Soft Drinks: Trouble For Your Teeth From Greenberg Orthodontics

At Greenberg Orthodontics, we know that when you sit down to dinner or grab a sandwich for lunch, you wouldn’t have a side of nine teaspoons of sugar. But that’s exactly what you’re taking in when you pair a meal with a 12-ounce can of soda pop.

Soft drinks are a poor choice for your overall health, since they have no nutritional value, and they contain sugar and caffeine. And when it comes to your teeth, soft drinks can cause big trouble. The steep servings of sugar create the perfect condition for cavities to form, while the phosphoric and citric acids in soda pop can erode and weaken your enamel – the outer coating on your teeth – making it tougher for your teeth to withstand the onslaught of sugar.

Both the Canadian and American Dental Associations recommend limiting your intake of soft drinks. And if you do occasionally indulge in a fizzy beverage, it’s a good idea to drink it with a straw, to reduce exposure to your teeth. Brushing your teeth afterward, or at least swishing with water, can help remove the sugar from your teeth.

Having trouble cutting back? Try these tricks to help wean yourself from a steady diet of soft drinks:

--Don’t quit cold turkey: Start by swapping one soda each day with an alternate drink, preferably water. Gradually increase your swaps until you’re down to one soft drink a day, then one every two days, then one a week, and so on.

--Switch to tea: If you’re looking for a source of caffeine, tea is much healthier than soda pop. Just remember not to add nine teaspoons of sugar to it.

--Switch to seltzer: If it’s the fizz or the flavor you’re after, try a sugar-free flavored water or seltzer.

--Remember your goals: If you’re wavering in your commitment to cut back on soda pop, remember the health problems it can cause.

--Be patient: Adjusting a habit doesn’t happen overnight. Give yourself a reasonable amount of time to change your diet.

Nifty "Eggs"periment from Dr. Vickie Greenberg

Summer is near. If the little ones aren’t going to camp, you may run out of ideas to keep them occupied. Why not use a fun and simple science experiment to focus their attention for a while? At Greenberg Orthodontics, we found one that includes a lesson about why it’s important to brush teeth to make plaque go away.

Gather the items you will need for this experiment:

* 1 hard-boiled egg with the shell on
* 12 ounces of Coke, Pepsi or other dark-colored cola
* 1 container large enough to hold the cola and egg
* 1 plastic bowl
* 1 toothbrush
* 1 drop of fluoride toothpaste
* Clean-up supplies

Explain to your child that plaque is a sticky layer of germs that collects on her teeth. If she doesn’t brush, plaque can cause serious problems for her teeth, for example holes in the teeth (cavities) or swollen gums (gingivitis). Tell her that you are going to do an experiment to see how plaque coats her teeth, and why brushing twice a day is important for healthy teeth and gums.

Conduct the experiment:

1. Make the comparison between the white color of the egg and the white color of your child's teeth.

2. Place the egg into the container and pour the cola over it, so that it completely covers the egg.

3. Let the egg sit in the cola for 24 hours.

4. Remove the egg from the cola. The egg will be stained and yellowish.
5. Explain to your child that the colored layer that has appeared on top of the eggshell is just like the layer of plaque that occurs on her teeth.

6. Place the egg in the plastic bowl and give your child the toothbrush with the drop of toothpaste on it.

7. Let her brush the "plaque" off of the egg. The yellowish film will disappear, exposing the white eggshell. Explain that the same thing happens when she brushes her teeth.

Enjoy from Greenberg Orthodontics!

Everybody's Brushing with Dr. Vickie Greenberg

Everybody is brushing with Dr. Vickie Greenberg! Watch this fun video with the kids to teach them the importance of oral health!

Gummy Tummy -- Dr. Vickie Greenberg

We know the rumors going around – mostly among young people – that once you swallow a piece of chewing gum it will stake a claim and take up residency in your stomach for at least seven years! We really hate to take all the fun out of the mystery, but the truth is that chewing gum, when swallowed, will enter the stomach and move through the digestive system just like any other piece of food and leave the body long before seven years! So, if you ever have accidentally swallowed a piece of gum, there is no need to worry!

This being said, gum does not have any dietary benefits, so while it’s not harmful to swallow, you still want to avoid swallowing it. If you are a gum-chewer, make sure you chew sugarless gum, because gum with sugar can lead to cavities. Sugarless gum still has the same amount of flavor, but with less cavity causing ingredients. You see, when the bacterium in your mouth breaks down sugar, what’s left behind is acid. This acid eats away at the enamel coating of your teeth, causing holes that we call cavities. Cavities can lead to other long term mouth problems if they are not treated in time, so it is best to try and avoid overexposing your teeth to too many harmful substances!

Happy (sugar-free) gum chewing from Greenberg Orthodontics!

How Can I Help My Child Quit Thumb-Sucking? Dr. Greenberg Explains

Last week we talked about thumb-sucking, understanding why it is comforting to your child and when you should be concerned about it. Should you need to help your child end his habit, follow these guidelines from Dr. Greenberg:

1. Always be supportive and positive. Instead of punishing your child for thumb-sucking, give praise when he doesn't suck.

