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According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, your child should visit a dentist, like Dr. Maryam Azadpur, when his or her first tooth pops through the gum, or by time they are one year old.

Children do not always want to brush their teeth. In fact, the average child has three cavities by the time they reach their third birthday. However, if you make brushing fun for them, they will look forward to it, and develop a lifelong habit of good oral hygiene.

How to Make Brushing Fun

• Let them pick out their own toothbrush, like one with their favorite cartoon character.
• Allow your child to choose their own special toothpaste, as long as it adheres to AAPD guidelines for safety.
• Brush to a fun song that is two to three minutes long. When the music stops they are done brushing.
• Brush your teeth with them. Make it a family affair!
• Toddlers may be afraid of having their teeth brushed or brushing them by themselves. Allow them watch as you brush your teeth; this will help them to see that brushing their own teeth will not hurt them.
• Reward systems are great incentives for children, just don’t overdo it. You’re trying to instill good brushing habits, not simply reward them for something they need to do.
• Try an app on your phone; you’ll be surprised how many there are and how much fun your child will have using them.
• It’s important to make sure every tooth gets brushed, so as you child brushes their teeth, count them. Then when they are finished ask them how many teeth they have. You can switch it up a little by giving each tooth a silly name or make up a short rhyme about each tooth as your child brushes.
• Use educational tools, such as the movie “The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth.”
• Read books to your child about brushing their teeth and good oral hygiene.

All you need is a little imagination to help your child learn to love brushing their teeth!

Great question! Baby bottle tooth decay is the development of cavities caused by the frequent and long-term exposure of a child's teeth to liquids containing sugars. These liquids include milk, formula, fruit juice, sodas and other sweetened drinks. The bacteria in the mouth thrive on this sugar and produce acids that attack the infant's teeth and gums. After numerous attacks, tooth decay can begin.

The first rule is to make sure your child does not fall asleep with a bottle containing milk, formula, juice or other sweetened liquids. Giving an infant a sugary drink before bedtime is harmful because the flow of saliva decreases during sleep, allowing the sugary liquids to linger on the child's teeth for an extended period of time. If left untreated, pain and infection can result.

So, how can you prevent baby bottle tooth decay? Be sure to clean and massage the baby's gums once a day to help establish healthy teeth and to aid in teething. When brushing your child's teeth, use a soft toothbrush, as well non-fluoride toothpaste. Once your little one is able to spit, around the age of two, you should begin using fluoride toothpaste. From the beginning, have your little one practice spitting the toothpaste out after brushing. That way, he or she will already have the good habit of spitting when you switch to fluoride toothpaste, which should never be swallowed.

Also, be aware that children should visit Simsbury Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry when they are between six and 12 months old. Please give us a call if your child hasn't visited our Simsbury, CT office in the last six months!

Parents are usually expert at taking care of their children’s injuries. You know how to disinfect a cut, soothe a bump on the head, and apply a bandage faster than you can blink.

But what happens if your child suffers a dental injury? Teeth can get broken, knocked out, or displaced from a forceful impact, and parents ought to know what to do in those situations, too. Luckily, Dr. Maryam Azadpur and our team are here to be a resource for such incidents!

Chipped front teeth are a common injury for young children. First, check to see if the teeth have been broken to the nerve. You can tell this is the case if you see layers and a pinkish center.

Then, wiggle each tooth to make sure it is not loose. If the teeth still feel firmly in place, that’s a good sign. Don’t worry if they are a little loose, because they will tighten again with time.

If your child develops a high temperature or bite sensitivity, treatment is necessary and could include a root canal.

A knocked-out tooth is an injury that requires more attention than just observation. Locate the tooth as soon as you can, and touch only the crown, not the root. Rinse any debris gently with milk or water and place the tooth back in its socket as soon as possible.

According to the American Association of Endodontists, a tooth has a high chance of survival and retention for life if it is returned to the socket within five minutes, and possibly up to 60 minutes, if soaked in milk or saline solution in the meantime.

Say your child is elbowed in the mouth and a tooth gets severely displaced but does not get knocked out. Attempt to shift it back into place by applying light pressure, but be careful not to use too much force. Give your child a cold pack for the swelling and contact our office as soon as possible.

Dental emergencies can be frightening for the child as well as the parent. The best advice we can offer is to stay calm and be assured that we are always here to help! Contact us at our Simsbury, CT office as soon as you can, if your child encounters a dental emergency.

Can you believe that we are already in February? This year has gone by so fast already, but we have made sure to stop and appreciate the small things.

This month and every month, we celebrate Black History Month! We welcome diversity and inclusion and ensure that all of our patients are treated equally no matter their ethnicity, race, or skin color. How are you celebrating and honoring Black History Month?

Another wonderful reason to celebrate February is National Children’s Dental Health Month as well as Pet Dental Health month! Pets depend on us to take care of them, and they can't tell us when they hurt so it is up to us as responsible pet owners to make sure they get regular checkups and that we feed them a proper diet according to their needs, not ours! No vegan diet for cats!

Having a consistent oral care routine will go a long way to ensure that our teeth last a lifetime! By starting at a young age, dental care becomes a natural habit. It is so important to establish a good dental home routine so that children do not develop a fear of the dentist. Kids also take queues from parents, so parents should do their best to not pass along any dental fears they might have to their children!

Random Acts of Kindness Day was February 17^th, although for all of us at Simsbury Pediatric and Adolescent Dentistry, we strive to be kind every day. Some of the things we do to show our kindness include holding a door for someone, paying for someone's coffee at the drive-through, shoveling a neighbor's driveway or sidewalk, picking up litter from the side of the road or when walking on a trail.

And of course, a crowd favorite for February is Valentine’s Day! Many of you know that Valentine’s Day is not only about love but very much so about treats. Treats may not be the best for our oral health, but everything is good in moderation! Enjoying Valentine's Day treats is great. Just make sure to brush afterward, or at the very least drink water if toothbrushing isn't an option right away.

Finally, for some office updates, we are getting ready to launch Online Bill Pay! Stay tuned for details! You can get a head start by making sure you can access the Patient Portal. Let us know if you need a login link sent to you.

Our schedule is nearly full for the next few months. Please try not to cancel appointments since it may be up to 3 months before we can see your child. We maintain an “ASAP list” and can call you if there is an earlier opening but please be patient with us when we work to find room in our schedule. Dental appointments are considered excused absences and we will be happy to provide a school note. Also, please be sure to verify your dental insurance coverage and bring your card to every visit. If your provider does not issue cards, please forward your information to us at info@simsburychildrensdentistry.com. It is YOUR responsibility to know your coverage and provide us with the correct information so we can submit to your insurance company on your behalf.

We hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy and we will see you at your next visit!