{"id":208,"date":"2023-04-10T15:44:21","date_gmt":"2023-04-10T15:44:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kids-dentistry.com\/blog\/?p=208"},"modified":"2023-04-10T15:44:23","modified_gmt":"2023-04-10T15:44:23","slug":"things-your-childs-dentist-never-puts-in-their-mouth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kids-dentistry.com\/blog\/2023\/04\/10\/things-your-childs-dentist-never-puts-in-their-mouth\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Things Your Child\u2019s Dentist Never Puts in Their Mouth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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As a parent, you want to help protect your child from harm, including painful and potentially traumatic dental emergencies<\/a>. The good news is that implementing good oral hygiene best practices \u2013 including brushing each morning and evening for a full two minutes \u2013 can go a long way. Plus, you can take it a step further by learning five things your child\u2019s dentist never puts in their mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

1. Their Fingernails<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Current research estimates that upwards of 60% of children bite their nails. Unfortunately, this habit can negatively affect their smile in several ways. First, nail-biting introduces the bacteria on their hands and underneath their nails into their mouth and digestive track. Second, the pressure to their teeth can result in noticeable chips and cracks. That\u2019s why parents are encouraged to gently break this habit with positive reinforcement, like giving them a toy for a week of refraining from biting their nails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Hard Candies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is one main reason hard candies are detrimental to your child\u2019s oral health: there\u2019s no good way to eat them! If your child sucks on them, their teeth and gums will be exposed to sugar for extended periods of time. If your child bites into the candy too early, then they might fracture a tooth in the process. Therefore, dentists avoid treats like lollipops and jawbreakers, and they encourage their patients to do the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Whole Lemons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lemons are packed with nutrients, which means they are a great addition to nearly every well-balanced diet. However, whole lemons are extremely acidic and can leave your child\u2019s teeth vulnerable to cavities (which can result in further damage if left untreated). For this reason, it\u2019s recommended that children don\u2019t bite straight into them. Instead, you can dilute a small amount of lemon juice into a glass of water. Bonus tip: give them a straw for additional protection to their teeth!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Other People\u2019s Toothbrushes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Did your child forget to pack their toothbrush for a sleepover with a friend or while visiting family out of town? Do not let them use someone else\u2019s toothbrush, even yours! Not only are the bristles home to numerous bacteria, but research has shown that this can spread cavities as well. So, although it may seem inconvenient, it\u2019s worth bringing them their toothbrush or buying them a new one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Pencils or Pen Caps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not uncommon for children to chew on their pencils or pens while they work. Unfortunately, this is another habit that can lead to a chip, crack, or another dental injury. Instead, offer them a healthier alternative, like chewing on a piece of sugar-free gum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With a children\u2019s general dentist, a pediatric dentist, and an orthodontist in-house, our team is here for all of your little one\u2019s dental needs \u2013 from six-month checkups and braces to dental emergencies. Plus, we have lunchtime, evening, and weekend hours available, which makes keeping their smile happy and healthy significantly more convenient. If you want to learn more about how to protect them from dental emergencies or you\u2019d like to schedule an appointment for them, visit our website<\/a> or call (860) 224-2419<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a parent, you want to help protect your child from harm, including painful and potentially traumatic dental emergencies. The good news is that implementing good oral hygiene best practices \u2013 including brushing each morning and evening for a full two minutes \u2013 can go a long way. Plus, you can take it a step […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kids-dentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kids-dentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kids-dentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kids-dentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kids-dentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.kids-dentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":210,"href":"https:\/\/www.kids-dentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208\/revisions\/210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kids-dentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kids-dentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kids-dentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}