2. Put a band-aid on his thumb or a sock over his hand at night. Let him know that this is not a punishment, just a way to help him remember to avoid sucking.

3. Start a progress chart and let him put a sticker up every day that he doesn't suck his thumb. If he makes it through a week without sucking, he gets to choose a prize (trip to the zoo, new set of blocks, etc.) Making your child an active participant in his treatment will increase his willingness to break the habit.

4. If you notice your child sucking when he's anxious, work on alleviating his anxiety rather than focusing on the thumb-sucking.

5. Take note of the times your child tends to suck (long car rides, while watching movies) and create diversions during these occasions.

6. Explain clearly what might happen to his teeth if he keeps sucking his thumb.

Whatever your method, always remember that your child needs your support and understanding during the process of breaking the thumb-sucking habit. In case you're a parent who wasn't a thumb-sucker and you have a child who is, Shel Silverstein provides a bit of insight in a classic poem from his book Where the Sidewalk Ends:

Thumbs

Oh, the thumb-sucker's thumb
May look wrinkled and wet
And withered, and white as the snow,
But the taste of a thumb
Is the sweetest taste yet
(As only we thumb-suckers know).

Have any more questions? Contact us at Greenberg Orthodontics, we'd love to chat with you.

Dr. Greenberg Talks Thumb Sucking

Along with favorite blankets, teddy bears, and nap time, thumb-sucking can be one of the most comforting aspects of childhood. According to a recent report, between 75% and 95% of infants suck their thumbs, so chances are there's a thumb-sucker (or a former thumb-sucker) in your family. Is this cause for worry? Dr. Greenberg tells all.

In most cases, no. However, it's important to pay attention to your child's habits, in case his behavior has the potential to affect his oral health.

What Is Normal Thumb-Sucking Behavior?

The majority of children suck a thumb or a finger from a very young age; some even start inside the womb. Sucking is a natural reflex for an infant, and it serves an important purpose. Sucking often provides a sense of security and contentment for a young one.It can also be relaxing, which is why many children suck their thumbs as they fall asleep.

According to the American Dental Association, most children stop thumb-sucking on their own between the ages of two and four. They simply grow out of a habit that is no longer useful to them.

However, some children continue sucking beyond the preschool years (although studies show that the older a child gets, the lower his chances of continuing to suck his thumb). If your child is still sucking when his permanent teeth start to erupt, it may be time to take action to break the habit.

What Signs Should I Watch For?

First, take note of how your child sucks his thumb. If he sucks passively, with his thumb gently resting inside his mouth, he is less likely to cause damage. If, on the other hand, he is an aggressive thumb-sucker, placing pressure on his mouth or teeth, the habit may cause problems with tooth alignment and proper mouth growth. Extended sucking may lead to a need for orthodontic treatment in the future.

If at any time you suspect your child's thumb-sucking may be affecting his oral health, please give us a call at Greenberg Orthodontics or bring him in for a visit. We can help you assess the situation.

Don't Take That Dental Chair For Granted from Greenbarg Ortho

If you went to a dentist with a toothache in the 1700s, and he prescribed the removal of your tooth, it's quite likely that you wouldn't have had even a stool to sit on during the process. In fact, your dentist may have asked you to sit on the floor, at which point he would have stood behind you and secured your head between his knees. This position was ideal for two reasons: it provided easy access to your teeth and it kept your head still. (The reason you would not have kept your head still on your own, of course, is that this was prior to the invention of dental pain-killers.)

The first dental chairs were simply everyday wooden chairs with the headrests removed, but with arms in place – the arms being useful for the patient to cling to during a painful extraction.

In the 1790s, an American dentist named Josiah Flagg devised a more comfortable setup for the patient, fixing a padded headrest to the back of a simple wooden chair. He also made it more convenient for the dentist, by adding an extension to the chair that provided storage for commonly used tools.

James Snell of London created the first chair that was designed specifically for dental work in 1832. Snell's chair featured both a back and a seat that allowed for minor adjustment. Innovations in dental chair design improved and multiplied, and by the late 1800s, over eighty different chair designs could be found on the market.

The true precursor to the modern dental chair, constructed by James Beall Morrison, merited a British patent in 1867. The base of the chair was made of iron, and the chair itself boasted both a headrest and a footrest. A ball-and-socket joint beneath the chair, accessible by a foot pedal, let the chair tilt backwards and forwards as well as to the right and left. The chair also allowed for over three feet of vertical adjustment.

As in all other aspects of dentistry, chair technology continues to advance: today's chairs are made of steel, plastic, and aluminum; they involve electronic or hydraulic components, which provide for quick and smooth movements; and they take into account the latest in ergonomics and hygiene.

The next time you find yourself in a dental chair, lay back, relax, and remember that you're enjoying the finest chair experience that dental history has to offer! And let us know at Greenberg Orthodontics how we can help with your orthodontic needs.