Spreading holiday cheer to Boys & Girls Country!

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This Holiday Season we were blessed to give back and picked a very deserving organization again: Boys and Girls Country! Our team truly believes in the spirit of giving and helping others. We were excited to donate much needed gifts and essentials to this wonderful organization and make someone else's Christmas magical!

Merry Christmas from Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry!

https://boysandgirlscountry.org/

Canker Sores vs. Cold Sores: what's the difference?

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Canker sores (or called apthous ulcers) are a shallow lesion that develops inside the mouth on soft tissues, such as the cheeks, below the gums, inside of the lip, under the tongue or on the tongue. They look like a small white or yellow circle with a red border. They can burn or cause discomfort when you eat, drink or even when you brush your teeth. Canker sores do not occur on the outer surface of the lips and are NOT contagious. They are quite common and the exact cause is unknown, but they are not known to be a viral nor a bacterial infection. Possible triggers are:

  • stress,

  • acidic foods,

  • trauma such as biting the cheek, sports injury or brushing too hard,

  • ingredients in mouth products such as sodium lauryl sulfate,

  • diet lacking in vitamin B12, zinc, folate (folic acid) or iron,

  • hormonal shifts during menstruation

Most of the ulcers resolve on their own in 2 weeks. Applying a topical numbing gel can help with discomfort for children that are old enough for it. It is recommended to avoid spicy or acidic foods while the healing is in progress. Use a soft bristled toothbrush when brushing the teeth twice daily. Avoid toothpastes and mouth rinses that contain sodium lauryl sulfate.

Cold sores (or called fever blisters), however, usually appear outside the mouth on or around the lip. They usually look like a cluster of blisters, and they can eventually burst, causing oozing and crusting. Cold sores result directly from the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1). This virus is dormant until triggered, which is when you might experience a tingling or burning sensation in your mouth and the development of a sore. Several factors can trigger the recurrence of a cold sore:

  • Stress

  • Other viral infections

  • Fatigue

  • Exposure to sun or wind

  • Hormonal changes

  • Fever

Cold sores usually heal on their own but may take up to 2-4 weeks. Because cold sores are caused by HSV-1, they may be treated with an antiviral topical, blister treatment or oral medications if they do not heal on their own. The virus itself cannot be cured. The American Academy of Dermatology strongly encourages the use of sunscreen during an outbreak, as sun exposure can affect the healing of the sore. Unlike canker sores, cold sores ARE contagious and can spread easily, so to prevent spreading the virus, you should not share utensils or any other items that touch the mouth, and avoid kissing.

Dr. Lindhorst and Dr. Theriot are happy to address any questions or concerns. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (713)461-1509.

Halloween Candy Buy Back!

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We are having our Annual Halloween Candy Buy Back program at Smiles For Kids Pediatric Dentistry starting Monday, November 4th!

Have your kids bring their leftover Halloween candy to our office and trade it in for $1.00 per pound (up to $5.00). 

The last day to collect candy will be Friday, November 15th!

We will donate the candy along with toothbrushes to our troops overseas through Troopathon!

Our Trunk or Treat is this weekend!!

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Please join us for our first ever Smiles For Kids Pediatric Dentistry Trunk or Treat!

WHEN: Sunday, October 20th from 3-5 pm

WHERE: Smiles For Kids parking lot at 8800 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77024

It will be an afternoon filled with trick-or-treating, music, photo booth, games and lots of treats! Can’t wait to have you all join us for a spooktacular event! See you there!

More details coming out soon so look for our email in your inbox!

BEWARE of the spooky candies on Halloween!

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Halloween is coming up very soon!! You probably have lots of fun tricks and treats planned. We want to provide some recommendations on healthy sweets and treats to share with your BOO, and the ones to be careful of. We’re always looking out for healthy teeth and healthy smiles!!

  • You want to avoid the sticky, gooey, chewy things! These are candies and sweets such as fruit snacks, fruit roll-ups, gummy bears, jelly beans, skittles, airheads, now & laters, taffy, toffee, caramel, etc. These types of treats stick to the grooves of the teeth for a LONG time and are not easily cleansed by our saliva.  Sugars that are in sticky form have the greatest risk for cavities!

  • You want to avoid the hard candies, too. These are jolly ranchers, life savers, lollipops, etc. These also stick to the teeth and are difficult to come off. This means they spend a long time exposing the teeth to sugar and acid damage.

  • Finally, you want to avoid those high acidic candies. These include sour candies, sour sprays, fun dip, altoids, sweet tarts, sprees, etc. Acid is dangerous to the outside enamel layer of teeth, and when it causes breakdown, then a cavity forms.

Swap the for healthier options:

These include chocolates because they melt! Non-food treats include temporary tattoos, stickers, bouncy balls, colored pencils or key chains!

And remember, have your child brush their teeth before bed, and swish their mouth with water after eating Halloween sweets!

Do you have lots of those non-healthy options?

You can donate them to our Halloween Candy Buy Back program AFTER Halloween!

You're invited to our annual Patient Appreciation Party!

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Please join us for our first ever Smiles For Kids Pediatric Dentistry Trunk or Treat!

WHEN: Sunday, October 20th from 3-5 pm

WHERE: Smiles For Kids parking lot at 8800 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77024

It will be an afternoon filled with trick-or-treating, music, photo booth, games and lots of treats! Can’t wait to have you all join us for a spooktacular event! See you there!

More details coming out soon so look for our email in your inbox!

Why do we take x-rays?

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Decay starting between the primary molars that cannot be seen visually!

That’s an extra tooth inbetween the developing permanent incisors!

Smiles for Kids is very conservative with our use of x-rays, but they are a necessary tool that helps us fully assess all of our patient’s dental needs. We use them to detect cavities, gum disease, extra or missing teeth, cysts, or infections before they worsen. They are essential to proper oral health and maintenance. X-rays help US help YOU!

Depending on a child’s individualized caries risk status which takes into account their history of cavities, quality of tooth structure, diet and snacking habits, daily oral hygiene, we then set the frequency of X-rays specific for each child. That frequency ranges anywhere from 6, 12 or 18 months. So insurance doesn’t dictate when or how often we take X-rays and they’re not necessary for every visit for every child. It’s specific to your child’s needs!

Did you know that the amount of radiation from a dental X-ray is very small, and the risk from a single image is low? For example, the minimal amount of images we take for each child is less than the amount of radiation from background sources, like the sun, TVs, smartphones, and computers. In our office we use DIGITAL x-rays which are 80-90% less radiation compared to traditional dental X-ray machines.

If you’re concerned about radiation exposure, talk with your dentist. We can help you weigh the pros and cons of the dental X-rays recommended.