Are you afraid your children’s post-Halloween smiles will give you nightmares? If you’d like some help ensuring your kiddos don’t have a jack-o-lantern smile after indulging in Halloween candy this year, call Newingham Dental Center at 248-972-8720 to schedule dental cleanings and exams.
With the help of our kid-friendly team of dental professionals, Dr. Justin C. Newingham provides a wide variety of treatments for patients of all ages at our Birmingham, MI dentist office, including various family dentistry options.
If you have been told that your child needs a certain dental treatment that you are not sure about, feel free to visit us for a free second opinion.
For your convenience, we accept a variety of payment options. So you don’t have to take off work or pull your kids out of school, our office is also open with convenient hours.
Keep Little Smiles Safe This Halloween With Dental Cleanings
We understand why you’re worried about your children’s smiles. Sure, Halloween has many great traditions, but for little kids with a sweet tooth, the holiday is all about one thing and one thing only: sugary, sticky candies that can contribute to tooth decay.
The good news is, your kids can still indulge in Halloween candy this year so long as you bring them in for professional dental cleanings and exams and encourage them to maintain great oral hygiene habits. If they’re not already, your kids should:
- Brush their teeth using a soft-bristled toothbrush at least twice daily and after meals if possible
- Floss between pearly whites at least once a day
- Swish and/or rinse their mouth with a mouthwash if recommended by a dentist
To make sure the job is getting done properly, we can demonstrate proper brushing and flossing techniques for your kids. We can also give you tips on how to make oral hygiene fun so your kids will have a positive association with oral health practices for years to come!
Good oral hygiene at home is the bedrock of a beautiful, healthy set of chompers. But to fight decay that would otherwise go unchecked, you should also bring your kids into Newingham Dental Center every six months for a professional examination and thorough dental cleaning.
Not only will we clean their little teeth using special dental techniques and technologies, we will also catch signs of tooth decay while the problem is still small and easy to manage. If we do catch a cavity or other issue, we will address the problem quickly with a tooth-colored filling or whatever restorative treatment fits the situation.
Of course, ideally, your children will not develop oral health problems to begin with. Along with regular dental cleanings and oral health advice, we can also provide a variety of preventive dentistry services, including:
- Products from CariFree that help to prevent tooth decay
- Dental sealants
- Fluoride treatments
- Saliva diagnostics to monitor the health of gums
We have also invested in some of the most state-of-the-art dental technology on the market to improve your child’s care. Using our DIAGNOdent laser cavity detection device, for example, we can find small cavities that would usually go unnoticed by other dentists.
Our dental technology also presents a teaching opportunity for your kids. Using our intraoral camera, we can show your child what their mouth looks like on a screen so they’ll know what we’re talking about.
There are a handful of other things you can do to help your child avoid cavities and other dental issues this Halloween as well.
So they don’t fill up on sugary candies, give them a balanced, wholesome meal before they go out trick-or-treating. And when they return with their sack of treats, you can try letting them pick a few to eat that night and then saving the rest for them to eat for dessert after meals.
Knowing what candies can cause the worst smile damage is also helpful. Generally speaking, the longer and/or more acidic a candy is, the more trouble it can cause for little teeth. Keeping the duration of candy consumption to a short burst is always a good idea.
Don’t worry about the dental boogie man of tooth decay this Halloween. For help keeping your children’s smiles sparkling and their teeth strong, call Newingham Dental Center at 248-972-8720 to book dental cleanings and exams. You can also reach us using our online form or by stopping by our Birmingham, AL dentist office in person.