Greenbelt Dentist Blog

Kids always looking for yummy snacks to hold them over before dinner time and after a long day of school.

Here are three friendly-teeth snacks for kids:

1. Yogurt Parfait- yogurt is a super food for both teeth and the whole body since it is high in calcium, the foundation for strong teeth.
2. Baked, homemade veggie chips- High in antioxidants that help keep gums healthy.
3. Fruit and cheese kabobs- Cheese is high in calcium and helps keep teeth strong.For any questions please contact our office at (301) 474-1110 –

Dr. Shakoori

It’s your kids first day of school!!!Never forget to cover your kid’s health from head to toe! Health concerns, vaccinations, and updated medical reports should be check out at this time!

Here are the points in a head to toe checklist:

1. Eye Exam
2. Dental Exam
3. School Communications (up to date medical records)      For any questions please contact our office at (301) 474-1110                                                                                                    -Dr. Shakoori

Daily oral health routines dating back to ancient civilizations is centered around toothpaste. But, do you know what actually is in toothpaste that makes it so effective?

Let’s take a look at the ingredients that keep our teeth stainlessly white:

Fluoride- Key active ingredient in toothpaste. Makes the tooth more resistant to acid-attack by decay causing bacteria.

Mild Abrasives- Removes food debris and stains as well as sticky plaque that is forming on the teeth.

Humectants- Organic compound that holds water and maintains its moisture when exposed to air.

Binders- Binds the whole paste together to stabilize its form.

Sweetening/flavoring agents- Make brushing more enjoyable.

Antibacterial agents- Reduce plaque growth.

Detergents- Help coat the teeth.

Preservatives- Prevent the growth of microbes in the toothpaste.

Whiteners- Makes claims for whitening the teeth.

For any questions please contact our office at (301) 474-1110.

Have a nice day!

Dr. Shakoori

 

 

Handling tooth trauma is essential when you want to keep your child’s smile sparkling. A knocked out tooth, chipped tooth, or a loosened permanent tooth at home or at school occurs often especially with children.

Here are the steps when dealing with a knocked out tooth:

1. Make sure your child does not have any other injuries such as a concussion or a broken jaw.
2. Don’t try to reinsert the baby tooth because it would affect the permanent one coming behind it.
3. The tooth should be held by the crown not the root to avoid infection.
4. Rinse debris off the tooth with room temperature water.
5. If the permanent tooth cannot be reinserted, keep the your child’s tooth moist and stored in a container until you can see a dentist.                                                                      Tooth injuries are never life threatening, but can affect a child’s appearance and their self-confidence; therefore, it is important to act quickly in a tooth trauma situation. That’s the truth. 

   For any questions please contact our office at (301) 474-1110.

   – Dr. Shakoori

Everybody knows that eating candy can lead to cavities, but did you know that cough syrup can as well? Taking those syrupy cough medications over a long period of time can cause tooth problems. Flavored ones contain sugar to help with the taste and syrups used to fight allergies have high acidity and low pH levels. These two factors work together quickly to dissolve tooth enamel and cause erosion.

Here are a few tips to prevent this from happening:

1. Avoid taking syrup medication at night

2. Take medication with meals

3. Talk to you child’s dentist about a topical fluoride, which helps keep decay away!

For any questions please contact our office at (301) 474-1110.

– Dr. Shakoori

Sugar plays a major role in our lives much the same way it does for the bacteria that reside in our mouths. Bacteria use the sugar we eat and drink as an energy source to grow and multiply. As this happens, they produce acids that have damaging effects on the health of your teeth. The acid weakens and thins the protective outer enamel coating, making your teeth susceptible to bacterial invasion and decay (cavities).

Sugar is found in both food and drinks, so a great habit to adopt would be to drink water afterwards to wash away any sugar sitting on your teeth. Brushing your teeth after meals will also help to remove even more sugar!

Next topic: Silver vs White Fillings

We appreciate your feedback for this post and any questions you may have for the upcoming entry topic!

Having dental insurance can be tricky. There are many plans to choose from, but once you have found the right one it is important to regularly follow-up with your insurance company:

A) Check eligibility!!
B) Know the coverage and benefits
C) Be aware of any waiting periods
D) What are the frequencies or limitations on procedures?
E) Use your benefits!

At Smile Arts we do our best to inform our patients as much as we know about their insurance. Call to schedule an appointment or consultation to treat your dental needs with us 🙂

Next topic: Sugar
Leave a comment if you have any questions! We love to hear your feedback!

There is a saying that goes, “healthy mouth, healthy body.” This means that an individual’s oral hygiene habits are indicative to their overall health. Typically, a healthy mouth free of cavities or infection is a good sign the body’s overall health is also in good condition. However, certain problems residing in the mouth such as gum inflammation (gingivitis) can be a sign of other serious health implications such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

Therefore, it is crucial to maintain a proper hygiene routine:
1. Brush your teeth thoroughly twice a day, especially at night before you go to bed.
2. Floss! Brushing your teeth only gets rid of the yellow/white plaque from the surface of your teeth whereas flossing will help remove food and other bacteria between your teeth
3. Brush your tongue…We’re not kidding! Most toothbrushes these days have a tongue-pad for a reason: Brushing your tongue helps remove bad-breath causing bacteria along with food particles and other things.
4. Try to lower your intake of sugar in your daily diet. Bacteria feed on sugar residing in your mouth, if good oral hygiene is not practiced, the bacteria colonies grow and eventually form a cavity in the tooth.
5. Schedule routine check-ups with your dentist! Not only will the dentist or hygienist remove tartar (hardened plaque) from your teeth, but he/she can check for cavities or propose anti-cavity options such as fluoride or sealants.

So remember, keep your mouth clean and happy for a healthy body!

Next topic: Know your insurance

We appreciate your feedback for this post and any questions you may have for the upcoming entry topic!

Welcome to the blog page for Smile Arts Cosmetic and Sedative Dentistry. We are pleased to announce we are blogging again. Our purpose is to help make our patients and any new prospective patients better understand dental treatments and terms by answering any concerns or questions you may have during your dental visit. As mentioned in a previous post, what we write is not meant to substitute for professional dental or medical advice–please consult with your health care provider for any questions.

We want to hear what you think! At the end of each blog entry we will publish our next blog topic, statistic, or question that will be addressed the following week. We therefore encourage everyone to share their comments or concerns pertaining to that topic. We will do our best to incorporate your feedback into the next entry.

Good news! Our New Year’s resolution is turning into a reality. We will start our blogs with writing about advances in dentistry and anything related to oral hygiene. Hopefully this will be a good educational tool for our patients.

Dr. Shakoori