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Cheese, as our team at Pediatric Dental Associates will tell you, is one of the healthiest snacks for your child’s teeth. In addition to providing large amounts of much-needed calcium, cheese also helps fight cavities. Cheese helps stimulate the body’s salivary glands to clear your child's mouth of debris and protect them from acids that weaken them. This means cheese disrupts the development of cavities, especially when eaten as a snack or at the end of a meal. Calcium and phosphorous found in cheese reduce or prevent decreases in the plaque’s pH level and work to re-mineralize the enamel of your child’s teeth, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

We hope this helps! If you or your child have any questions about cheese or calcium, or want to schedule an appointment, please give us a call!

Did you know the month of May is designated National Physical Fitness and Sports Month? After all, there isn't a better time to celebrate physical activity as when the warm weather and sunshine makes its way back into our lives!

Now that the flowers are in bloom and the weather has warmed up, it's easier to go outside and soak up the sun. After spending the winter working out in gyms or doing crunches at home, exercising outdoors can be a lot more enjoyable as well. Whether you enjoy hikes, jogging, or biking, spring gives us a chance to smell the grass, take in the rays, and enjoy the blue sky—all senses that we just can't duplicate at the gym.

If jogging or biking isn't your cup of tea, we encourage you to try a sport! Sports have some amazing qualities that we often overlook. Team sports like baseball and soccer, and individual sports like golf and tennis can improve your coordination and agility, in addition to building determination, confidence, drive, hard-work, pride, leadership, and time management.

At Pediatric Dental Associates, we always encourage our patients to stay fit by exercising or participating in sports. However, we want to remind you to always wear a mouthguard or other form of facial protection when playing sports. To learn more about how often your child should exercise, or to ask us about obtaining a mouthguard, please give us a call!

YES! X-rays have been used in dentistry for a long time, and the amount of radiation has significantly decreased with advances in technology. While there is risk in every health diagnostic procedure at Pediatric Dental Associates, the benefits must outweigh the risks. Dental X-rays do indeed fall into this category.

X-rays are exposed to a type of film to produce an image. The amount of X-rays required to produce this image differs with film speeds. Speed E or F is highly recommended, and digital X-rays require up to 50% less than speed E or F film. The digital X-ray software can adjust the exposure to produce a quality image. Digital X-rays are becoming a new standard and are most common.

Lead aprons have been used to reduce the amount of scatter radiation. All X-ray units have a cone to focus the X-ray beam so the exposure is highly localized. Lead aprons continue to be worn as a precaution for pregnant women, and a thyroid collar should also be worn. In most cases, this is sewn into the lead apron.

We get radiation exposure from environmental factors as well as healthcare diagnostic and treatment tools. To place this in perspective, in one year a person is expected to have 360mRem per year from the sun, air etc. By comparison, a single set of bitewing X-rays is 0.3mRem. Radiation can accumulate in our body over a lifetime, and additional exposure should be avoided whenever possible.

Many dentists and hygienists recommend fluoride treatments for their adult patients. You might ask yourself, “Do I really need a fluoride treatment? I thought those were just for my kids.” After all, most insurance plans cover fluoride treatments only up to the age of 18.

What you need to know as a dental consumer is that studies have shown topical fluoride applications performed by a dental professional create a significant benefit for adults who have moderate to high risk for cavities.

There are several circumstances that warrant extra fluoride protection among adults. Many prescription medications reduce saliva flow or otherwise create dry mouth. A reduction in saliva increases cavity risk.

Adults often experience gum recession, which exposes part of the root surface of teeth. These areas are softer than the hard enamel at the top of the tooth, which makes them more susceptible to decay.

In addition, adults often get restorative work such as crowns or bridges. Fluoride can help protect the margins of these restorations, ultimately protecting your investment.

Today many people opt for orthodontic treatment (braces) as adults. Braces make it more challenging for patients to maintain good oral hygiene. Just ask your kids! Fluoride can keep the teeth strong and cavity-free even with the obstacle of orthodontic appliances.

Have you had a restoration done within the last year due to new decay? If you have, that puts you at a higher risk for cavities. Fluoride treatments are a great way to prevent more cavities in patients who are already prone to them.

How is that flossing coming along? You know you should floss daily, but do you? If your oral hygiene is not ideal, fluoride could be just the thing to keep your neglect from leading to cavities between your teeth.

Fluoride can also help with the growing problem of sensitive teeth. Diets high in acidic foods and beverages, general gum recession, and increased use of whitening products all tend to produce sensitive teeth. Fluoride treatments re-mineralize tooth enamel and reduce that sensitivity.

Patients who undergo radiation treatment for cancer also benefit from topical fluoride applications. Radiation damages saliva glands, thus greatly reducing the flow of saliva. Saliva acts as a buffer against the foods we eat and beverages we drink. Once again, less saliva greatly increases the risk of cavities.

If one or more of these conditions applies to you, consider requesting a topical fluoride treatment. Be sure to ask Dr. Paul Engibous at your next appointment whether you might benefit from a topical fluoride application.