How Can You Get Your Kids Involved In The Kitchen?

 Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City

585 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530

516-222-5100

www.PediatricDentistryofGardenCity.com

The kitchen can be a place of the unknown for children. They may see their parents or other family members working up a sweat, steam rising from pots and question what the great smell is coming from the oven.  So instead of having the kids sit back and watch how things are done, why not let them help?

There are many tasks to be done in the kitchen that children and teens can help out with. You can start with the smaller tasks like stirring something on the stove, setting the table or cracking the eggs!

For preschoolers, they can benefit from being in the kitchen by seeing how the dishes are put together and get hands on experience, which will make them feel included while learning.

School-age kids can benefit from being in the kitchen because they can learn some cooking basics and use their math skills when combining ingredients for various recipes. You can also use this time to educate your children on good nutrition and set the groundwork for healthy eating for the rest of their life.

Teenagers can use this time to improve their cooking skills, because sooner or later they’ll be off to college and have to cook on their own! You may also want to introduce them to other types of cuisines! You can have an Asian night one week and a Mexican the following!

Remember, choose a time that’s right for you to have the kids in the kitchen! Make sure you give yourself enough time to teach them and aren’t on a tight schedule. Also, make sure your choosing the right tasks that are age appropriate. Always be sure to stress safety in the kitchen and most importantly loosen up and have some fun!

Have you brought your children into the kitchen yet? Let us know about your experiences on our Facebook page linked HERE! 

Products Containing Benzocaine Can Be Hazardous To Children!

Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City

585 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530

516-222-5100

www.PediatricDentistryofGardenCity.com

When your child was younger and teething, you probably at some point or another reached for a pain remedy to help soothe your child’s sore gums. One of the pain remedies you probably gave your child was Anbesol, Hurricane, Orajel, Baby Orajel or Orabase. All of these products contain benzocaine, which can lead to a rare but serious condition called methemoglobinemia.

This is a disorder where the amount of oxygen carried through the bloodstream is reduced. In some of the most severe cases, methemoglobinemia can lead to death. The FDA has received 29 reports in regard to methemoglobinema. Out of the 29 reported cases, 19 of them occurred in children and 15 of the 19 occurred in children under the age of 2!

The FDA recommends that parents do not give children under the age of 2 any products that contain benzocaine except if told to do so by a health care professional.

If you suspect your child may have developed methemoglobinemia, some of the symptoms are:

Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips or nail beds

Shortness of breath

-Fatigue

-Confusion

-Headache

-Light-headedness

-Rapid heart rate

Have you ever used any of these products on your children? Let us know on our Facebook page linked HERE! 

What You And Your Children Need To Know To About Tooth Decay!

Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City

585 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530

516-222-5100

www.PediatricDentistryofGardenCity.com

Early childhood tooth decay is a very serious problem for young children. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28% of U.S. children between the ages of 2 and 5 have has some sort of tooth decay.  Tooth decay can cause various problems for children including interferences with sleep, eating, learning and playing.

From a young age, children begin sucking on bottles or sippy cups as if it were a pacifier. Other children continue breast feeding long after it is considered crucial. It has been found that frequent sucking or sipping anything other than regular water from a bottle or cup may increase the risk of a child developing early tooth decay.

Here are a few ways to prevent decay:

• Decay can almost always be prevented by keeping the mouth healthy. This requires healthy eating, regular brushing and flossing, and visits to the dentist.
• Do not allow your child to walk around with a bottle or sippy cup to continually drink from or use as a pacifier.
• Whether you're breastfeeding or using a bottle, wipe your baby's gums and teeth with a damp washcloth or gauze pad at least twice a day.
• Make sure your local water contains an optimal level of fluoride. Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay. If your water doesn't have enough fluoride in it, ask your dentist or pediatrician how your child's fluoride needs should be managed.

What steps do your children take in effort to help prevent decay? Let us know on our Facebook page linked HERE! 

Have You Found The Perfect Father's Day Gift? If Not, Here Are Some Great Ideas!

Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City

585 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530

516-222-5100

www.PediatricDentistryofGardenCity.com

Have you found the perfect father’s day gift for dad yet? If not, here are some great clever gift ideas to surprise dad with this father's day!

