Early Orthodontia
January 14, 2016
Many people think that braces are only for teenagers, but in reality braces can benefit people of all ages. In fact, early orthodontic treatment can be one of the best things you can do for your children’s oral health, growth, and development. As your Pediatric Dentist we wanted to let all our parents know that we can evaluate your young children’s growth and let you know if orthodontic treatment could benefit them.
Before kids go through puberty their bodies are rapidly growing and changing things. One of the reasons why pacifiers can be so “scary” for some parents is because prolonged non-nutritive sucking can move the front teeth and cause orthodontic problems. This coupled with many other occurrences can be mitigated with early orthodontic treatment. We are trained in Phase 1 or interceptive orthodontics, which can prevent and correct abnormal jaw growth, tooth ware and increased risk of chipped teeth.
With interceptive, early orthodontics we are also able to practice space maintenance and encourage the jaw to grow properly. For example, if a tooth falls out too early, it may take a long time for the permanent tooth to make its grand appearance. To keep this space open so there is less chance of crooked or crowded teeth, we employ the use of early orthodontia. This is much easier for you and your child than dealing with an impacted tooth later on in life.
Early orthodontic treatment is extremely important for your child’s growth and development. If are wondering if your child could benefit from Phase 1, Interceptive Orthodontics, ask Dr. Maggie at your appointment today. She’s always keeping an eye on those pearly whites and will always let you know what she sees!
Tips to Prepare Your Child’s Teeth For Christmas
December 15, 2015
Christmas is just around the corner, as all you parents all know. While we’re getting a bunch of toys ready for the Palm Harbor Library, we are also finding that this is the perfect opportunity to talk to kids about keeping their teeth healthy during the holiday season. We all know that Christmas is full of candy and sweet treats, but reminding your kids that taking care of their teeth during this time is more important than ever!
Here are a few things you can do prepare your child’s teeth for the only time of the year when there’s plates and plates of cookies and fudge, candy hanging from trees, and glasses of caramel apple cider around every corner.
- Children on the nice list don’t stop brushing and flossing. Even though Santa’s coming and the sugar is keeping those kids up later and later in anticipation. It’s important to set a No-More-Cookie Time and make sure they brush and floss those teeth before they go to bed. This ensure any excess sugar will be removed from their teeth and prevent tooth decay. Similarly, keeping with the routine and brushing first thing in the morning before breaking into cinnamon rolls and peanut brittle can keep their healthy habit in check, and prepare their teeth for the rest of the day.
- Sneak some of Santa’s milk. When there are endless choices of sweet snacks to munch on choosing healthy options like a glass of milk or a plate of carrots is extremely important. Make sure you kids are eating full meals full of vitamins that can help their teeth, like calcium and vitamins D and A, before they start on the shortbread. This will ensure their bodies are getting the nutrients their teeth need to stay healthy.
Keeping with a consistent oral health regimen even in the thick of the holiday season is extremely important. By making sure your kids are brushing their teeth twice a day for two minutes at a time, flossing every night, and still eating healthy meals – despite the urge to switch out carrot sticks for Christmas cookies – you can prepare their teeth for a healthy holiday season.
If you want to double up your efforts this season, schedule a check up after the holidays and we can get your child’s smile off to a Healthy and Happy New Year!
Why Do We Have Two Sets of Teeth?
November 24, 2015
One of the most amazing parts of being a pediatric dentist is having the opportunity to teach kids about their oral health. Providing them with an extra education about how their teeth work and what they can do to keep them healthy is the most important thing we do as dentists. After all, we’re setting them up for a lifetime of healthy smiles. As your child climbs to the ages of six and seven, you’ll notice those cute little baby teeth start falling out. As your child sheds these teeth they may be wondering what is happening to them and why on earth their teeth are falling out?! You can rest assure them it’s normal and here’s why.
We are born with no teeth, and then when we get to 6 months old our deciduous teeth come in. That’s a big word for baby, or primary teeth. This set of teeth is extremely important. They help us learn to speak, teach us how to eat and give our jaws some nice guidelines to develop around. One of the other important aspects of baby teeth is they give kids the opportunity to learn how to take care of their teeth, so that when their permanent teeth come in, they’re able to keep them for their entire life.
Humans grow, and as we grow so do our jaws. What once fit perfectly now isn’t so snug. Underneath our primary teeth our permanent teeth have been forming. The primaries hold the spaces for permanent teeth and when the jaw is big enough for the permanent teeth to come out, the push the primaries out of the way. The result are those funny gaps.
It’s no surprise or mystery why we have two sets of teeth. Our “trainer” teeth are there to help us grow and learn so that when our permanent teeth come in we know how to take care of them. It’s so important to take care of both sets of teeth even though one set is going to fall out. If you have any questions about how to teach your kids the important lessons of proper oral hygiene, swing on by today. We love teaching kids about their teeth and telling them all about how to keep them healthy.
Candy Buy Back Week!
November 2, 2015
This week we’re excited to be buying back all your candy. If you’ve been keeping up with us on Facebook you already know all about this fun event, but for a complete run-down of all the awesome prizes and goodies, you’ve come to the right place!
We’ve already filled one bucket full of candy for our soldiers with sweet teeth and are excited to collect more and more. How it works is your child brings in their Halloween candy. For every pound of candy donated your we’ll give them a raffle ticket to win a brand new bicycle and other great prizes! We’ll also send them home with a great goodie bag full of healthy snacks and coupons with free goodies from all kinds of places across town.
Here’s the rundown of the great prizes we’ve got in store for kids excited to give up their candy for a soldier missing home.
