Sealants for the Added Protection

 

 

Even the best tooth brusher leaves plaque behind sometimes.  Teeth contain deep groves, pits and hard to clean chewing surfaces. The doctors at Young and Polite Children's Dentistry recommend dental sealants for tooth protection from the common dental cavity.

What are dental sealants?

Dental sealants are protective coverings applied directly to the chewing surface of a tooth. This simple and pain free service to help prevent decay is an easy and typically short appointment.  The biting surface is cleaned and rinsed well first. Second, a special cleaning agent is applied to the tooth. This agent stays on the tooth shortly and then is thoroughly rinsed off allowing the surface to become rough. Next an applicator or brush is used to apply the sealant material. The plastic material is then hardened by a special light. It’s as easy as that! Your child should avoid sticky or crunchy foods for several hours following the sealant application.

Your child will be examined and  will possibly be recommended sealants during their hygiene visit at Young and Polite Children’s Dentistry. A great time for the application of sealants is when your child’s permanent molars fully erupt. Let’s face it brushing isn’t an easy and sometimes thorough task for our children. Sealants can help protect your child from cavities while they are still learning to properly and effectively brush and floss.

If your child is at an increased risk for decay sealants are a great option. Sealants are affordable and pain free prevention for costly and pain filled cavities. Save your child a toothache and once recommended by a dentist at Young and Polite Children’s Dentistry you may consider sealants for preventive care.

If you have questions about sealants or if it is recommended for your child, please contact one of our professional team members at one of our locations in Mint Hill, Waxhaw or S.Tryon. Young and Polite Children’s Dentistry looks forward to making your family part of our dental family.

Your dental report card A+

It’s that time of year again. The kids are getting bored and the back to school ads are flooding the radio, television and internet.  It is also the time when caregivers sometimes remember all the doctors and dentist visits that may have been put off with the traveling and enjoyment of summer.  While we can’t wait for our patients to share their great report cards with us, we also encourage an A+ when it comes to their dental report card!

Did you know that tooth aches are a very common cause for school absences?  Tooth aches even ones that are small and infrequent make it difficult for even the most studious students to stay fully engaged.  Pay attention, as a care giver, to the signs of a possible tooth ache.  Is your child avoiding specific foods? Does your child complain of a toothache? Is your little one cranky and can’t tell you why? Have you noticed a small ulcer on the gums? All of these are common symptoms of a possible dental infection and can certainly cause a tooth ache. Toothaches are a major contributor to school absences and unsatisfactory performance in school.

If your child needs a dental checkup please feel free to contact Young and Polite Children’s Dentistry. If one of our pediatric trained dental professionals finds any area of dental hygiene improvement, we will gladly inform both the patient and caregiver. An A+ on your child’s dental report card is achievable, but will require encouragement and sometimes assistance from either the parent or caregiver.

As the start of a new school year begins in the days to come now is a great time to schedule a routine dental appointment for your child. We have 3 different locations in Mint Hill, South Tryon and Waxhaw for your convenience.  Our dental professionals at Young and Polite Children’s Dentistry look forward to providing outstanding customer and dental services to your family and friends.  We hope your first day of school is just as special as you are!

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A strong community makes a great community.  Community involvement is something Young and Polite Children's Dentistry believes in. We are excited about the ability to give back.

We often take for granted the importance of daily needs in and at home for a great education.  These necessities sometimes are a financial burden for some families. Young and Polite Children's Dentistry not only wants our children to grow up with healthy smiles but with healthy minds.

Do you love to shop and support small businesses in and around Waxhaw?  Several great business owners have been so gracious to be drop off locations for back to school supplies. They were eager to help when called upon. You can drop off your school supplies and receive special incentives along with the joy of knowing you are helping children be prepared for the first day of school.

Please join us in our efforts to make the first day of school special for children in need. Together we can make our community even stronger. If you are or know of a family who can benefit from the giving of school supplies including book bags please mark your calendars for August 15, 2015 10am - 11:30am. Stop by Young and Polite Children's Dentistry at 2514 Cuthbertson Rd. Waxhaw NC 28173. Supplies will be distributed on a first come first serve basis.

We look forward to serving the community, and thanks again for your support from our dental family to yours. Grab a book bag, school supplies and the support of our great town on August 15th from 10am - 11:30am.

The Stress Free Approach Towards Great Brushing Habits

 

               What makes a great habit?  It has been said that it takes around 21 days to form a new habit.  So what does that mean for your child when trying to form brushing habits? Young and Polite Children’s Dentistry encourages routine brushing habits for all of our patients.

                Brushing is best if done for 2 minutes.  Children and many adults have a hard time brushing for the complete two minutes.  If you have a timer from the kitchen dig it out of the junk drawer, a stop watch, or even a sand filled timer, it is time to put it to use. 

 

               Challenge yourself to brush for the full two minutes. Make it a competition to see who can brush for the recommended time, you or your child? You will be surprised at how quickly and inefficiently most of us brush.  Making an effort for your child to see the routines that are important for a healthy lifestyle are important from a young age.

