2019 New year, New you!

New Year’s Resolutions for a Healthy Smile

With the new year approaching, you may have already begun to think about your New Year’s resolutions. Why not make one of your New Year’s resolutions improving your dental health?

• Brush Twice Daily and Floss Once a Day

Brushing and flossing protect your teeth from decay and gum disease, which is caused by your teeth’s most persistent enemy, plaque – a sticky, colorless, invisible film of harmful bacteria that builds up on your teeth every day. Both brushing and flossing are equally important for good oral health: according to the Academy of General Dentistry, only flossing can remove plaque from between teeth and below the gumline, where decay and gum disease often begins.

• See Your Dentist for Regular Checkups

By seeing your dentist at least twice a year, you can help prevent any dental health problems before they cause discomfort or require more comprehensive or expensive treatment. Regular visits allow your dentist to monitor your oral health and recommend a dental health regimen to address areas of concern.

For this new year, resolve to treat your mouth right- your teeth and your body will thank you for it!

Some information courtesy of the Academy of General Dentistry.

Halloween is here which means bags of free candy and a chance to stock up on sweets for the winter. However, Halloween can also present parents with a variety of health and safety challenges! It’s okay to eat that candy on Halloween but it’s important to have a plan after the fun has subsided.

TIME IT RIGHT

Eat Halloween candy (and other sugary foods) with meals or shortly after mealtime. Saliva production increases during meals. This helps cancel out acids produced by bacteria in your mouth and rinse away food particles.

STAY AWAY FROM SWEET SNACKS

Snacking can increase your risk of cavities, and it’s double the trouble if you keep grabbing those sugary treats from the candy bowl.

CHOOSE CANDY CAREFULLY

Avoid hard candy and other sweets that stay in your mouth for a long time. Unless it is a sugar-free product, candies that stay in the mouth for a long period of time subject teeth to an increased risk for tooth decay.

AVOID STICKY SITUATIONS

Sticky candy clings to your teeth. The stickier candies, like taffy and gummy bears, take longer to get washed away by saliva, increasing the risk for tooth decay.

HAVE A PLAN

It’s tempting to keep that candy around, but your teeth will thank you if you limit your stash. “Have your family pick their favorites and donate the rest,” Dr. Z says!  And of course, make sure you are keeping up with your brushing twice daily with a pea size amount of  fluoride toothpaste and flossing once nightly!

Dr. Zarmin Lalani is honored to be recognized as a “Mom-Approved” Dentists by DFW Child Magazine!

WHAT IS A MOM-APPROVED DOCTOR?
A Mom-Approved Doctor is a doctor who has earned the trust, admiration and respect of parents. Local parents reached out to our magazine and recommended Dr. Lalani. Whether it’s bedside manner, flexibility or professional acumen, moms love her and want to recommend her to other moms.

WHAT MAKES MOM-APPROVED DOCTORS DIFFERENT?
Each year various publications come out with lists ranking area doctors. Mom-Approved Doctors are special because they’ve been nominated by our patients and moms like you!. Moms who love their kids and care about their health. Dr. Lalani (or better known as Dr. Z  by our patients) didn’t make it onto our list by purchasing space in the magazine, and their inclusion doesn’t imply an endorsement by DFWChild. This is a “parent-to-parent” referral list.

 

3 back-to-school Dental tips from Dr. Z

• Bring your kiddos to Discovery Kids Pediatric Dentistry to have a dental cleaning and exam with Dr. Zarmin Lalani!
• Pick the right snacks. Swap out lunchbox no-no’s (gummy snacks, chips, cookies and juice) with healthy alternatives like carrots, celery or cheese sticks and water!
• To keep their mouths healthy, make brushing and flossing fun! You can play a favorite song to brush along with for two minutes! And don’t forget to floss once daily too!

 

Happy Fourth of July from Dr. Z and staff at Discovery Kids Pediatric Dentistry!

Make your SMILE SPARKLE and BE BRIGHT as fireworks this 4th of July.

We SMILE because…

1. Freedom
2. Family
3. Friends
4. Fireworks