Was your dad into rubiks cubes back in the day? If so, thinkabout getting Dad this cool rubiks cube pencil holder for his office! Thecolorful childhood toy cube is great holder for pens, pencils, and other officesupplies! To buy, visit www.perpetualkid.com

Does your Dad like to play golf? If so, consider purchasing him the Approach S1 North America! This gadget wakes him up, tracks how far hewalks, and measures shots on 18,000 U.S. and Canadian courses. To buy, checkout www.garmin.com !

Do you often find your Dad in the kitchen? If he’s a topchef wannabe, purchase dad this pair of heat resistant cooking gloves this father’s day! To buy, visit www.paper-source.com !

Do you have any other father’s day gift ideas? What are yourtraditions? Let us know on our Facebook page linked HERE!

Changes In Pediatric Dentistry!

Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City

585 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530

516-222-5100

www.PediatricDentistryofGardenCity.com

If you’ve taken your child to the dentist recently, you’ve probably noticed some changes in the office since you were a kid. There are continuous changes being made in pediatric dentistry all aimed at making the offices more kid-friendly. The changes are also being made in the actual practice of pediatric dentistry.

Here are some of the ways that pediatric dentistry is advancing:

Dental Sealants are being incorporated into pediatric dentistry. This is something that you probably weren’t offered as a child in the dentist’s office. Teeth have many rough surfaces that are hard to clean. A dental sealant can be applied to these areas and make the pitted and grooved areas of a tooth smooth and easy to clean. This is an easy process and being seen more frequently in pediatric dentistry nowadays.

Fluoride Treatments are another process being incorporated into pediatric dentistry. Fluoride is applied using a cotton swab or it can be placed in a tray and the child can bite down and keep their mouth there for several minutes. Once a child has received a fluoride treatment, they shouldn’t eat or drink anything for at least 30 minutes after.

Should you remove your child’s wisdom teeth? This is a question that kids and parents often face. Dentists begin to look at kid’s teeth at about age 16 or 17 to see if there is room for the teeth to come in properly without causing problems. If the kids teeth look like they aren’t coming in properly, some dentists will suggest removing the teeth sooner rather than later to make the removal of them easier.

It is also being seen that children are visiting the dentist at earlier ages. This seems to reduce the child’s anxiety of going to the dentist and they begin to build a trusting relationship with the doctor.

Have your kids received any of these procedures at your pediatric dentistry? Let us know on our Facebook page linked HERE! 

What Kind Of Filling Is Right For Your Child?

Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City

585 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530

516-222-5100

www.PediatricDentistryofGardenCity.com

When parents bring their children to the dentist, one thing they often have to decide is what kind of filling and what color filling is right for their child. Some parents ask what are tooth-colored fillings? Others ask the advantages and disadvantages. Well parents, here are some answers to your frequently asked questions!

Tooth-colored fillings are made from durable plastics called composite resins. Similar in color and texture to natural teeth, the fillings are less noticeable, and much more attractive than other types of fillings. There are a couple of advantages of tooth-colored fillings. Because composite resins are tooth-colored, they look more natural than other filling materials. Tooth-colored fillings are also compatible with dental sealants.

There are a couple of disadvantages to tooth-colored fillings. First off, tooth-colored fillings are not for every tooth. Tooth-colored fillings work best in small restorations and low-stress areas.

Like any other filling, the best way to care for a tooth-colored filling is to brush, floss and visit your dentist regularly!  You may be wondering how to decide if tooth-colored fillings are right for your child. Your best bet is to speak to your pediatric dentist.

Does your child have tooth-colored fillings? Let us know on Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City Facebook page linked HERE! 

Sesame Street's "Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me" Oral Health Initative

Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City

585 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530

516-222-5100

www.PediatricDentistryofGardenCity.com

Sesame Street has recently partnered with Sam’s Giving Made Simple and MetLife Foundation to launch a oral health initiative for children! 

 

The initiative is called “Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me” and is sought out to help parents educate their children on how important it is to start brushing your teeth and taking care of your teeth from a young age.The bilingual, multimedia outreach initiative is aimed to motivate children ages 2 to 5 and to remind parents and caregivers how important their children’s oral health is.  

To learn more information on the initiative, visit Sesame Street's question and answer page on the importance of oral care among young children, linked here.