Our Blog

As a patient at Simsbury Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry, your opinion matters! Dr. Maryam Azadpur and our team love hearing what our patients think about our practice and the services we provide, and now we want to know, what do you think we should blog about?

Perhaps there’s a treatment you’ve always wanted to know about, or you’d like to learn about a specific way to improve your health and smile. Whatever your idea, we’d love to hear about it! You can let us know by posting here or on our Facebook page!

As a parent, it is your job to instill good dental habits in your kids, and this starts even earlier than you might realize. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry responds to the “when to start” question with a succinct “The sooner the better!”

From the time your baby is born, you should make sure that your child’s gums are regularly cleaned using water and a toothbrush made for infants. Once the first tooth erupts, you should visit the pediatric dentist for the first time. Dr. Maryam Azadpur and our staff often recommend that if your child is a year old, but has yet to get the first tooth, you should bring your son or daughter to our Simsbury, CT office for his or her initial dental care appointment.

Once your child’s teeth start to appear, you can begin brushing two times per day, using fluoride toothpaste. Choose a toothbrush made specifically for your child’s age group, and one with has soft bristles.

Only a small smear of toothpaste is needed if your child is under two years old. Once the child celebrates his or her second birthday, you can use a pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste. Continue this practice until your child is five.

Of course, it is important that you monitor your child’s tooth brushing closely to help educate about proper techniques. Some young children might try to eat or swallow toothpaste, and this needs to be strongly discouraged. Be sure to teach proper rinsing and spitting behavior to round out your child’s early childhood tooth-care regimen.

For young kids, tooth brushing can be made into a fun event, and you can find a multitude of special toothbrushes that appeal to kids. There are even uniquely flavored and colored toothpastes that might encourage your child to get into the brushing game!

We are only a few days away from Valentine’s Day and this year we are celebrating with some fun surprises! On Valentine's Day, we love to give out special Valentine plushies to the kiddos coming in. We also hand out carnations to each of the parents to help make them feel special. 

This Valentine’s Day we will also be celebrating with our loved ones. Some of us go out to dinner on Valentine's Day, others exchange special treats or receive flowers from our loved ones. We also give plenty of love and treats to our children too. 

While plenty of us appreciate being given flowers, we are even more excited about the chocolate, even though they’re not that great for your teeth. That’s why it’s very important to brush and rinse each time you are eating sweets to avoid getting those sugar bugs!

Additionally, hard and sticky candy should be avoided at all costs, especially if you wear braces! It is harder to brush your teeth thoroughly with braces so pay extra special attention after eating sweets, even softer ones.

This month we are also celebrating Children’s Dental Health Month and Gum Disease Awareness. To raise awareness on the importance of dental health, we were so lucky to be able to finally visit some area preschools this year to talk with the children about good oral hygiene.

Starting off at an early age can lead to a lifetime of good dental habits. Our teeth and mouths affect our whole bodies, and it is vital to take good care of them. Brush at least 2 times a day, floss once a day, and visit the dentist 1-2 times a year. Ignore your teeth and they will go away!

And finally, a few updates! We are currently running our quarterly promotion for a $500 Collinsville Canoe & Kayak gift card. One lucky family will win on March 31. To earn entries, write a review or refer a friend to our office. And, as a reminder, many insurances are updated at the beginning of the year. If your insurance has changed, please let us know as soon as possible.

Modern dentistry has made the most of today’s technological innovations. And we’ve come a long way from the fraying sticks our ancestors used as toothbrushes.

On the other hand, while it’s a lot better than a fraying stick, the manual toothbrush model you’ve used for years might be ready for an upgrade. Should you take this opportunity to try out some new technology offering all the bells and whistles? Let’s answer that question by asking a few more questions.

Happy with your manual brush?

If you like your manual toothbrush and it’s doing the job, by all means, stick with it. But even your old familiar brush can evolve:

• There are lots of bristle options, but soft bristles are almost always the way to go. Medium and hard bristles can be too abrasive for your enamel.
• Heads come in a variety of sizes, so make sure the head size is comfortable. You want to be able to maneuver to reach every tooth surface, which a too-large brush head just can’t do.
• Try a different handle shape if you’re having trouble maneuvering and keeping a firm grip.
• Change your brush regularly. Brushes are effective for about three months before the bristles start to fray and breakdown. This is a good opportunity to experiment with different brands and styles.

Does your old brush suit your current needs?

Different types of manual toothbrushes are available for effective and comfortable brushing when you need options that a typical brush doesn’t provide:

• Special orthodontic toothbrushes are designed with bristles trimmed to fit around brackets and wires and smaller heads to reach into tight places.
• For those with mobility issues, brushes with larger or easy-grip handles make cleaning more comfortable.
• Brushes with extra-soft bristles are available if you have enamel erosion or sensitive gums.
• Because many women find their gums become especially sensitive during pregnancy, there are brushes designed especially for moms-to-be.

Is it time to go electric?

If you haven’t tried an electric toothbrush before, you might find that getting braces is a great reason to give one a spin.

• Electric toothbrushes can outperform manual models. A dedicated brusher might manage hundreds of brushstrokes for each minute of brushing, while an electric brush can provide thousands. If, despite your regular brushing, you have plaque build-up, an electric brush might be a good alternative to your manual brush.
• Models are available which can alert you when you’re brushing too hard—which is important for your enamel if you’re a heavy-handed brusher.
• If you tend to *think* you’ve brushed for the recommended two minutes, but have *actually* brushed 32 seconds, some electric brushes come with timers!
• There are tapered electric orthodontic brush heads designed just for people with braces.
• Electric brushes have bigger handles and can be easier to grip.

Is your current brush doing the job?

So, should you stick with the familiar toothbrush that’s worked for you all these years, or take this opportunity to try out some new technology that offers all the bells and whistles? The answer is clear: the right brush for you is the one that works!

If your regular checkups show that plaque is under control, you’re doing just fine with the brush in hand. If you or Dr. Maryam Azadpur notice plaque buildup, it’s time to consider making some changes. Whether it’s a question of tools, techniques, or time spent brushing, your Simsbury, CT dental team has the answers you need for state-of-the-art dental hygiene.