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The short answer to this question? Yes. Because your child’s breath is a reflection of his or her oral health, you should talk to Dr. Maryam Azadpur if you notice any unpleasant changes. While better dental hygiene is usually the answer for young children, bad breath can also be a symptom of more serious problems.

Oral Hygiene

Most often, bad breath is simply a sign that your child needs a little help developing proper brushing and flossing habits.

• Show your child how to use a soft-bristled brush that fits in the mouth comfortably, be sure to brush all the surfaces of each tooth, and don’t forget to angle toward the gum line. And brush long enough. Once all the baby teeth have arrived, two minutes of brushing is usually recommended for children.
• It’s not too early to floss! Adults need to handle the flossing duties for children until they can manage on their own, so it’s a perfect time to teach technique. And, just like toothbrushes, floss should be flexible and soft.
• Don’t forget the tongue. Our tongues harbor the bacteria that cause bad breath, so finish off your child’s routine with a gentle brush of the tongue.

Better oral habits mean not only fresh breath, but give those baby teeth the best chance of staying healthy until they are naturally replaced by adult teeth. After all, baby teeth not only help your child learn to eat and speak properly, but they act as necessary placeholders so the permanent teeth are able to erupt in exactly the right spot.

Talk to a member of our Simsbury, CT office team at your child’s next appointment if you are concerned about oral hygiene–they have many great suggestions for making brushing and flossing more efficient, comfortable, and even fun for your child.

Happy holidays to all our wonderful patients and staff! We are super excited to have officially begun our holiday festivities this year.

We started this year by having a lovely staff party at a local restaurant on December 9, where we exchanged gifts with our secret gift pals. It was wonderful to be able to sit and chat with each other and connect!

Some of our favorite things about this time of year are being with family and friends, attending and performing in holiday concerts, enjoying the winter solstice, giving back to the community with our food drive, the much-needed time off, and of course, reflecting on the past year and looking for ways to improve in the New Year.

Many of our staff will spend the holidays celebrating with family. We always look forward to the New Year’s Eve parties, the long-weekend trips, and the endless game nights that we get to compete in.

While our nights may be filled with excitement, our days are just as full of all the different traditions our staff holds dear. Some of these traditions include the Feast of the Seven Fishes, lighting Chanukah candles each night of Chanukah, Christmas Eve at Grandma's, quiet morning with kids on Christmas Day, and a movie on Christmas afternoon!

Dr. Azadpur is very much involved in the community during this time as well. We are currently running our annual food drive to benefit the Simsbury Food Closet. In addition to food donations, the Food Closet needs toiletries, cleaning products, and so much more, so please consider dropping off something at the office. Dr. Azadpur also recently participated in the CT Mission of Mercy.  CTMOM is a 2-day event providing free dental care to people who need it. It is a wonderful way to contribute to the overall health of our communities.

And finally, we will finish up the annual festivities on December 25th, by not only enjoying the last night of Chanukah and Christmas Day with our families but also celebrating Shari who has a birthday on that day. She loves to spend the day going to the movies with her family and watching the Facebook wishes roll in! Make sure to wish her happy birthday next time you see her.

As a quick reminder, we will be closed from 12/23 – 12/26 and we will be closing early on 12/30. If you need to schedule an appointment before the end of the year, make sure you do so as soon as possible. And if your insurance is changing, please let us know prior to coming in, if possible!

We would like to take this time to wish everyone a lovely holiday season and we look forward to seeing you in 2023!

While you make sure your family is getting the best care possible, with regular dental checkups and cleanings at our Simsbury, CT office, there is one family member that might be hiding under the bed when it’s time for tooth care. Periodontal disease is the most common clinical condition affecting adult cats—and it is completely preventable!

Periodontal disease starts when the bacteria in your pet’s mouth form plaque. The plaque can harden into tartar, and, if plaque and tartar spread under the gum line, can be responsible for a number of serious problems. Tooth loss, tissue damage, bone loss, and infection can be the result of periodontal disease. Professional dental treatment is important if your cat is suffering from periodontal disease, and your vet can describe the options available to you.

But, like with humans, prevention is the best way to assure these problems never develop, and there are several methods for avoiding plaque and tartar build-up.

Brushing: Yes, there are toothbrushes and toothpastes specifically designed for your cat! If a toothbrush is not working for you or your pet, there are cat-sized finger brushes available as well. Daily brushing is most effective, but try for at least several times each week. The process of introducing brushing should be a slow and gentle one, and seafood and poultry flavored pastes make the process more palatable. (Human toothpaste is not good for your cat due to its abrasiveness, and swallowing the foam might pose a danger to your pet.)

Anti-plaque rinses and gels: If despite your gentle persistence your cat simply will not cooperate with brushing, there are other options! Rinses and gels containing Chlorhexidine are effective and do not usually pose a problem for pets—although they might not take to the flavor. Rinses can be squirted inside each cheek or gels can be applied to the teeth with a toothbrush or finger brush. Talk to your vet to find the safest and most effective products.

Diet: Whether they use a particular shape and texture to simulate brushing or an anti-tartar ingredient, several pet foods claim to reduce the accumulation of plaque and tartar. Your vet is the best resource for nutritional suggestions to make sure your cat’s dental and physical diet is as healthy as it can be.

Whether you try brushing, rinses, gels or a tooth-friendly diet, patience and a gentle touch are the best way to introduce dental hygiene. Talk to your vet at your cat’s next checkup, and find out what you can do to keep your feline friend healthy and happy. An ounce of prevention might be worth a pound of purr!

Thanks for the question. The “blisters” you are referring to are actually a normal part of losing baby teeth. Sometimes when teeth start to come through, children experience some bleeding under the skin, which typically causes small blisters or bruises on your child’s gums. The blisters, bluish in color, will disappear once the tooth comes through, and the tooth itself will still come through as it should.

Even though they can look a little frightening at first, there is no treatment required to treat blisters, nor are these blisters preventable. In fact, our bodies do a great job of cleaning up the loose ends of baby tooth loss and permanent tooth emergence, and not too long after, it’s as if no blisters ever happened. It’s important to note, however, that these blisters should not be pricked or cut as doing so may cause an infection in your child’s mouth.

If you are worried about blisters or bruises in your child’s mouth, please give us a call at our convenient Simsbury, CT office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Maryam Azadpur. We especially encourage you to give us a call if your child has had one of these blisters for more than a month and the tooth has yet to come through.