Dentist Karen Chu| Children's Fun Toothcare Tip For Sweet Holidays

Whether is is Halloween trick or treat bags, Thanksgiving sugary sweet potatoes and pies or Christmas candy... the fall and winter holidays can be hard on little teeth. Excitement and distraction are everywhere and corralling the kids to ADD to their dental hygiene can be a huge challenge.


It's time for crafty parents to pull out all those little things that can help their children's combat sugary tooth decay.

One of the more fun ways to slip in a few 'tooth friendly' good habits is to have your kids take ownership and tell YOU what to do.

Extra brushing and flossing are not the only tools at a parent's disposal this time of year. Healthy eating choices can help balance some of the harmful factors in holiday favorites. Rather than nag your kids to eat more of the yummy types of healthier food, what about letting them educate you about adding them to the holiday?
 

To help you inspire your kids to balance out some of the sugar they will consume this season --  here is a fun kid friendly video that you can share with them.

  .

 

Now you can let them tell you about the benefits of adding some cheese to those sugary holiday meals and snack times!

 
Many cheeses have been shown to help in the fight to prevent tooth decay. Eating thee cheeses can be healthy for teeth in more than one way.

And, eating a cube of cheese can help to harden teeth and discourage the softening which is so important to combat when trying to prevent cavities. It does this by increasing plaque-calcium concentration up to 112%! It provides a coating of calcium on the teeth that helps protect against cavities.

The most important way eating cheese helps with sugary holidays has to do with the reason sugars and acid fruits are so bad for teeth.

When we eat, the pH in our mouth often drops - the mouth becomes more acidic.

Teeth are super sensitive to acid -- and acid is what makes the teeth get soft during that 20 - 30 minutes after eating and before brushing. It appears that eating cheese can help maintain a pH level in the mouth that is safe for teeth. The studies are still going on, but it is looking good for acid neutralizing powers for the cheese.

What has been proven is that eating certain kinds of cheese (including aged Cheddar, Swiss, Blue, Monterrey Jack, Brie, Gouda, and processed American cheese) right after a meal or as a snack helps prevent tooth decay.

And in this tooth decay promoting-sweets focused time of year... that is super important. So, let your kids discover this fun toothcare tip video and give YOU the cheesy news!

Happy Holidays Everybody

 

Phoenix Kids Dentist Dr Karen Chu – Articles To Inform and Support Healthy Smiles

Dr Karen Chu is a Phoenix Kids Dentist with a passion to help parents feel comfortable taking an active and interactive role with their kid’s dentists, dental care and daily dental habits and routines.

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Dentist Karen Chu | Kids Tooth-care Tip - What To Do About Sticky Candy

Kids Tooth-care Tip - What To Do About Sticky Candy

 

What can a parent do about sticky, gooey, candy and sweets?

Even before 'tricking and treating', school and church parties, costumed get-togethers, community fun and other holiday activities will all feature sugary and sticky treats.Caramel apples, taffy and gummy creatures are all stars at this time of year!

It is pretty well known that sticky candy and foods are the worst villains in the story of tooth decay. 

Parents and teachers struggle to balance time and kids dental health.They know that you can't leave the sticky candy stuck on the teeth...letting sticky sugar and acids do their worst to those hardest to reach areas.

BUT, immediate brushing is a risk too.

 Because, for the first 20-30 minutes after eating, tiny tooth enamel is softened by the acids. Brushing too soon can actually damage the teeth. Usually, dentists recommend using a swish - wait (1/2 hour) -brush method to protect kids teeth. But, for the really sticky candy, this compromise does not hold up so well.

Any caramel apple eater knows ... a quick swish with water to get the worst off before brushing won't even touch the really sticky stuff.

And with all the extra social activities of the season, your kids are more likely to be off and running to the next activity before the 20 - 30 minutes pause is done - even if, the rinse HAS dislodged some of the gooey clinging candy.

So, which less than optimum choice do you choose to guard your kids teeth -- Swish/Wait/Brush or Risky Immediate Brush? Maybe, there is a third choice.

There is a trick... to deal with sticky treats a little more effectively.

       Instead of a Swish - Pause 30 minutes - Brush.

       Right after sticky candy you could try :

 

       

Swish - Floss - Swish-... (and hopefully) Brush in 30 minutes

When it comes to children's teeth, we often forget how much a friend floss can be with sticky edibles and tiny seed foods. It is only a small extra step to add to the kids' usual 'after eating oral hygiene routine'. A step that can give some extra protection when kids enjoy all those gooey treats this time of year.

And, even if the kids slip away before the brush time part of their routine, you have dislodged some of the worst of the sticky sugar from the most vulnerable areas. Leaving less to damage their beautiful smiles.

Happy Fall Celebrating Everyone!

