Tips for Best Foods for Babies’ and Toddlers’ Teeth

What’s Best To Eat and Drink

Do you wonder about the best diet for your kids to ensure they stay safe from cavities and tooth decay?

Here are the best tips for babies, from 0 to 2 years old.

  • Only milk and water are best for babies, as far as drinks. Avoid juices, soda, fizzy drinks, and any other sweetened drinks.
  • Foods that are sweet should be restricted during mealtimes; there should be no in-between snacking of sweets, and certainly none before bedtime.
  • Snacks that are safe are those without sugar. Try fruits, cheese, breadsticks, plain yogurt, or veggies.
  • Before bed at night, gently wipe baby’s gums and teeth with soft cloth, or if they are a little older, brush their teeth gently.
  • Milk or water may be given before bed. If it is milk, best to dilute it gradually over a few weeks until it is just water.
  • From 6 months up, start feeding your baby from a cup and cease feeding from the bottle by 12 months of age.
  • When shopping for baby foods and drinks, inspect labels first for sugar loads. Watch out for syrups, glucose, fructose, honey, and the like.

Here are the best for toddlers, 3 to 5 years old.

  • Three meals a day and two snacks seem practical; however, it should follow a schedule, it should be low- sugar for snacks, and just milk or water for drinks.
  • Even if they are older, there should still be no soft drinks, juices, or anything with added sugar as much as possible. Fresh fruit, dairy, and veggies are best.
  • Sometimes, consuming sugary treats and drinks can happen. As long as they are allowed sparingly, there is no need for worry.

Parents and guardians must teach kids to appreciate non-sugary food and drinks. They must also be taught proper oral hygiene. They also must have regular checkups with their pediatric dentist, who can guide and oversee their oral health development through the years.

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Bellevue Dentistry and Children’s Oral Health

Concerned about your babies and toddlers’ oral health? Bring them regularly to your Bellevue dentist for proper care. Learn more about avoiding caries and tooth decay to keep children safe and healthy.

Are Clear Aligners Better Than Traditional Braces?

Invisalign: The Clear Alternative

Due to the advances in the orthodontic field, for people who need to correct their crooked or misaligned teeth, metal braces are no longer the only option for treatment. Clear aligners are a system that’s improving over the years and gaining a wide following since. Invisalign is arguably the most popular.

What is Invisalign?

It is the brand name of a popular, clear set of thermoplastic retainer trays that aim to correct teeth that are crooked or misaligned. It is recommended for children, teens, and adults. Best of all, Invisalign is custom-made and, therefore, makes treatment goals accessible.

Is it the same as metal braces?

Yes, but that is where the similarity ends. Invisalign is best recommended for adults whose teeth are not severely crooked. Unlike metal braces that are very noticeable, Invisalign’s clear and light appearance makes it less obvious.

There are other advantages of the brand when compared to metal braces. Here they are:

  • They are more comfortable to wear than braces
  • They are removable
  • They do not irritate the gums
  • They are easily cleaned with brushing and flossing
  • They do not interfere with food enjoyment or with speaking
  • They are made much faster
  • They can be worn in just 6 months time
  • They produce results that are more predictable

Here are the treatable cases where Invisalign is concerned: Teeth of children, teens, and adults, crowded teeth, open bite, overbite, underbite, crossbite and gap teeth.

What is the Invisalign process?

A trained dentist or your orthodontist first takes a physical impression of your teeth. Then they are scanned by technicians to create the 3D image using a special software. Hence, the final product is fitted much later. Your clear aligners will have to be changed every few weeks as your teeth positions shift, or as determined by your dentist.

Is Invisalign expensive?

Invisalign is quite affordable. Ask your dentist or orthodontist about financing or insurance plans. You will find how this investment is worth your time and resources.

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More About Invisalign by Bellevue Dentist

Know more about how you can realize a wonderful, confident smile with Invisalign from your Bellevue dentist. We hope to see you soon.

The Trouble with Thumb-Sucking

If you have a kid, it’s fairly likely that he or she sucks his or thumb at least occasionally. Most kids will lose the habit by themselves at some point between the age of two and four, but some will persist longer than others to a point that the parents start to get concerned. Indeed, the effect that habitual thumb-sucking on your teeth is well-understood; it can cause teeth to come in crooked, possibly requiring costly orthodontic work down the line.

Thumb Sucking Habit

There are ways to help your child get past a thumb-sucking habit. In many cases, the habit can be linked to insecurity. Explore anything that may be causing insecurity in your child, and look for ways to help him or her get past it. If this doesn’t work, consider putting a bandage around the thumb to serve as a reminder, or having your child wear socks over his or her hands while sleeping.

Should you require any other help with your child’s oral health, talk to our Bellevue dentist.

Trouble with Whitening Toothpaste

Whitening Toothpaste

Have you ever considered employing whitening toothpaste as an alternative to a professional cosmetic treatment from our Bellevue dentistry? If you have, we encourage you to reconsider. The truth is that the so-called “whitening” toothpastes are probably harming your teeth far more than they are brightening your smile.

If your toothpaste identifies itself as a whitener, take a good look at the fine print on the package. You’ll likely find that it only claims to “whiten teeth by removing surface stains”. This means that it’s only wiping away potential stains on your teeth that have not yet settled. This is decent as a preventative measure, but it does nothing for the stains that you already have. To remove real stains, you need whitening agents that are too strong to come in toothpaste form; any bleach in a toothpaste gets rinsed away too quickly to have any real effect, and only serves to make your paste more abrasive on your gum tissues.

Professional Teeth Whitening

Do the right thing for your teeth, and restore their whiteness with Bellevue Overlake Dental.

Why Tooth-Colored Fillings Are More Preferred Than Others

The Most Natural-Looking Dental Filling

Dentists are finding more and more of their patients opting for tooth-colored fillings to fix damaged teeth. The most important reason for this preference is the natural and pleasing aesthetics that these fillings provide. The filling is the same color as the rest of one’s natural teeth so that a difference could not be detected. There are other advantages of tooth-colored fillings in spite of a few challenges.

Tooth-colored fillings are also called composite resins, and more popularly, white fillings. They are made from materials of the same color as natural teeth, thus restoring the natural appearance of a decayed or previously filled tooth. As fillings, they blend well with the enamel and don’t look like fillings. It is mostly recommended for the front teeth, but they can also be used for the more posterior teeth.

Composite resins, or tooth-colored fillings, are durable and resistant to fracture if placed in teeth that can withstand moderate forces and constant pressure from chewing. The filling works best in small to moderate size prepared cavities. Due to the filling’s capability to bond to teeth adhesively, when preparing the tooth to receive the filling, your dentist will remove less of the healthy tooth, and not too much. However, if the decayed area is large or is subject to heavy chewing, another type of restoration may be recommended by your dentist.

The procedure to place a composite resin may generally take longer than a metal filling, such as amalgam or gold. This is because your dentist will require a completely clean and dry area to work on when applying the filling. However, composite fillings can usually be done in one visit.

Composites may cost more than amalgam, but patients who prefer that more natural look would find the cost worth it. And like other restorations, these tooth-colored resins may require replacement from time to time. Hence, in order to preserve the life of your composite, avoid tooth decay that may develop elsewhere around the tooth. The practice of proper oral hygiene cannot be expressed enough; as well as regular visits to your dentist that can spot issues early.

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Learning More About White Fillings in Bellevue

When you are intending to have white fillings, or tooth-colored fillings, see us at Overlake Dental. Consult with our Bellevue dentist for a in-depth appreciation of dental fillings.