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Top Tips of Oral Health For Kids To Maintain Your Child’s Smile During COVID-19

Without question, COVID-19 has changed our lives. With nationwide school closures, kids have lost the structure of their everyday routine. And, on top of creating a lot of headaches for both children and parents, many kids are struggling to stay consistent with their brushing and flossing as well. Not to mention that snacking is a lot easier when you’re cooped up at home all day. No one wants to see their child develop cavities and other dental problems, so how can you help them maintain a healthy smile?

check up your child teeth at – Dentist for kidsDr.Shilpi Dadarya

1. Limit Sugar Consumption

Consuming too much sugar (or having small amounts frequently) will put your kids at high risk for cavities. Here are some ways to minimize the impact of sugar on their teeth:

  • Looking for an activity to occupy your child’s time? Try making kid-friendly, low-sugar dishes together like tacos, oven-baked chicken nuggets, or sundaes with fresh fruit, nuts (optional), and plain (no-sugar) yogurt instead of ice cream.
  • Sipping, snacking or grazing on carbohydrates or sugar is a recipe for getting cavities. When your child does have something sweet, include it with a meal rather than as a snack.
  • Limit how much juice, dried fruit, soda and candy your child has. Instead, keep healthier snacks on hand like carrots, salted cucumbers, lunch meat, guacamole, cheese, hard-boiled eggs, nuts, and unsweetened apple sauce with cinnamon.

2. Make It Fun

With a quick online search, you can find tons of great ideas for apps or even YouTube videos that motivate kids to brush and floss. Some of them play a 2-minute song to encourage brushing long enough or reward points for consistency. Others are educational and help kids understand why it’s so important to take good care of their teeth and gums. Either way, simply making a child’s oral hygiene routine more fun can make all the difference in helping them stay motivated.

3. Brush and Floss Together

Modeling the right behavior as a parent is one of the best ways to help kids establish their own good habits. For age-appropriate kids (pre-teen and younger), try heading into the bathroom with them so you can brush and floss together. This is not only a great way to maintain your own oral health, but also a chance to make sure your child is brushing well enough (i.e. for a full 2 minutes). Also, since assisting kids under 7 with their brushing is recommended anyway, you can also use this time to make sure they’re getting the hard-to-reach areas in the back.

Last but not least, while dental offices are only open for emergency care at the moment, be sure to schedule a checkup with a pediatric dentist as soon as they re-open for routine care. This way, any potential problems can be found and addressed early on.

check up your child teeth at – Dentist for kidsDr.Shilpi Dadarya

COVID-19 has shaken up everyone’s routines. By using these 3 easy tips, you’ll keep your child’s smile happy and healthy.

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Pediatric Dentist of Hand Hygiene During COVID-19 Pandemic

As a parent, handwashing is one of the most important habits you can teach your children. It’s the absolute best way to reduce their risk of cold and flu as well as all other infectious diseases, including COVID-19. And with strict dental safety protocols, a pediatric dentist in Dentist for kids Jabalpur is in a great position to not only teach kids how to brush and floss, but also about proper hand hygiene as well. Keep reading below for easy ways to encourage good handwashing habits and keep your family healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

check up your child teeth at – Dentist for kidsDr.Shilpi Dadarya

How Can You Teach Your Kids Good Hand Hygiene?

It’s never too early to teach children about proper handwashing. First, use age-appropriate language to explain why it’s so important (for example, “Washing away the bugs on our hands keeps us clean and healthy.”)

With your help, kids can begin washing their hands between 18 and 24 months. Let them stand on a stool in front of the sink and make sure the temperature of the water is safe, that they use enough soap, and that they wash long enough (about 30 seconds, or enough time to sing Happy Birthday twice or Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star).

Also, lead by example by washing your hands in the following situations (and either helping your toddlers do the same or giving older kids reminders):

  • Every time you get home from a public outing, including the grocery store
  • After using the bathroom
  • Before brushing and flossing your teeth
  • After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
  • Before preparing food

Is Hand Sanitizer an Effective Alternative To Handwashing?

Handwashing is definitely more effective than using hand sanitizer. However, when soap and water aren’t available, hand sanitizer is a useful alternative.

Make sure you’re using a product that contains between 62-95% alcohol and that you rub it into you and your child’s fingertips, between the fingers, and the front and back of the hands for 20 seconds. Then let it dry on its own (i.e. don’t wipe it off).

check up your child teeth at – Dentist for kidsDr.Shilpi Dadarya

Proper Handwashing Technique

Pediatric dentists and their staff have always made hand hygiene a priority as part of their dental safety protocol in Dentist for kids Jabalpur, so don’t hesitate to ask them for helpful tips or even a demonstration.

In fact, at Brush Pediatric Dentistry we’ve expanded our protocols since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and now we’re having anyone who comes into the office sanitize their hands and their children’s hands (our usual toothbrushing station has been converted to a handwashing station if they prefer soap and water over hand sanitizer). And, as always, our entire staff is washing and sanitizing frequently before and after every single patient.