   

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 Phoenix Kids Dentist Dr Karen Chu – Articles To Inform and Support Healthy Smiles

Dr Karen Chu is a Phoenix Kids Dentist with a passion to help parents feel comfortable taking an active and interactive role with their kid’s dentists, dental care and daily dental habits and routines.

  Don’t forget to share this post with another parent

 

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Dentist Dr Karen Chu | 2012 Parent Comments About Karen Chu | Phoenix Children's Dentist

              

 It's that time again. 

The time of year that I share some of the kind remarks you leave with us at the dentist office.

 It really helps to know what we are doing right at your kids dental appointments!

 And your kindness in letting us know is greatly appreciated. 

Children's dentists especially -- rely on the feedback of the parents to refine and improve our treatment of your kids. And telling us where we got it right helps us figure out how to focus our efforts in a direction that works.

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 2012 Parent Comments About Karen Chu | Phoenix Children's Dentist 

Want to know more about Dr Karen Chu - the dentist and office?

If you would like to see some of last year's parents remarks... you can find another video at the url below. You might want to check out some of the other informative videos on that channel while you are there
  
   http://youtu.be/o3kU_IuShMQ 


Once again, THANK YOU - to all you parents who improved our dentist office for your children by letting us know what you and your kids appreciate most. 

     

I look forward to sharing more beautiful kids smiles and even more supportive conversation with you parents this year. 

 
 Phoenix Kids Dentist Dr Karen Chu – Articles To Inform and Support Healthy Smiles

Dr Karen Chu is a Phoenix Kids Dentist with a passion to help parents feel comfortable taking an active and interactive role with their kid’s dentists, dental care and daily dental habits and routines.

  Don’t forget to share this post with another parent!
  

I'm reading: Dentist Dr Karen Chu | 2012 Parent Comments About Karen Chu | Phoenix Children's Dentist

Preparing For Toddler Dentist Visit - Time To Play! | Dentist Karen Chu |Fun Parenting Tip

Dentist Karen Chu Fun Parenting Tip

  

Getting ready for the fall dentist check up with your toddler or pre-school age child? 

  

   Time To Play Dentist!

 

Dentist Karen Chu Fun Parenting Tip - Time To Play Dentist!

One of the more fun ways parents can prepare their toddlers for early dental check ups is to role play the dental visit with them.

  

Kids love playing out life situations. From tea parties to dress up, a toddler (or any young child) loves to role play being and adult and especially to do so with adults.

There are several ways you can structure the game. The best results are most likely to be achieved if you run through all of the possible scenarios below -- since that will give your baby a more well rounded frame of reference. And, as with all children's learning, a vital key is repetition.
 

You can be the dentist while baby is your assistant.

  

 

 Baby's favorite doll or stuffed animal can be the first dental patient.

  

Then you can be the patient while brother or sister (be sure and tell them they have to make it fun or pleasant before starting... you know kids and their often quirky sense of humor!) is the dentist.

  

Siblings can join in the fun

 

Remember to end up with your young child or toddler to taking their a turn as patient at the practice dentist's visit even if they took a turn in the middle rounds of the role plying.

Equipment ideas you can use for play:

Here are some ideas for props you can use in this play time. You can use as few or as many as makes the game fun and easy for you to play 'Dentist Visit' with your child.

Setting the stage

•  Some clear goggles or sunglasses
•  A medical  or painters mask for over the nose and mouth
•  Any smock like top or pajama top in a green or blue that looks similar to medical scrubs (or a medical scrubs top if you have one) for the "dentist". Another alternative for the "dentist" outfit is any white jacket or smock
• A bib or apron to spread over the "patient"
• Disposable gloves (kids always find these fun)
• A reclining chair is great is you have one!

Props for the action

• A flash light or pen light to look in mouth
• A large plastic turkey baster is great for the "dental tools". It has a blunt tip that allows lightly touching each tooth but is too big and bulky to be a choking hazard. In addition, it can emulate the suction tool -- so it gives two tools for role play in one!
• A toothbrush to demonstrate how to brush (and as stand in for tooth cleaning)
• A paper cup to pretend to spit into
• A mirror to show the patient their smile at the end

Another other item people sometimes use:

A toy or real stethoscope (although it is not really dental, kids associate them with all things medical so it can add an additional flair if you like)
  

I would love to hear from you about some of the "props" YOU come up with for your toddlers pretend play time dental visit games!

  

   

Phoenix Kids Dentist Dr Karen Chu – Articles To Inform and Support Healthy Smiles

Dr Karen Chu is a Phoenix Kids Dentist with a passion to help parents feel comfortable taking an active and interactive role with their kid’s dentists, dental care and daily dental habits and routines.

  Don’t forget to share this post with another parent!

