Congratulations to our birthday party drawing winner! Who said you can’t have fun in the sun even in the winter time?! Congratulations!! Thank you for letting us help celebrate your birthday!
Drop your name in our birthday box when you check in for your next appointment and you could be our next birthday party drawing winner with Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry!
Enamel is that hard, protective, visible outside layer of the tooth. It keeps teeth strong and healthy! Have you ever noticed any discolorations or defects in your child’s tooth? You could be noticing enamel hypoplasia. This condition is a defect that causes a lesser quantity of enamel than normal. It can appear as a white spot, yellow to brown staining, pits, grooves or even thin, chipped or missing parts of enamel. In severe cases, the enamel doesn’t develop at all.
Because of these surface irregularities, hypoplastic teeth can have the following dental problems: more sensitive to heat or cold or pain, more prone to wearing down from grinding or “tooth to tooth contact”, more susceptible to an “acid attack” from the sugars in our foods and drinks, more susceptible to trapping plaque and bacteria, and more prone to tooth decay.
If you see a concerning area on your child’s teeth, then its best to schedule an appointment with your pediatric dentist! It is important to check and monitor these teeth. There are also many different treatment options if necessary depending on the severity of the hypoplasia and the child’s ability to cooperate during dental treatment. Options may include protective sealants, desensitizing agents like Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF), esthetic composite resin or “tooth-colored” fillings, full coverage crowns, or microabrasion. If left untreated, cavities may form and lead to pain or dental infection.
Just because a baby tooth has hypoplasia, doesn’t mean a permanent tooth will. These irregularities can occur before, during, or after birth of the child. Your primary and permanent teeth are developing at different times.
There are many different causes of enamel hypoplasia from genetics to environmental factors. This list includes: inherited developmental conditions, vitamin deficiencies, maternal illness, medications given to mother prior to birth or to the child during early childhood when teeth are developing, preterm birth, low birthweight, trauma to the teeth, infection, malnutrition, systemic diseases, and smoking or drug abuse.
Good oral hygiene and a healthy diet are important for all of our patients, and especially those with hypoplastic teeth. We recommend brushing twice daily with fluoridated toothpaste. Maintain a diet low in sugar and be sure to avoid those ooey, gooey, sticky snacks! And don’t forget to visit your dentist at least twice a year for a checkup, professional cleaning and fluoride application.
Interested to learn more about dental conditions and some of the services we provide in our office? Check out our clinical updates under the resources tab on our website!
Our SFK team said, “She is always positive and does her best everyday. She’s a hard worker and has learned so much since she started working here.”
Congratulations, Sofia!! Way to go!
We reflect back on 2019 with appreciation of the new friends and family created at Smiles For Kids Pediatric Dentistry and also the continued loyalty of our SFK family. Thank you for making 2019 a great year! We are excited for what 2020 has in store! We wish you and your families a joyous New Year!
Love, Dr. Lindhorst, Dr. Theriot and the entire Smiles for Kids Team
We just love the holiday season and the opportunity to celebrate the wonderful year we have had with our amazing team. We all enjoyed a delicious lunch at Liberty Kitchen TreeHouse. We shared stories about the adventures we had throughout the year, surprised each other with Secret Santa gifts, laughed our way through a white elephant exchange and then topped it all off with a fun evening at Painting with a Twist! It was such a fun day spending quality time as a team for the holidays.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of our patients and families!
The holidays are here and we know you have probably been hustling and bustling around town to find the perfect gifts for your loved ones! Dr. Lindhorst and the Smiles for Kids team whipped up a quick and easy dental gift-giving guide! We figured that one thing we can help you with are holiday gifts and stocking stuffers that are easy to get and great for achievable New Year’s Resolutions.
Sonicare or OralB electric toothbrushes are great! They cost around $100 plus, but they are a truly wonderful and motivating tool for kids and adults alike. They come with timers, various speeds and modes, and have smart apps that help kids stay on task. Now keeping that New Year’s commitment to brushing twice a day for full two minutes is a breeze!
Battery operated toothbrushes are less expensive and do not have the ultrasonic mode, but they are fun, pretty, come with timers, sing songs, and often have apps that can help kids focus. And what’s easier to commit to than a sing along???
A variety of teeth whitening kits are sold over the counter, but you can ask us about prescription strength ones as well. What a thoughtful gift for that teenager straight out of braces!
Floss comes in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. Check out super fun ones like cotton candy, grape, or even bacon! Great stocking stuffers!
Dental timers are especially useful for keeping brushing time if you are using a manual toothbrush. Stop by our office and we will equip you with some in your favorite color.
Sugar free gum or mints, especially ones sweetened with xylitol can make wonderful stocking stuffers as well.
