Oral Care Tips for Parents

We’ve all sat beside or conversed with an adult with bad breath. It’s not pleasant, but sometimes the reason for the offensive breath is straightforward to explain. That burger may have caused it with the raw onions or perhaps that plate of pasta heavy on the garlic. Why does my child’s breath smell? But how…

Do your child’s gums bleed when brushing? If you’ve noticed some red on your child’s toothbrush or some blood when your child spits after brushing, you’ve no doubt been alarmed. That’s natural. For most of us, blood indicates a problem, which can certainly be true regarding oral hygiene. However, not all blood that appears when…

Cavities are no fun for anyone – child or parent – so it’s important to understand what causes them so that you can do what you need to do for your child to prevent them from forming. There are two main types of cavities – those that form on the surface of the teeth, and…

As our children grow, we encounter all sorts of ailments, injuries, and infections we never knew existed, some with complicated names like Herpetic Gingivostomatitis, an infection of the mouth that occurs mostly in young children and is related to the herpes simplex virus. Despite its long name, however, Herpetic Gingivostomatitis isn’t a complicated ailment, but…

Most adults develop canker sores at one time or another. They’re annoying but you deal with them and do what it takes to make them disappear. Children can develop canker sores as well. Different from cold sores, which are contagious, these canker sores can be super annoying to children, especially the littlest ones, and can…

If you’re thinking about your child’s first visit to the dentist, good for you! It’s never too early to start a routine of good dental health. After all, seemingly in just the blink of an eye, your little one will be grown and old enough to recognize the importance of beautiful, healthy teeth. Of course,…

Learning how to brush teeth is a right of passage toward self awareness, and independence.  Brushing teeth is like second nature to us, but it isn’t for our kids. Brushing is a habit we as parents must create as our children grow, starting as early as 6-12 months old when those first tiny teeth appear,…

Gummy Bear candies, gummy worms, and other ooey, chewy gummy snacks have been around for quite some time. They’ve long been a favorite of children as well as adults and, where candy is concerned, many see them as a better alternative to giving children chocolate and other sweet snacks. In 1997, Hero Nutritionals™ jumped on…

As an adult AND a parent, it’s likely you understand the connection between healthy teeth and healthy eating. No doubt you’ve heard since childhood about the things you should eat and the foods that you should avoid that can cause tooth decay. (How many of you had a mom that said, “Candy will rot your…

Sometimes baby teeth are just so darn stubborn! Those sweet little teeth don’t want to move out of the way to make room for their permanent counterparts and your child winds up with what is often called “shark teeth”, a second row of permanent teeth behind the baby teeth. This usually occurs on the bottom…

Many times I get asked if it is really necessary to fill the cavities in baby teeth? They tend to think since baby teeth fall out it won’t really matter if the tooth is not filled. Unfortunately this assumption is false. This will often lead to the neglect of primary teeth and may cause permanent damage.…