Sippy Cups

AS YOUR CHILD GRADUATES from using a bottle to enjoy their milk, it’s important to remember their oral health as you decide what step to take next.

Sippy Cups Are Only A Stepping Stone

Sippy cups were designed to be a transitional step from bottle drinking to drinking from a regular cup. Despite this, many children end up drinking from sippy cups for months or even years until they are encouraged to begin using a regular cup. Although sippy cups prevent unwanted spills that may arise as they’re transitioning from a bottle, prolonged use can lead to a host of problems for their growing smile.

Prolonged Sippy Cup Use Leads To Cavities

Drinking from a sippy cup for long periods of time has similar effects to putting your baby to bed with a bottle. The sugars in both milk and juice combine with bacteria to create enamel-eroding bacteria. When babies fall asleep with bottles, the fluid pools around their teeth and slowly erodes their enamel throughout the night—leading to painful tooth decay (also known as caries).

Drinking from a sippy cup all day has a similar effect. When a child drinks from a sippy cup, they immerse their top six teeth. Depending on what’s in their cup, they could be constantly covering those top teeth with sugar. Dental caries may soon follow, which can result in uncomfortable swelling and infection, and even triple their likelihood of developing cavities in their adult teeth.

Keep These Tips In Mind

We understand how convenient sippy cups can be during the early stages of your child’s development, but we’d encourage you to use them as a temporary step on the way to using of a regular cup. Some children quickly learn how to manage a regular cup and skip the use of a sippy cup altogether.

If your child does need the help of a sippy cup when transitioning from a bottle, keep the following in mind:

• Don’t allow your child to use their sippy cup throughout the day. Reserve this for snacks and mealtime.
• If they want to drink sugary beverages, encourage them to use a straw. This ensures the sugary liquid misses the teeth as they’re drinking.
• Visit your child’s dentist early and often. They should have their first dental appointment by the time they get their first tooth or reach the age of one.

We Love Helping Your Child’s Growing Smile!

We know parents have a lot of questions about their little ones’ oral and overall health. If you have questions about transition your infant from a bottle or have other questions about their oral health, please let us know! We’re committed to helping provide all of the information you need during this important period of their life.

Thank you for being a part of our practice family!

Dr. Andrew Bruening & Dr. Carissa Bruening are
 General & Family Dentists located in Chesterfield, Missouri.

636-532-3311 | admin@chdental.net

Check Out Our Website!

To stay up to date with patient appreciation raffles, office specials, and volunteer events, go "LIKE" our Facebook Page by searching @chdental or Chesterfield Hilltown Dental. We are always accepting new patients, and our family looks forward to meeting yours!

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Bright, Healthy Smiles Are Priceless

WE DON’T SIMPLY clean teeth and fill cavities at our practice—we educate our patients! From the moment you walk through our door to the moment you schedule your next appointment, we’re prepared to guide you through each step of your visit.

One topic we are often asked about is paying for your dental care. Cleaning your teeth doesn’t have to clean out your wallet, so today we want to provide you with all of the information you need to know when you’re scheduling your next appointment.

We Have Payment Options To Suit Your Needs

Dental Insurance

We file all dental insurances at our office as a courtesy to our patients. We are premier providers with some insurances. It is best to call our office in Chesterfield and speak to Chris regarding the details because even within the same company, insurance plans can vary greatly.

Financing Options

We have also researched and registered with two third-party financing companies. Lending Club and Care Credit both offer no-interest 6 month & 12 month plans for your health needs, including dental. We are happy to help you to apply in office, or you can do that from home. 

Bright, Healthy Smiles Are Priceless

Whichever option you choose, we are committed to providing our patients with quality, personalized care. If you have any questions about payment for your oral health care or if you’re curious about specific treatment pricing for yourself or someone you care about, feel free to give us a call. We’d love to help you receive the care you need at the price that fits your budget.

Thank you for continuing to place your trust our practice!

Dr. Andrew Bruening & Dr. Carissa Bruening are
 General & Family Dentists located in Chesterfield, Missouri.

636-532-3311 | admin@chdental.net

Check Out Our Website!

To stay up to date with patient appreciation raffles, office specials, and volunteer events, go "LIKE" our Facebook Page by searching @chdental or Chesterfield Hilltown Dental. We are always accepting new patients, and our family looks forward to meeting yours!

3 Tips To Keep Teeth Clean Between Meals

WE UNDERSTAND HOW BUSY life can get–between work, school, sports, and having a social and family life, it can be hard to find time for your dental health. Because we know how precious your time is, we’ve decided to compile a list of quick, easy tips to keep your teeth clean in between meals and on the go!

First Of All, Snack Healthy

Did you know that frequent snacking throughout the day can contribute to tooth decay? Try to keep snacking to a minimum. If you do need a pick-me-up during the day, choose tooth-friendly snacks, such as broccoli, carrots, seeds, nuts or apples. These are also great choices when finishing off a meal! Because of their abrasive texture, these foods act as a natural toothbrush, scrubbing your teeth as you chew and removing bacteria and plaque.

Brush And Floss Your Teeth, Even On The Go

This is an obvious one. One of the best ways to prevent tooth decay and dental disease is to brush and floss often! With that being said, we understand that not everyone has time to make a trip to the bathroom to brush their teeth after every meal. A quick on-the-go tip is to brush your teeth without toothpaste!

Carry a travel toothbrush with you and when you feel plaque or food on your teeth, simply pull it out and brush! Even without the added benefits of toothpaste, this will help remove plaque and bacteria adhering to your teeth. You can do this sitting at your office desk or waiting in the car for your kids to come out from school!

A lot of our patients have also benefited from floss picks. Because of their easy-to-use handle, you can use them one handed and without a mirror. This makes flossing in between meals much easier and more accessible!

Chew Sugar-Free Gum And Drink Plenty Of Water

We’ve mentioned the benefits of chewing sugarless gum after a meal plenty of times before. It’s such an easy and enjoyable way of protecting your teeth from cavities that we can’t say enough about it!

The act of chewing increases saliva flow in your mouth, which washes away food particles and neutralizes acids. Saliva also promotes remineralization, helping teeth to recover from any damage incurred while eating. Just pop a piece of sugar-free gum in your mouth for 20 minutes after a snack or meal to reap the benefits!

Although this video is meant for dental professionals, it provides the perfect explanation as to why chewing sugar-free gum protects your teeth after a meal!

Water, similar to saliva, washes away food debris and cleans between teeth. Rinsing your mouth out frequently, especially after eating, is a simple way to bolster your teeth’s defense against cavity-causing bacteria.

Keep Your Oral Health In Check

We know life gets busy. We hope these tips will make it a lot easier to keep your oral health in check! By taking care of your teeth throughout the day, not just in the morning and at night, you can ensure that your smile will be happy and healthy for a lifetime. Do you have any more on-the-go tips? Let us know in the comments below!

We love to serve you!

Dr. Andrew Bruening & Dr. Carissa Bruening are General Dentists located in Chesterfield, Missouri.

636-532-3311 | admin@chdental.net

To stay up to date with patient appreciation raffles, office specials, and volunteer events, go "LIKE" our Facebook Page by searching @chdental or Chesterfield Hilltown Dental. We are always accepting new patients, and our family looks forward to meeting yours!

www.chesterfieldhilltowndental.com 

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.