I'm reading: Preparing For Toddler Dentist Visit - Time To Play! | Dentist Karen Chu |Fun Parenting Tip

Karen Chu Teen Bite - Tobacco Stains = Kiss UN-Cool

One of the cigarette companies last youth based campaigns was based around a Joe Cool type Camel.

So when I ran across some camel pictures recently and saw the stained teeth it made an instant connection in my mind to teeth and tobacco -- especially smokeless tobacco. And, led to the idea for this Karen Chu Teen Bite.
 

Here is a fun Teen Bite -- a fun infographic to either give information or reminders to teens about oral hygiene and teeth related topics -- parents can use as ammunition to help steer their kids away from tobacco.

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words...

And, appealing to one of the teen world prime motivations -- appeal to the opposite gender -- can be more effective than all reasoned and logical arguments.

Enjoy!

Phoenix Kids Dentist Dr Karen Chu – Articles To Inform and Support Healthy Smiles

Dr Karen Chu is a Phoenix Kids Dentist with a passion to help parents feel comfortable taking an active and interactive role with their kid’s dentists, dental care and daily dental habits and routines.

  Don’t forget to share these with another parent!

I'm reading: Karen Chu Teen Bite - Tobacco Stains = Kiss UN-Cool

Check Out New ADA Clean And Friendly Website | Dr Karen Chu DMD Recommendation

The ADA has a new clean and friendly website. It is called Mouth Healthy and is bright, easy to move around on and to use. You can find it at http://www.mouthhealthy.org/ . We love the clean lines and navigation choices. We think everyone will find the site easy to read, use and find useful information quickly.

We especially liked the page tab topics for preteens and teens.

The page this tab opens up to is short and focused on the points of view important to kids of these age groups (preteen and teen).

There is a slide show that is bright and catches attention to actually get your teen to look at the page.The slides focus on the concerns that your preteen/teen actually has -- like bad breath. Whoever wrote the captions obviously does talk to real teens.

 

Sticking to a short and sweet format in keeping with 'web surfing' and 'uninterested' age group's attention spans, the links readers can follow up for more info lead to equally focused pages. These pages are also clear, focused on summarizing key points and often start with a video for the video minded generation.

 It's a good spot to point your teen toward when you want some quick back-up on the all important topics of:

• Teen hygiene and habits

• Wearing a mouth guard during sports

• Smoking 

• and of course... the teen fad  of Piercing.

Why don't you all take a quick look and see for yourselves. How much more family friendly do you find this website is than the usual medical information sites?

Thumbs up to the ADA for  putting in place this clean and friendly website resource for the public.

We look forward to see how it develops as a real family resource over the next year or two as it adds more topics that help adults, kids and teens.
  

Phoenix Kids Dentist Dr Karen Chu – Articles To Inform and Support Healthy Smiles

Dr Karen Chu is a Phoenix Kids Dentist with a passion to help parents feel comfortable taking an active and interactive role with their kid’s dentists, dental care and daily dental habits and routines.

  Don’t forget to share these with another parent!
  

I'm reading: Check Out New ADA Clean And Friendly Website | Dr Karen Chu DMD Recommendation

Getting To Know Karen Chu Phoenix Kids Dentist | The Early Years

Getting To Know Karen Chu Phoenix Kids Dentist

The Early Years - Sandcastles and Dreams of Beautiful Smiles

Some children dream of living in a castle as a Prince or Princess, some want to be firemen or tv stars when they grow up. I was just Karen Chu back then...the dentist Dr Karen Chu was just a glimmer of a far off dream. But even then I knew that smiles were something magical and special. As far back as I can remember I wanted to help people.And, I wanted to help them smile.

That was considered a little strange back then. Dental techniques were not nearly as advanced as today. I am thrilled that now we are seeing more and more technology and research eliminating the need for pain or trauma in maintaining beautiful and healthy teeth. (The only thing better than my being able to make my life's work providing beautiful smiles -- would be something that guarantees great smiles without the need for any care).

But, even then I saw the difference that feeling free to smile made for my family and friends. I recognized it as a treasure-- AND a key that could unlock doors for some.... or shut out all kind of good things and opportunities for the others. Those kids who were too embarrassed by their teeth to open their mouths seemed to lose on almost every great part of childhood.

So my sandcastles were dentists offices that became palaces of smiles. And today. I practice my dream in real dentist offices here in Phoenix.

What were your childhood dreams? How do they connect in some small way to what you do now as adults?

 

Phoenix Kids Dentist Dr Karen Chu – Articles To Inform and Support Healthy Smiles

Dr Karen Chu is a Phoenix Kids Dentist with a passion to help parents feel comfortable taking an active and interactive role with their kid’s dentists, dental care and daily dental habits and routines.

  Don’t forget to share these with another parent!

I'm reading: Getting To Know Karen Chu Phoenix Kids Dentist | The Early Years