                Part of seeing you, as the caregiver have a routine is providing consistency.  Children love consistency. Do you have a set time your child brushes his/her teeth every night?  Set up a morning routine for your child and an evening routine.  Summer time is a great time to establish these routines.  Without the rush to be off to school, and the homework plus activities keeping us overwhelmed in the evening.  Take the summer weeks to make small changes at first to your routine and then provide consistency.  If your bedtime routine is snack, brush your teeth and one short book before bed then stick to the plan. Reward your child with positive words for doing a great job! One of the many things we use daily at Young and Polite Children’s Dentistry is the use of positive words and encouragement!

                For more information and all things dental for you and your little check us out on Facebook, and make sure to follow the blogs from Young and Polite Children’s Dentistry.  If you need help with ways to create brushing routines ask one of our staff members at your next visit at any of our locations in Waxhaw, Mint Hill or the S.Tryon area.

Summer reading

 

 

Summer time is the most exciting time of the year for school aged children & teachers (don’t worry we won’t tell.) With vacations, pool time, camps, and visiting family & friends we know how easy it can be to forget to stay up on your summer reading. Here at Young and Polite Children’s Dentistry we value the importance of education and understand the need for continued reading.

Reading to your child is a great way to bond and develop strong reading skills. A great book provides educational entertainment and memories to last a lifetime.

What better way to prepare your child for his or her dental visit than with a great book on the topic. We have several recommendations. Take a look at several fun quick reads about the dentist. Grab a seat and prepare your child for a great first or next dental visit. Part of what makes the dentist so exciting and fun is the preparation for an easy visit.

Young and Polite Children’s Dentistry wants every child to have a great dental experience and a great school year. Tell us what book you love at your next visit at one of our convenient locations in S.Tryon, Mint Hill or the Waxhaw location. Don’t forget to ask one of our staff members what their favorite book is.

·         The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist By Stan Berenstain

·         Just Going to the Dentist By Mercer Mayer

·         What To Expect When You Go To The Dentist By Heidi Murkoff

·         ABC Dentist: Healthy Teeth from A to Z By Harriet Ziefert

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Summer Safety

Summer time just screams fun, but it shouldn’t scream unplanned trips to the dentist. While many outdoor activities take place during the warmer months and festivities for holidays we want all of our patients at Young and Polite Children’s Dentistry to take care of their teeth.

Remember all of your safety rules around pools. Falls around the pool area are common ways that teeth and the facial area can become injured. Not only are pools a hot spot for injured teeth the very common bicycle has been known for some pretty nasty accidents as well.  Wear your helmet and obey all rules while riding your bike.

If you should receive an injury to the mouth that is not necessary for immediate medical assistance please call our office for further instructions and the next available appointment. Remember to place ice on and off of the injured area to help reduce swelling. A great way to help protect those teeth is a mouth guard. Mouth guards offer extra protection especially from sports injuries to the mouth.

If an injury does arise we offer our professional pediatric dental services at three locations including Mint Hill, Waxhaw, and S. Tryon. One of our team members will be happy to assist you. Don’t forget to have fun this summer and stay safe.

We are happy to announce a fun event offered at our Waxhaw location on June, 13^th. Kick off summer right with free ice cream from 12-2pm. Hurry we might be all scooped out after the first 150 participants.

Those teeth were made to be flossed...

Those teeth were made to be flossed…

Many of us could improve on the technique and frequency that we floss. We are the role models for our children even when it comes to the habits of daily flossing and brushing.  It is important to us, your dental provider here at Young & Polite Children’s Dentistry to encourage proper flossing and brushing.

Flossers are a great way to get those kiddos to floss those teeth. Many of the flossers now are made to look like dinosaurs, sea animals, princesses and etc. Flossing ideally should be done once a day. It has been a long discussion for quite some time now as when to floss.  Should we floss before or after we brush?  Simply put it is important to just get into the habit of flossing. Some argue to floss before brushing.  The thought is to remove debris between the teeth and then brush it away.

Why is it important to floss?  Tooth brush bristles cannot get in-between the touching teeth.  If food and debris stay lodged in-between teeth for an extended amount of time decay is likely to occur.  Tooth decay is more commonly referred to as a cavity.

So why should my children or younger loved ones floss?  Once teeth, most commonly the back baby teeth are touching flossing should become a daily habit. My child’s teeth have spacing and do not touch, so why should they floss? Just because the teeth do not touch does not mean that debris cannot become lodged in-between the teeth. Flossing also helps to remove plaque that sits in-between teeth as well. Importantly enough daily flossing at a young age encourages flossing habits for a life time.

Creating a habit at a young age can help create healthy habits. Young & Polite Children’s Dentistry encourages all of our patients to have great brushing and flossing habits each day.  Are you looking for a great dental family for your little ones? Young & Polite Children’s Dentistry is conveniently  located in Waxhaw, S.Tryon & Mint Hill. We look forward to helping establish great flossing habits for your family and friends. You are never too young or too old to start flossing!