- A brand new bike
- Admission for two the Florida Aquarium
- $25 gift certificate to Cuban Breezes
- Three-month pass for a family to the Glazer Children’s Museum
- Free session of tennis lessons from the Countryside Country Club
- Gift bag from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, complete with a 4 admissions, a stuffed animal and Dolphin Tale 2 on DVD
- Tickets to the Tampa Bay Lightening Hockey Game
But our buyback isn’t just up to the luck of the draw, every child walks away with a goodie bag full of healthy snacks, vouchers for free treats from Wendy’s, First Watch Café, Chick-fil-A, frozen yogurt from Menchies. There’s also coupons from the Lowry Park Zoo, Celebration Station, Jersey Mikes, McDonalds, Smoothie King, Subway, and Tijuana Flats.
If you want to get rid of that extra cavity-causing candy and send it over to our troops who are missing the comforts of Halloween at home, bring your candy to Dr. Maggie Davis. Not only will you leave with a bag full of goodies and a chance to win lots of cool prizes, you’ll also walk out the door with a clean bill of dental health after a fun trip to your pediatric dentist.
Help us fill these bins, we can’t wait to see you!
Preventing Tooth Decay
September 29, 2015
For many of my little patients’ parents, preventing tooth decay is the first thing on their mind. Luckily, controlling tooth decay and preventing cavities is not as hard as it seems, and by only slightly altering your routine you can create healthy habits that will prevent cavities for a lifetime.
Tooth decay is the result of bacteria that deposits on teeth from the food we eat. Over time it forms plaque. When we brush our teeth we remove this plaque, however when the plaque builds up and combines with sugar and starches it produces acids. These acids deteriorate the enamel and eventually lead to cavities.
The first step in preventing tooth decay is to steer your child clear from sugary snacks. By feeding them crunchy fruits and veggies like carrots and apples, you can significantly reduce the amount of plaque-causing sugar in your child’s mouth.
The next essential thing you can do to prevent tooth decay is teach your child to properly brush their teeth. When we brush, we remove the decay-causing plaque and remineralize the teeth with a fluoridated toothpaste. Children should brush two minutes after breakfast and two minutes before bedtime to remove the plaque that built up all day.
And finally, flossing. Brushing removes decay-causing plaque from the surfaces of teeth, but to remove the plaque from in-between the teeth, flossing is a must. It can be hard to teach kids how to floss, but with the use of cool new tools like pre-strung flossers, flossing is just as easy as brushing.
If you have any questions about helping your child prevent tooth decay, schedule an appointment with Dr. Maggie today. She’s a pediatric dentist who can teach both your child and you the various ways prevent tooth decay and cavities for a lifetime of healthy teeth.
How To Encourage Healthy Habits
September 16, 2015
Dr. Maggie’s goal is to turn each of her awesome patients into tooth-loving tots as soon as possible. But even if they’ve been seeing her since they were toddlers, some kids just don’t like to brush their teeth. As parents, you know that keeping those primary teeth clean and healthy is extremely important to their growth and development. If your child is going through a no-brushing phase, here are some tips to help encourage healthy habits.
One reason kids don’t enjoy brushing and flossing is because they have to stand in one spot for a long time to get the job done correctly. Making these two minutes twice a day is fun and easy if you play music for your child to brush to. Choose a fun two-minute song and boogie while you brush.
Children also love to watch their parents, so brush your teeth when they brush theirs. By showing your child how you brush your teeth, they’ll want to be just like dad and brush their teeth while he’s brushing his.
Kids also love to see their progress. A brushing calendar is a great way to get your tots excited about brushing their teeth. Simply divide calendar days in two and have your child place a sticker each time they brush and floss. Positive reinforcement with books, or a new toothbrush, are great rewards to encourage your child to continue with this healthy habit.
There are many ways you can encourage your children to form healthy oral habits. If you have any questions about how to help your child enjoy brushing their teeth, ask Dr. Maggie today!
Welcome to Your First Visit!
August 25, 2015
Pediatric dentistry is extremely important, but many parents don’t realize that it should start as soon as you start seeing little teeth in your child’s mouth. Dr. Maggie Davis’s office recommends, along with the American Academy of Pediatricians, that you should bring your baby to the dentist as soon as their first tooth erupts. While this may seem a bit early for dental treatment, this appointment is very important for your child. Here are a few things you can expect at your child’s first appointment and why we believe they are so important to your child’s development.
- The first appointment is really to get your child acquainted with the office and their new dentist. They’ll get to play in the playroom, see all the fun tools we’ll be using to clean their teeth. Including Mr. Tickle, our tooth polisher. They’ll even get to play in the chair while meeting Dr. Maggie.
- Maggie will check out that brand new tooth and coach you on how to keep this one, and the ones that will soon follow, clean and healthy. She’ll also go over healthy eating habits, developmental milestones, and how you can keep your child’s teeth clean in between visits.
- After all this fun, you and your child get leave our office with a whole bunch of new friends that you will get to see every six months.
There is no such thing as a silly question at Dr. Maggie Davis Pediatric Dentistry. This first visit is for you to ask all the questions you can think of ,and to meet a very important person who can aid in your child’s development. Please bring your questions. We cannot wait to meet you and your baby, and start this lifelong journey to impeccable oral health.
Our New Website!
June 12, 2015
We are so honored to have Black Tie Digital Marketing build our new website. We would like to thank Scott and his team for their hard work and dedication to make our vision come alive. We look forward to continuing our business with the Black Tie team.