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Summer greetings from Simsbury Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry!

There’s nothing quite like summer in Connecticut. We are lucky to be surrounded by so many lovely trails and parks to explore. Stratton Brook State Park in Simsbury is a local favorite. It offers swimming (when permitted) and picnicking plus free parking for CT residents. It is also very close to Tulmeadow Farm, which features delicious homemade ice cream. A few other great spots to check out are Roaring Brook Nature Center in Avon and Winding Trails in Farmington, which are both good spots to take children. Remember to check with them before heading out regarding any new protocols and/or hours.

Though life is now guided by health and safety protocols, there are still many summertime activities you can do while social distancing! On a warm day, you can find our team biking, swimming, hiking, gardening, enjoying an outdoor nighttime movie, going for day trips around the state, grilling up a yummy meal, and eating s’mores around a fire.

Sometimes it’s just too hot to cook and stand over a stove on a warm day. A meal that requires minimal effort is key. Ordering takeout always works, or if you want to make something at home, try some summer classics like corn on the cob, kabobs, or summer salads. Shari has a simple summer salad recipe for you to try. All it takes are some mixed greens, strawberries, blueberries, goat cheese, candied walnuts, and poppy seed dressing. You can switch out almost anything for the fruits or dressings you like. Shari recommends using an egg slicer for the strawberries to make it even easier!

Back at the office, our full schedule each day means we are contributing to the health and wellbeing of our community. We heard many heartwarming stories recently of how neighbors are helping each other, especially after the recent hurricane that blew through the area. We truly are all in this together.

Who couldn’t use some new tech these days? Our third quarter Review/Referral promotion kicked off this month and we are giving away $500 to the Apple Store! Want a chance to win? Write a review of our practice on Facebook, Yelp, Google, or our website, and get 1 entry into the drawing. Refer a friend and get 2 entries. It’s just that easy! Drawing will be held on October 1, 2020.

A huge thank you to our patients for their patience while we work to get over 700 appointments rescheduled. There are still lots more to take care of though. If you have a previously scheduled appointment and haven't been contacted about it, it will most likely mean that it needs to be rescheduled. Give us a call at 860-658-7548 to verify. Please DO NOT come into the office if you have not spoken with one of our team members directly.

Here is a picture of Kay, one of our fabulous hygienists getting ready to greet her patients. She has a lot more PPE to put on before seeing them though.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Halitosis is the scientific name for bad breath. It is one of the most common oral concerns, and it affects a large percentage of the population, including children. Having bad breath can be embarrassing and a nuisance. When considering what to do about halitosis, the team at Simsbury Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry highlights that you need to focus on the cause, rather than just masking the problem.

Children commonly have bad breath because of an upper respiratory infection. This includes a common cold, postnasal drip, or allergies. When this is the case, treatment may be complicated if one or more of these issues is chronic.

Another cause of halitosis in children is a condition with their teeth or gums. Just as in adults, gum disease has a distinctive malodor. The quality of brushing and flossing in children directly influences the presence of gum disease. If there is a large untreated cavity, there will be a strong smell causing bad breath. Both of these issues need professional attention, including a visit to the dentist.

Tonsillitis can also cause halitosis in children. It happens because of a constricted airway, resulting in mouth breathing. Mouth breathing is a concern because of how much it dries the tissue in the mouth. This makes any bacterial infection in the mouth worse and causes an increased potency within the bacteria in the mouth.

Treatment of halitosis is as varied as the causes listed above. Beware of ingredients in products that mask bad breath. Sucking on a mint on a regular basis will cause more harm than good because of potential decay. Chew sugarless gum and mints.

If you have any other questions, feel free to call us at Simsbury Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry or ask Dr. Maryam Azadpur during your next appointment!

If you have a child who loves arts and crafts, try some of these creative projects with a dental twist. One of these activities is sure to give your child something to smile about!

Toothbrush Art

Why throw away that used toothbrush when you can help your young child make art with it? Give it one more cleaning and a second life. The easy-to-grip handle and the wide bristles make a toothbrush easy for young hands to hold and paint with. If you are in an adventurous mood, use the brush to make splatter art. Your child can splatter an entire sheet of paper for an abstract effect, make a sky full of stars with a flick of the brush, or add splatter leaves to a tree scene. Cut out a stencil with a favorite shape (an animal, a flower, a toy), place it on a sheet of paper, splatter around it, remove the cutout, and—instant silhouette!

Paper Crafts

If your child is an origami enthusiast, there are some challenging dental-themed examples available online. These might be too advanced for beginners, but more experienced origami fans can make molars with roots and even molars lined with pink paper to symbolize the interior pulp. Younger paper artists might enjoy making construction paper models of an actual tooth, with white enamel, yellow dentin, and pink pulp layered in their proper order.

Sculpting Fun

For the scientifically minded young artist, clay can be used to make a 3D model of a tooth, with different colored clays representing the different layers of the tooth. Younger children learning about their teeth might enjoy fitting little white clay teeth into a pink clay crescent to show how baby (or adult) teeth fit into the gums. And for non-dental inspiration, old, clean toothbrushes can once again help out if your child likes sculpting art work with modeling clay. Add interesting texture by using the brush bristles on damp clay to create grooves, lines, or indentations.

Welcome the Tooth Fairy

If the Tooth Fairy is a regular visitor, make her welcome with a box decorated with paint or fabric to hold that special baby tooth. Or craft a pouch or a bag with fabrics scraps, and add a fabric tooth so that the Tooth Fairy will know she has come to the right spot. If you use felt and fabric glue, no sewing necessary! If your Tooth Fairy is an under-the-pillow traditionalist, decorate an envelope with a letter to the Tooth Fairy inside.

If some of these projects sound just right for your child, check out online craft sites for even more ideas. And, please be sure to have your children show and tell the next time they visit our Simsbury, CT office. That will put a smile on our faces!

It’s common for toddlers to be wary of strangers, but their first experience at the dentist shouldn’t be a scary one. Dr. Maryam Azadpur and our team have five tips for you to make your child’s first visit to Simsbury Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry easy as pie!

1. Bringing your child to one of your own appointments before his or her first dental visit can calm your little one’s nerves. This gives your son or daughter the opportunity to get familiar with our office and see a cleaning isn’t very scary.
2. Our big dental chair can be fun! Toddlers love games, and seeing the chair go up and down can make it seem like an amusement ride rather than sitting down for an exam.
3. Dr. Maryam Azadpur and our team hand out cool toothbrushes and stickers to kids after their appointment. Your child will love the fun-colored toothbrush and can look forward to a post-appointment prize at the next visit.
4. Schedule your appointment for a time that sets you up for success. Bringing your child to our Simsbury, CT office an hour before he or she is due for a nap may be a tantrum just waiting to happen.
5. Kids love books! Try reading your toddler bedtime stories about what happens at the dentist before you come in for the appointment. We recommend Dora the Explorer’s Show Me Your Smile, written by Christine Ricci.