games or working at the computer.
Engaging in such screen time, experts say, can cause arousal, making sleep difficult. The blue light from screens can affect circadian rhythms and adversely affect falling asleep.
Differences found between sleep onset were wide-ranging. For instance, those in the late group spent 13 more minutes of screen time before bed than did those in the early-to-sleep group.
Although the difference may seem small, it adds up to an hour less sleep over the school week.
The new study findings add to accumulating evidence about the problem of too little sleep in children and teens, said Dr. Roya Samuels, an attending pediatrician at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y.
"We've seen so many studies over the past couple years that have concentrated on the effects of inadequate sleep," she said. It has been linked with "all sorts of detrimental consequences on kids' behavior patterns the next day -- increased aggression, being hyperactive."
Samuels blames lack of sleep in children and teens on a lack of proper winding-down activities -- and often that's because they are busy watching television or using the computer.
"Sleep is just as important in terms of growth and development as nutrition," she said. "Kids need adequate sleep to grow emotionally, physically and mentally. Two hours before bedtime should be calm time."
She said she realizes this is a challenge, with many parents juggling work and household and parenting demands, including homework supervision.
Foley suggested encouraging kids to try activities that don't take place on-screen. The entire family could participate in a non-screen activity such as arts and crafts together right before bedtime, she said.
"It's a lot easier for a child to reduce screen time if the whole family has made a commitment to watching less TV," she said.
How much sleep is enough? Although people vary in their needs, the National Sleep Foundation suggests preschoolers need about 11 to 13 hours, elementary school children about 10 or 11 hours and teens 8.5 to 9.25 hours.
More information and to read the full store please click HERE

--info from washington post (full link above)