The Waterpik is an excellent adjunct to your brushing and flossing routine, and makes a great gift! Kids think it’s fun to do so it peaks their interest in cleaning their teeth. They are inexpensive and even come in a wireless version that takes up less space on the bathroom counter.
We couldn’t decide on just one Employee of the Month for November! We voted for two! Congratulations to:
Ms. Anitra is our fabulous office manager and Ms. Dani is our phenomenal dental assistant. These ladies always show up to work and give their 110% in everything they do! Congratulations!! We are so lucky to have you on our Smiles For Kids team!!
It seems like everywhere you look, a new type of sparkling water has appeared on the market. You know some of their names like Perrier, Topo Chico, San Pelligrino, La Croix and others. What are they? These are carbonated waters, which is water containing carbon dioxide gas. This can occur naturally from certain mineral springs or through an artificial process under pressure, which produces carbonic acid. Yes, I said acid. But how acidic is TOO acidic, and what does this mean for your teeth?
The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. Anything below 7 is an acid, and anything over 7 is basic. Drinks that should be avoided are those with a very low pH (<4) or very acidic, for example, fruit juices, fruit drinks, sodas, sweetened teas, sports drinks, and energy drinks. Those above 4 are considered minimally erosive to the teeth. Carbonated waters can be found in the range of 3-6. Regular water is typically found between 5-7. You can visit the ADA.org for a comprehensive list of beverages and their associated pH levels and erosive potentials.
A recent study by the ADA determined that even though carbonated water is slightly more acidic than regular water, they had about the same effects on teeth. So there you have it! Carbonated water is a better alternative than sodas, juices, and other sugary drinks mentioned above, BUT be sure to check for added sugars, flavors or citruses that will increase its acidity, thus increasing your risk for cavities.
The best water is regular, fluoridated water.
It’s getting so chilly outside! It must mean that November is here. When a new month comes around, we vote on which employee really shined around the office in the previous month.
She is one of our dental assistants and an awesome team player, happy, bubbly and always goes above and beyond to make our patients’ dental visits special. Congratulations Sofia!
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the US. While very rare, men can develop breast cancer too.
The month of October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month with its purpose to raise awareness about breast cancer and educate men and women alike about the symptoms, prevention, treatment, and share stories about those that have fought, are fighting or lost the battle against breast cancer. There are many different ways to get involved, support, donate or volunteer during this month, and help those alongside their journey.
Breast cancer is a disease in which the cells in the breast grow out of control. There are many different types of cells in the breast, which means there are many different kinds of breast cancer.
More than 245,000 women in the US get breast cancer each year. Most breast cancer is found in women ages 50 and older, with about 11% in women under age 45.
Risk for getting breast cancer is higher if there is a strong family history of having breast cancer, or inherited changes in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
There are many symptoms of breast cancer, such as new lumps, thickening, irritation, or pain. Some have no symptoms at all. For a full list of signs and symptoms visit www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast.
The best diagnostic tool to detect breast cancer early is a mammogram. A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast and can detect breast cancer up to three years before it can be felt.
During October, you can see a pink ribbon being worn or advertised. This is the international symbol of breast cancer awareness.
Encourage women to get screened, and talk to their doctor about when it is recommended to get a mammogram.
Take steps to lower your risk of getting breast cancer, such as maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, avoiding or limiting alcohol intake, limiting radiation exposure, avoiding chemicals that can cause cancer, and more.
Donate to charities that support breast cancer research.
Simply sharing this blog can help to educate others!
We are having our Annual Halloween Candy Buy Back program at Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry starting November 1st! Have your kids bring their left over Halloween candy to our office and trade it in for $1.00 per pound (up to $5.00).
We will donate the candy along with toothbrushes to our troops overseas through Operation Gratitude!
Ms. Jamie is our fabulous dental hygienist. Did you know that she has been with our team for 6 years?! She is so patient, fun and kind with our patients and their families. We’re so lucky to have her! Here’s what our staff had to say about Jamie:
“Jamie is on top of everything and keeps the office flowing. Great Job!”
”Jamie did a great job getting things together for the patient appreciation party including organizing and preparing. She is also awesome running our hygiene schedule. It is nice to have someone on the team that takes charge!”
We know that school has just started and that means early mornings, getting all the kids out of the house with clothes and shoes one, teeth brushed, homework packed, matching shoes, and on time before that bell deems them tardy. We know that dinner time is crazy trying to come up with healthy foods for our kids somehow squeezed in-between tutors, music lessons, homework time, and sports. And we also know that after our precious babies are finally in bed, parents still have laundry, dishes, and those LUNCHES to pack! Oh how easy it is to reach for prepackaged foods full of sugar and completely lacking in nutrition! Marketing companies make it so easy to pick those up from eye level grocery store shelves… So here we are, your Smiles For Kids team, ready to rescue you by giving you some quick tips on making it easier on yourselves.