Here are five easy steps you and your family can use for effective handwashing:

  1. Wet your child’s hands with clean, running water.
  2. Work up a rich lather.
  3. Thoroughly but gently “scrub” the entire surface area of their hands with extra focus on their fingertips and under their nails.
  4. Rinse thoroughly.
  5. Dry their hands well with a clean paper towel. If you’re in a public restroom, use the paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door for them.

Hands down (no pun intended), hand hygiene is one of the most important defenses we have in the fight against COVID-19! With these simple guidelines, you’ll help you and your family stay healthier during this time.

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Explains Enhanced Safety During COVID-19 Pandemic

Preventing the spread of COVID-19 is on everyone’s mind these days, particularly parents whose primary concern is their children’s well-being. And while infection control has always been a top priority for dental offices, those protocols have become even more strict since the pandemic began. Keep reading to learn how a prepares for appointments to ensure that kids are getting dental care as safely as possible. They combine recommendations from the CDC and the ADA with an ongoing commitment to health and safety, so you can be confident that your child is getting outstanding dental care with minimal risk of exposure.

 

Pre-Screenings For Staff and Patients

Each day as staff members arrive they receive a no-contact temperature check and answer a set of questions to make sure they’re ready to provide care that day. Similarly, patients will also receive a temperature screening and answer a few quick questions about their recent activities and physical health.

Additional Training For the Team

Every member of the dental team already comes to the table with training on infection control. But additional training has been provided to make sure each individual has the information and awareness they need to keep the risk of exposure as low as possible.

Designated Safety Champions

Each day, a different staff member is designated as a Safety Champion to monitor the team’s adherence to dental safety protocols in Hinsdale and make sure all rules are being followed. This includes social distancing, greeting and screening patients, and answering questions on a daily basis. The Safety Champion helps to create an ongoing “culture of safety” for everyone in the office.

Changing Into Work Clothes at Work

Before the pandemic, it was common to see dental professionals in their scrubs running errands before or after work. Now, they change into clean scrubs on-site when they arrive and put their non-work clothes back on before leaving.

check up your child teeth at – Dentist for kidsDr.Shilpi Dadarya

Additional Personal Protective Equipment

PPE such as masks and gloves has always been a big part of safety and sanitation in a dental setting. Now, dentists and their staff are using additional protective gear that may include different or more protective masks, a face shield, and HEPA- grade filters in each room. Even the front desk staff and every patient over age two (who are able) are required to wear a mask at all times (except during treatment of course).

All of these additional protocols are part of the “new normal” and are a big part of preventing the spread of COVID-19. They’re just one more way a pediatric dentist is making the health and well-being of patients, staff and the larger community a top priority!

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How to Ease Your Child’s Dental Anxiety

It’s not an uncommon scenario: Your child is refusing to get in the car and go to the dentist because they’re scared. Dental anxiety is a real thing, and dentists throughout the country are continually looking for ways to lessen fears and provide a safe and fun environment. But sometimes, additional resources are necessary to help kids achieve a better understanding at their level. A children’s dentist in Jabalpur shares how books can be a compelling method for you to use when encouraging your little one to be less afraid at their next visit.

Dr.Shilpi Dadarya -Dentist for kids

What is Dental Anxiety?

Millions of children and adults suffer from dental anxiety. It is one of the top reasons people avoid the dentist’s office in the first place. They’re often so afraid that they’ll put off necessary treatment, ultimately resulting in more timely and costly care in the future. Whether caused by a fear of needles, a past dental experience, a sensitive gag reflex, or even the inability to sit still for long periods of time, the fear and uncertainty that can fill a child make it much more difficult for a parent like yourself to manage a simple checkup and cleaning.

Fortunately, there are ways to lessen their anxiety and encourage them to be brave at their next dental appointment.

Dr.Shilpi Dadarya -Dentist for kids

How Books Can Be a Helpful Resource

While there are children who have no interest in reading, most enjoy the colorful pages and drawings as well as the insightful stories. If your child is suffering from dental anxiety but enjoys reading books, you might find the following options to be a welcomed addition to their library, as all are designed to help little smiles get excited about going to the dentist’s office.

  • “The Crocodile and the Dentist” how the crocodile overcomes his fears of seeing the dentist while the dentist must do the same in caring for a crocodile!
  • “The Tooth Book: A Guide to Healthy Teeth and Gums” what your child might experience when visiting the dentist as well as how important it is that they take proper care of their teeth and gums at home.
  • “ABC Dentist” helps your child move through the alphabet with each letter representing a different dental term. It even includes a brief FAQ section to help answer your little one’s questions.
  • “Curious George Visits the Dentist” George’s experience with his first loose tooth and why there’s no reason for him to be scared during his appointment. You will also find a sheet of stickers you can give your child each time they brush correctly and/or visit the dentist.
  • “Sugar Bugs” the story about a boy named Robby who eats too much candy and ends up having a sugar bug family settling in his mouth only to have his dentist help him.

These are just a few of the countless books available that are designed to help your child overcome their dental anxiety. If you would like additional recommendations, don’t be afraid to ask the dental team during your child’s next visit.