September

Start the School Year Off With a Smile

Every child wants to look their best as they head back to school this fall. Parents help by scheduling haircuts and buying new outfits,
but most overlook the simple steps to helping their child maintain one of their most visible features – their smile.

Studies show that one of the first things people notice about someone is their smile and that a good smile creates a positive self-image…something all parents wish for their children. Back-to-school time is the perfect time to incorporate good oral health habits into a child's
daily routine. The sooner you make them a priority, the sooner your child will benefit."

Schedule a back-to-school dental visit

Seeing a dentist twice a year during the school-age years is vital because this is a time of great change in the mouth, with kids losing
baby teeth and getting in their permanent teeth. Tooth decay is still the most common chronic childhood disease and, left untreated,
it can impair a child's ability to eat, speak, sleep and learn. However, studies show more than 60 percent of school-age children do
not see a dentist annually. "Simple preventive checkups twice a year can head off childhood decay and help you and your child learn
how to protect their teeth throughout the year,"

Establish daily brushing habits with your children

Children should brush at least twice a day. To encourage children to brush after every meal, let them pick out their own travel
toothbrush and toothpaste to take to school. There are many child-friendly products that help encourage younger children to brush.
Make sure your child's toothpaste contains fluoride and the toothbrush is soft-bristled.

Make good nutrition a top priority

National studies show that only one in five school-age children eats the recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables –
greatly increasing their risk of cavities. In addition, only one in five children meets even the minimum standards for calcium consumption. Take charge of your child's health this school year by packing healthy lunches.

Don't forget after-school snacks, many school children go straight to sporting practices after school and turn tosugary foods and
drinks from a vending machine when they don't have any other option, which are disastrous to children's oral health.
Bite-sized carrots, fruits, nuts and bottled water are much better after-school snack options and give children the fuel they need to
excel in physical activity. AGD 9/07

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Mouth Injuries From Sports

More than two million teeth are knocked out each year from sports-related injuries and mouthguards help prevent about 200,000
injuries high school and college athlete from sustaining injuries.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 74 million students will head back to school this fall, however, according to the
National Youth Sports Safety Foundation (NYSSF), many of those students end up as part of the 15 million dental injuries and five million cases of traumatically lost teeth that occur every year. However, many students chose not wear a mouthguard for a
variety of reasons.:

However, athletes that wear properly fitted-mouthguards will find them to be comfortable, tear-resistant and resilient, In a
report, twenty-two students participated in a study in which they tested the efficacy and comfort of two different types of custom-made mouthguards. This report found that the custom-made mouthguard made with double layers of plastic protection, offered double defenses and the extra layers did not reduce comfort or wearability. High-school athletes that participate in soccer and basketball
may want to consider this type of custom-made mouthguard, recommends Dr. Kenyon.

Benefits of wearing a mouthguard during sporting events and practices:

Remember, if you lose a single tooth, it will cost $10,000 – $20,000 dollars over your lifetime to restore that tooth. Source:
 American Dental Association

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Soda Attack
Soft drinks, especially non-colas and iced tea, hurt hard enamel

As school start, many people will grab a pop or ice tea instead of water. It isn't just cola's empty calories (about 150 per 12-ounce can)
you should worry about. Many of these beverages – especially non-cola drinks and canned ice tea -- harm enamel, the protective shell around teeth.

A pilot study of the effects some of these beverages had on enamel, appearing in the July/August 2004 issue of General Dentistry,
found that over time, exposing dental enamel to carbonated beverages and non-carbonated canned ice tea weakens and permanently destroys enamel.

Results from the study, which exposed healthy dental enamel to a variety of popular beverages over a period of 14 days, found that non-colas and canned iced tea were especially harmful. They contain flavor additives, such as malic, tartaric and other organic acids, which are more aggressive at eroding teeth.

Root beer, which contains the least amount of flavor additives, was found to be the "safest soft drink to safeguard dental
enamel."

About 27 percent of the beverages consumed by Americans are soft drinks. Overall soft drink consumption has steadily increased
over the years, and remains on the rise, contributing to an increase in oral health problems, namely cavities.

Soda consumption has increased:

What can you do?:

1. Drink soda at meal times..it is less injurious than when consumed alone
2. Don't continuous sip pop because it is more harmful than the whole drink taken at one time.
3. Drink soda through a straw may help reduce the amount of soda that comes into direct contact with the teeth.
4. Rinse their mouths out with water after drinking
5. Use toothpaste that contains fluoride.
6. Stop sipping at work -A person who consumed 3-4 32 oz beverages per day while working at a computer terminal developed
   rampant dental decay.

Fact:
A typical 12-once can of regular soda contains approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar.

AGD 9/04

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September is Healthy Aging¨ Month
Designed to focus national attention on the positive aspects of aging for adults 50+years of age. http://www.healthyaging.net"
Healthy Aging

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Start the School Year Off With a Smile

Every child looks forward to looking their best with new outfits and haircuts as they go back to school, but most parents overlook the
simple steps to help their child maintain one of their most visible features-their smile.

Studies show that one of the first things people notice about someone is their smile.

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Mouth Injuries

Many athletic activities involve the use of protective gear. Today each sport has it's own individual equipment that is used only
with that sport.  However, a mouth guard is practical and economical because it  can prevent tooth injuries while allowing you to
wear one protective device for more than just one sport because it can be worn for all sports.

Over the counter "Boil-to-fit" mouthguards do not protect all the teeth.  They are made of poor quality shock-absorbent material
and are not of uniform thickness around all the teeth which creates vulnerability to injury. "High-quality sneakers use a material
called EVA in the insole to cushion your feet from impact when your foot hits the ground. Similarly, high-quality mouthguards
use EVA to cushion teeth against a potentially damaging force"*. 

Our office can fit you with a Play-Safe Mouthguard which is custom-made of solid, molded EVA and are light weight and comfortable.
They are the ultimate in smile protection, long lasting and cost about 10% of the cost of replacing a tooth knocked out by injury.

 For children, whose mouths are rapidly changing, it is impossible to provide a mouthguard that will continue to fit through years
of dental changes. For kids, we can provide reasonable cost mouthguards so that you can replace the guard as your children grow.

 How would you feel if your daughter had a front tooth knocked out at school during a volleyball game after you spent thousands
 of dollars on braces to give her a beautiful smile? Please contact us about Play-Safe Mouthguards.

*Chew On This. August 2002

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