Let us start with discussing lunch boxes as those can really make a difference in packing lunches for our kids. Our favorites are ones that have compartments that make is easy to pack just the right amount and just the right variety. Personal favorite? PlanetBox Rover stainless steel lunch box. It comes with a sandwich size compartment that also fits a bowl for soups or salads, few other compartments made just right for fruit, veggies, or the right amount of chips or pretzels. It also has a tiny middle spot perfect for a treat and another small container where you can pack yogurt, apple sauce or salad dressing! These lunch boxes have customizable magnets for decoration, caring case, and a matching bottle! And they are machine washable. No, we are not selling those and we are not getting any royalties from advertising them, but we do love them :) Many other companies make lunch boxes that are similar though so pick one up and then start prepping.
The biggest compartment needs to be filled with the main meal. Sandwich with peanut butter, ham and cheese, or anything else your kids love is a good choice. Try to pick non-white bread to make it a bit more healthy. You can also pack a salad, pasta, meatballs, chicken etc into that larger compartment. Simple wraps made with tortillas are also great ideas kids love. You can make enough pasta to last the whole week. You can make few sandwiches at a time and store in your fridge. The main meal should be an easy pick and pack on daily basis instead of making something new every day.
One of the smaller compartments can fit fruit and/or veggies. For fruit we suggest anything that can easily be sliced at the beginning of the week or fits into the box without cutting up. Apples, oranges, berries, grapes, or kiwis are all great and can be cut up on Sunday night and distributed daily. Best veggies are the ones that your kids will eat. We find that kids like carrots, celery, broccoli, peas in a pod, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers. Have them all ready for easy “throw in” at the beginning of the week.
Second smaller compartment can be used for a healthy carb such as pretzels, healthier version of chips or crackers. Kids like crunchy snacks in addition to their main meal and fruit and veggies.
Granola or nut mixes are also great to fill in one of the lunch box spots. If you choose to pack granola bars, read labels as they are often filled with empty calories and sugar. However, there are many great alternatives on the market now, so do your research before and buy in bulk.
Last but not least…. TREAT! The smallest compartment should be the one filled with a treat. Try to stay away from anything that is sticky, gooey or filled with chemicals. But a piece of chocolate, small cookie, chocolate or yogurt dipped pretzels, never hurt anyone and your kids will look forward to those little treats!
SNACKS-these might not fit in a lunch box, but your kids will appreciate something to snack on throughout the day. There are plenty of healthy and non-sugar filled yogurts, apple sauces, puddings, fresh fruit such as apples and bananas, and other packaged foods that can be added to the packet of the lunch box case that will make your kids happy.
DRINKS-we have only one word… WATER. A carton of milk at lunch time is perfectly healthy, but otherwise they need nothing but water to drink throughout the day. And lots of it! Encourage them to make sure that they stay hydrated. Flavored waters without sugar or sodium can be a once a day treat as well.
We hope today is a day off to relax and enjoy some quality time with family and friends.
We want to recognize our amazing team members for their hard work and dedication to our office every single day. We can provide high quality, personalized dental care to our patients because of your passionate and caring labor of LOVE.
ICE CREAM is one of the most ancient desserts enjoyed as early as 2nd century BC. Some variety of ice cream can be found in almost all American freezers and the fight of which flavor or kind is the best is a conversation topic of many dinner parties! With today’s health trends and growing numbers in the obesity battle however, we often get questions on what desserts can actually be given to kids without harming their teeth.
Sticky, gooey things are a big NO-NO. Things such as gummies, fruit roll-ups, or sticky candy including toffee, caramel, or Skittles stick to the teeth and stay around for a long time not allowing saliva to recover proper health of your oral cavity.
Acidic candy such as Sweet Tarts, Spree, Altoids, or gummy sour candy dissolve enamel of your teeth and cause a lot of damage in addition to being bad for the rest of your digestive system.
Hard candy that stay in the mouth for a long time such as lollipops or jolly ranchers spend a lot of time exposing teeth to long time sugar and acid damage.
BETTER CHOICES??? Things that are not acidic, not sticky, and that are in and out of the mouth in a short period of time. Sounds like ice-cream fits the description! ICE CREAM is milk based, which makes it not acidic and melts away from teeth in a short period of time. Ice cream is of course full of sugar so choosing frozen yogurt or other low sugar alternatives is best. Also watch for sensitivity to your teeth as the cold temperatures can make ice cream an uncomfortable treat for some. If eating ice-cream hurts your teeth, chose a room temperature snack instead. Enjoy your sweet treat in moderation and remember to brush and floss before going to bed!
Which toothpaste is best?
At Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry, we get the question on which toothpaste to use on a daily basis. The answer is that is all depends. Here’s why.
