Games and Activities for Kids

It's officially winter break! I'm sure all you parents will be struggling to find fun activities for your children to do after a few days, Right? Well...Your in luck, I have a few activities that are not just fun but also serve as a learning experience!

Oral health is an important part of our overall health, so here are a few fun activities to do with your children to teach them the importance of taking care of their teeth:

• Eat this, not that!:
• Cut out pictures of food from magazines. Ask the children to find pictures of healthy foods and pictures of unhealthy foods. Put all the pictures into a large pile. Take two small brown paper bags and draw a "happy tooth" and a "sad tooth". Together, sort out the pictures and place them into the correct bag.
• Apple Activity:
• Show the child an apple and have them pretend that it's a tooth. Using a stick, poke a hole into the apple. Explain to the child that the hole is like a cavity, a small hole that forms if they don't brush, floss or eat healthy foods. Place the apple where the child can see it everyday. After a few days, ask the child to explain what the apple looks like. Proceed to explain why its important to take good care of our teeth and why we need to see the dentist regularly.
• Egg Activity:
• Show your child a hard boiled egg and explain that the egg shell is like your teeth. Place the hard boiled egg into a jar of vinegar. Ask your child what they think will happen to the egg. In a few days remove the egg and have the child examine the egg shell. Explain that the same thing will happen to their teeth if they don't properly take care of their teeth. 

All of these activities were found on different websites. All you have to do is search for dental activities if you would like more fun ideas for your child!

Eat, Drink And Be Merry, But Remember To Brush Your Teeth!

We all know the drill....eat sweets, but brush your teeth!  Holiday toothaches are no fun.  Aside from that, there aren't many dentists that work on Christmas or New Year's Day! 
If you find yourself with a toothache or a broken tooth from eating too many nuts, well, the reality is you may just have to wait a day for help.  But prevention is key, here.  If you know you have a cavity or tooth sensitivity already, stay away from the sweets!  Once the Holiday is over, call your dentist right away and get it taken care of. 

Okay, okay.  Enough preaching!

From Savon Dental Plan,

We would like to wish you all a safe Holiday & Merry Christmas! 

Keep Smiling!

How Well Do You Know Your Dentist?

I was reading a news article about a dentist in Texas who allegedly, while under the influence of alcohol, botched a surgical procedure on a woman.  Lawsuits are pending.

This is incredibly disturbing when you think about how many people get treatment every day from doctors they know nothing about.  How many times have you picked a random doctor off of your insurance list?  I know I have done it, figuring that if my insurance lists them, they must be good enough.  They have a degree and a license to practice so it must be safe. And for some, it might be, but unfortunately, it is still an incredible risk to take.

Most people aren't even aware that you CAN research any doctor with a license.  Information such as where they went to school, when they graduated, complaints, infractions, etc. can be obtained for the general public.  It's as simple as a Google.com search for your local dental or medical board. Read the reviews.  Reviews tell a lot about the office and staff.

Such a simple step could have changed everything for that poor woman.

When it comes to your health, you can never be too careful!  Whatever you do, whether it be dentist, doctors or surgeons, ALWAYS KNOW who is working on you!

Oral Device To Help Tourette Syndrome?

Do suffer from Tourette Syndrome? You may be in luck! Researchers at Osaka University in Japan have developed a removable oral device that can help adults and children with their tics.

There are many ways to treat tics which include behavioral therapy, medication and surgery. However, these treatments work different on each individual person. This is why the researchers at Osaka University decided to develop a custom-made oral splint. This device is similar to mouth guard and retainers but are only applied to the back molars which increases the Occlusal Vertical Dimension. 

According to Jumpei Murakami, author of the study says "Biting down on the device immediately improved both motor and vocal tics in 10 of the 14 children and 6 of the 8 adults that participated in the study." "What's more, these effects were long lasting. Long-term improvements in motor tics after more than 100 days were especially evident in patients who were younger when their tics first started."

Osaka University plans to do larger-scaled studies! 

It will be interesting to see the results of the larger study and how it changed the lives of people who suffer from Tourettes.

Information found here!

Cheek Biting - Some Habits Die Hard!

Did you know that habitual cheek biting can be considered an obsessive-compulsive disorder?  It can begin as the result of an accidental bite while chewing food; or on a funnier note, from talking while you're trying to eat...we've all done that! Or it can be something you do absently when you're nervous or anxious. Some even do this in their sleep! Sometimes the problem goes away on its own, but habitual cheek biting has the potential to cause some serious problems; the obvious being mouth sores, but a more serious issue can be infection, because as we know, there are millions of bacteria floating around in our mouths, both the good kind and the bad kind!  Long term cheek biting can actually lead to oral cancer, so if you are in the habit you might want to consider some tips and suggestions to stop for good!

•  Try chewing gum.  It keeps the jaws busy and let's face it, you can't chew gum and bite       your cheek at the same time, right?
•  Mind over matter.  This is hard.  Really hard.  But some have the ability to consciously  stop a bad habit.  Give it a try!    
•  Your dentist may be able to fit you with a night guard (this is especially beneficial if you      bite your cheeks in your sleep.)
•  Visit a specialist in the field of psychology.  They may be able to shed some light on the    cause of your nervous habit, at least.

Always try to keep your mouth clean.  Brush regularly, rinse after meals and swish with a little lukewarm salt water before bed to aid in healing. Whatever you choose, try to break this habit as quick as you can.

As always, Keep Smiling!

Ludwig's Angina

Have you ever heard of Ludwig's Angina? Good, neither have I!

According to Medical News Today "Ludwig's angina is a rare, serious skin infection that develops on the floor of the mouth and the neck. It results from bacteria that are present due to other issues, such as a tooth abscess or a mouth injury".

Ludwig is a form of cellulitis which causing severe swelling in the tissue under the tongue and around the neck. Luckily, antibiotics help people recover but if it's not treated right away it can be deadly because the swelling can cut off airways. 

Along with severe swelling you can also experience other symptoms such as:

• Fever and chills
• Drooling
• Earache
• Confusion
• Weakness

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms you should seek medical attention right away!

Information found here!

Can A Dental Exam Reveal Osteoporosis?

Absolutely!  There are a variety of things your teeth and gums can reveal, and bone loss is one of them
Picture this: Your teeth have been cleaned, x-rayed and examined. You're ready to schedule your next 6-month check-up and be on your way. But instead, your dentist delivers some surprising news: you may have osteoporosis.
You may think he is kidding, but that's probably not the case. Signs of osteoporosis can often be seen on dental x-rays and exams. Oral health and bone health can be directly related. Your dentist can find possible signs of osteoporosis by examining your jawbone, gums and teeth.
Although your dentist may suspect the disease, an x-ray alone is not enough for a diagnosis. To diagnose osteoporosis, you will need to see a doctor for a bone density test.