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.

Swatting Those Bugs Away Already? Here's the Safest Bug Sprays for Your Kids...

Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City

585 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530

516-222-5100

www.PediatricDentistryofGardenCity.com

With summertime in full swing, many of us are spending much more time enjoying the warmer weather outdoors. One thing many of us find ourselves doing while outside in the warm weather is swatting those bugs away!

One way we keep the bugs away is bug spray! Many people ask which kind of bug spray is safe for kids and which kind works the best. 

 The best reported bug repellent out there to work against both ticks and mosquitos is DEET(N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide). The smell of this type of repellent isn’t pleasant to insects. The way DEET works is the length of protection depends on the percent of DEET. 10% works for a couple of hours and 20% works twice as long.

However, DEET does pose a couple of side effects, the most common side effect being skin irritation. There is also a slight risk that DEET can affect the brain and possibly cause seizures. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that the risk of seizure due to DEET is one in a hundred million users.

The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend using DEET in infants less than two months old. They also report that using up to 30% is safe for children. A couple of tactics that have found not to work are soaking wristbands in repellents, taking a garlic or vitamin B1 pill and bug zappers or ultrasonic devices.

Here is a list of some otherrepellents besides DEET that work pretty well:

• 2-undecanone (IBI-246). This is a chemical naturally found in various plants--it's used to not only repel insects, but dogs and cats! It is found in Bite Blocker products. According to the EPA, it protects for four hours against mosquitoes, two hours against ticks.
• Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus or PMD (the man-made version of it)--this works pretty well for up to six hours against both mosquitoes and ticks.
• Picaridin--works well against mosquitoes, but not ticks.
• IR-3535--this is the active ingredient in Avon's insect repellents. It's made from a common amino acid, alanine. It only protects for about two hours against mosquitoes or ticks.
• Citronella oil--doesn't work as well as Eucalyptus. You will only get an hour or so out of it.
• Other oils, like Soybean or Catnip (your cat will love that one)--they offer variable protection, and aren't so great against ticks.

Here is another list of things to remember no matter what kind of repellent you choose to use:

• Grownups, not kids, should do the applying.
• Spray in an open area to minimize how much of the stuff you breathe in.
• When applying to the face, spray some into your hand and then rub it on the face (steering clear of the eyes and mouth).
• Wash your hands, so that you don't end up inadvertently mixing bug spray with your sandwich (this is why I'm not so wild about those repellent wipes).
• Try to use a product geared for the amount of time you need, rather than reapplying (especially when using a DEET product).
• Don't buy combination sunscreen-insect repellent products, for just this reason--sunscreen is something you should reapply.
• Don't use it on open skin.
• Dress kids in light-colored clothing--and spray the clothing.
• Give kids a good washing at the end of the day with soap and water, and be sure to wash sprayed clothing before it's worn again.

 What kind of bug repellent do you use on your children? Let us know on Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City's Facebook page linked here.

Should Video Games Be Considered Works of Art?

Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City

585 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530

516-222-5100

www.PediatricDentistryofGardenCity.com

The Smithsonian American Art Museum recently had an exhibition called “The Art of Video Games,” presented by KidsPost. The exhibition raised much debate over whether or not video games should be considered works of art and displayed in museums. 

Some believe that video games should be considered works of art, while others believe as fun and interactive as video games may be, they should not be classified as art.

After asking numerous kids their opinion on the debated topic, here’s what they said:

Art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. I think that video games fit this definition. People that create video games are using their creativity and imagination.

— Shivali Dessai, 12, Ashburn

Video games are like a painting on an electronic screen. The controller functions as your paintbrush, while the screen serves as your canvas. In order to make a video game, you have to think of something original to reach your audience. That is the point of art.
— Mary Pottanat, 13, Falls Church

I don’t think video games are art, but don’t get me wrong. I love video games. But my vision of art is painting and making music, or performing on stage in a play. Sitting around at home looking at the screen for hours on end is not art.
— Matthew Rice, 12, Silver Spring.

However incredible, realistic and entertaining video games are, they are not art. Poetry is art, and painting is art, but not video games. Art has passion, beauty and culture that no technology could ever compare to. Even though you can create art in some video games, the “Mona Lisa” wasn’t painted with Nintendo. . . . Video games are not art.
— Caroline Kaplan, 10, Ashburn

What do you think? Should video games be considered art? Let us know on the Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City Facebook Wall, linked HERE. 

It's National Bike Month! A Few Bike Safety Tips for Kids...

Pediatric Dentistry of Garden City

585 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530

516-222-5100

www.PediatricDentistryofGardenCity.com

The month of May is the official National Bike Month. This month gives bike lovers the opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons why so many individuals out there love to ride them. 

In honor of National Bike Month, get involved within your city or state and help to get more people in your community active and riding!

Bicycling is the most popular outdoor activity for American youth! More than 70% of all US children ages 5-14 ride a bicycle.

Don't forget to share these bike safety tips with your children before heading out for a ride:

• Wear a properly fitted bike helmet- protect your brain, save your life.
• Adjust your child's bicycle to fit- have your child stand over their bicycle. There should be 1-2 inches between him and the top tube (bar) if using a road bike and 3-4 inches if it's a mountain bike. The seat should be level front to back. The seat height should be adjusted to allow a slight bend at the knee when the leg is fully extended. The handlebar height should be at the same level with the seat. 
• Check your equipment- before riding, inflate tired properly and check that your brakes work.
• See and be seen- Whether daytime, dawn, dusk, foul weather, or at night, you need to be seen by others. Wearing white has not been shown to make you more visible. Rather, always wear neon, fluorescent, or other bright colors when riding day or night. Also, wear something that reflects light, such as reflective tape or markings, or flashing lights. Remember, just because you can see a driver doesn't mean the driver can see you.
• Control your bicycle- Always ride with at least one hand on the handlebars. Carry books and other items in a bicycle carrier or backpack. 
• Watch for and avoid road hazards- be on the lookout for hazards such as potholes, broken glass, gravel, puddles, leaves and dogs. All these hazards can cause a crash. If you are riding with friends and you are in the lead, yell out and point to the hazard to alert the riders behind you.
• Avoid riding at night- it is far more  dangerous to ride at night than during the day because you are harder for others to see. If you have to ride at night, wear something that makes you more easily seen by others. Make sure you have reflectors on the rear and front of your bicycle in addition to reflectors on your tires so others can see you.
• Go with the traffic flow- ride on the right in the same direction as other vehicles. Go with the flow, not against it.
•  Stay alert at all times- use your eyes and ears. Watch out for potholes, cracks, wet leaves, storm grates, railroad tracks, or anything that could make you lose control of your bike. You need your ears to hear traffic and avoid dangerous situations; don't wear a headphones when you ride. 
• Children under 10 years old should ALWAYS ride on the sidewalk.
• Children 10 years and older can ride in the street, but should obey all traffic laws and signs.
• Watch for vehicles coming out of or turning into driveways. 
• Stop at corners and sidewalks and streets to look for cars and to make sure the drives see you before crossing. 
• Enter a street at a corner and not between parked cars. Alert pedestrians that you are near by saying "excuse me," or "passing on your left," or use a bell.  

Take your kids out for a bike ride around town this weekend to celebrate National Bike Month!