AGE
For infants that are less than 2 years old, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends using a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste to brush baby teeth. The smear of toothpaste should be about the size of a grain of rice. At about 3 years old, you can start using a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.
TASTE
Most kids have a preference when it comes to flavor. Usually, the fluoride toothpaste comes in a kid-friendly flavor like bubble gum. Where it gets more challenging is if your child does not like those flavorings. Fortunately, now, many companies make other flavors. You may have to experiment with them until you find the right one. For those that have trouble with all flavoring, there’s toothpaste called OraNurse which is flavorless but still has the benefit of fluoride.
The main thing to remember is that Dr. Lindhorst, Dr. Jadav and Dr. Theriot recommend using fluoride toothpaste. As long as you have that active ingredient in there, we’re happy with any brand of toothpaste that you choose to use.
RISK FOR CAVITIES
Some of our patients are at higher risk for cavities. This could be due to enamel hypoplasia, crowding, history of decay, oral hygiene, or having braces. For these patients, Dr. Lindhorst, Dr. Jadav or Dr. Theriot may recommend toothpaste with a higher concentration of fluoride. We have these available at our office for the patients that need them. Using this specific toothpaste can help strengthen areas that may be getting weaker or help prevent cavities on those teeth that are just more prone to them.
Happy Summer!
Dr. Urvi Jadav
Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry
What is an apthous ulcer? Physically, it’s a shallow lesion that develops in the mouth.
It is quite common and it is similar to the body’s reaction to an allergen. Triggers can vary. Some common triggers are stress, acidic foods, trauma, and ingredients in mouth products. It is not known to be a viral nor a bacterial infection. They do not occur on the outer surface of the lips and they are not contagious.
Unfortunately, they can be painful making eating and talking difficult. 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.
Dr. Lindhorst, Dr. Jadav and Dr. Theriot are happy to address any questions or concerns. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (713)461-1509.
Dr. Urvi Jadav
Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry
Thumb sucking is one habit that is always hard to break until your child is ready to quit. Here are a few ideas from Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry for when your little one decides he is ready.
Positive Reinforcement - Whenever you notice your child not sucking his thumb, you give him praise. This serves as a gentle reminder and is a good first step even if he hasn’t mentioned that he wants to quit.
Sticker Chart - This motivates kids to be consistent with the change. When your child brings his completed chart to us, we will take his picture and put it on our Wall of Winners. He can also pick out a special prize! Here’s a link to our personalized thumb sucking chart on our website: http://www.smiles-for-kids.com/charts/
Physical barrier - These come in all shapes, designs and sizes but basically, it places a cover over the digit that they suck so that he doesn’t get that same suction when it is placed in the mouth. Here are some photos of some available on the market.
Thumb appliance – Dr. Lindhorst or Dr. Jadav may recommended this for patients that have tried all of the above and are still having trouble stopping the habit. It’s a custom appliance that sits on the palate and serves as a barrier in the mouth.
Dr. Jadav
Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry
What causes dry mouth?
Did you know that there are literally hundreds of medications that cause dry mouth? Even some of our innocuous over-the-counter medications have dry mouth listed as a side effect. Oftentimes, our kiddos are taking antihistamines and decongestants. These can cause dry mouth as a side effect. If you’re not sure if your child’s medication causes dry mouth, ask your doctor.
Why is dry mouth important to recognize?
When you don’t have as much saliva in the mouth, bacteria does not clear as well. This can lead to increased plaque and cavities. Some people will experience a rough tongue, mouth sores or a yeast infection. In severe cases, children can have difficulty chewing and swallowing.
What can you do if you child has dry mouth?
To decrease the chance of cavities, incorporating a fluoride toothpaste is key. If your child is old enough, encourage him to use a fluoride mouthwash as well! Encouraging your child to take sips of plain water throughout the day can help. Continue to moisturize your child’s lips to help with any cracking or irritation. There are several over-the-counter mouthwashes you can try but make sure your child is not swallowing the mouthwash. You can always talk to your doctor about switching medications if you feel your child has severe symptoms.
Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry realizes the how oral and systemic health relate. We try out best to strike a balance for our patients and families!
If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at (713)461-1509 or email us at drkasia@smile-for-kids.com.
Dr. Urvi Jadav
Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry
Welcome to Smiles For Kids Pediatric Dentistry, a place where dental health is an adventure!
Our goal is to make every child's dental experience fun, rewarding, and positive. Our team wants to make sure that each and every child leaves our office feeling like they have learned more about their teeth and oral hygiene while spending a wonderful time with us.
8800 Katy Freeway Suite 220 • Houston, TX 77024 • 713-461-1509 • E-Mail: DrKasia@Smiles-For-Kids.com
Photos provided by Little Branch Photography
