Toys-For-Tots Drop-Off at Growing Smiles

For the third straight year, Growing Smiles is proud to announce we will be a drop-off location for Toys 4 Tots of Douglas County.

Toys 4 Tots is a national toy drive run by the United States Marine Corps to help collect gifts for children who would otherwise not receive gifts this holiday season. The Douglas County Toys for Tots Program began in 1990 by a group of local volunteers. Since there is no Marine Corps Reserve Unit in Lawrence, the Douglas County program continues to rely on volunteers, is sanctioned by the Toys for Tots Foundation and follows all the guidelines of the National Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots. Douglas County Toys for Tots has no official office or paid staff, all administrative costs are self funded. All donations made directly to the local group remain in our community and all money collected is used solely to purchase toys.

In 2008 Douglas County Toys for Tots distributed approximately 7600 toys to 1903 children and teens in our community. We collected 4560 toys, received toys from the national foundation, and spent and additional $21,500.00 on toys.

Please bring a new, unused toy to Growing Smiles at 1425 Wakarusa Drive, Suite D.

To find other locations around Douglas County, click here.

To make a donation online, click here.

FDA Reaffirms the Safety of Amalgam Fillings

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reaffirmed the safety and effectiveness of amalgam fillings.

George Washington's Teeth: He didn't need any fillings!

According to the American Dental Academy, the FDA ruling "issued today categorizes encapsulated dental amalgam as a class II medical device, placing it in the same class as gold and tooth-colored composite fillings. "





"Dental amalgam is a cavity-filling material made by combining mercury with other metals such as silver, copper and tin. Numerous scientific studies conducted over the past several decades, including two large clinical trials published in the April 2006 Journal of the American Medical Association, indicate dental amalgam is a safe, effective cavity-filling material for children and others. And, in its 2009 review of the scientific literature on amalgam safety, the ADA's Council on Scientific Affairs reaffirmed that the scientific evidence continues to support amalgam as a valuable, viable and safe choice for dental patients." Read the entire ADA statement here.





Amalgam fillings or "silver fillings" are a valuable tool in the appropriate situation. Growing Smiles also uses composite or "white fillings" in the appropriate situation or when the parent prefers them for aesthetic reasons. Feel free to discuss any concerns or preferences you may have with me or with my team members regarding any issues you may have with your child's dental treatment at Growing Smiles.





Read the full FDA release by clicking here.





Click here to read the full statement by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

Kids and Snacks

Here is an interesting article published in The Washington Post. Dentists weighed in about what kids should and should not eat. These foods don't have to be totally eliminated from the diet - just limit them and brush/floss!

Brush. Floss. Repeat for Years.

I asked four dentists with extensive experience what they would banish from kids' diets:

- Soda and Gatorade. "Pure sugar-delivery systems," is how Dana Greenwald described them. "Get your child to become a water drinker," says Brian Brumbaugh.

- Raisins, or anything that sticks to the pits and grooves of the teeth.

- Anything that the child eats after his or her teeth are brushed at night, especially milk in a bottle. This is a major cause of early-onset tooth decay.

All four dentists said that two minutes of tooth-brushing is ideal for children. All four also allowed how difficult it can be to get a child to brush for anywhere near that long.

Flossing is even more of a challenge, mostly because children don't have the fine motor skills to do it. Try flossers, brightly colored plastic wands with a length of floss at the end. "Just because you're not flossing the traditional way doesn't mean it's bad," Samaddar says. "If you do it some way or another and it's marginally effective, it's still more effective than not doing it at all. Ideally you want to do it seven days a week, but if you're doing it four days a week, that's pretty darn good."

Click here to read the full story.

New Study Confirms the Effectiveness of Xylitol on Tooth Decay

As many of you know, I am a strong supporter of getting kids to the dentist by age 1 so that we can head off tooth decay. Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is a significant health problem today affecting a large population of kids.

One "tool in my belt" against ECC is the use of Xylitol products. Xylitol is a natural substance found in fibrous vegetables and fruit, as well as in corn cobs and various hardwood trees like birch. To read more about Xylitol and its use in the dental field, click here.

A multitude of studies have suggested that Xylitol is an effective treatment that prevents tooth decay. We sell many of these products in the office and you can also find them online and even in stores.

A new study has now re-confirmed the effectiveness of Xylitol in younger kids. As reported in the July issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medpage Today reports as follows:

"These results provide evidence for the first time . . . that xylitol is effective for the prevention of decay in primary teeth of toddlers," the researchers said.

Some children -- especially those in poor socioeconomic situations -- are susceptible to severe tooth decay early in life -- a condition known as early childhood caries (ECC).

The disease has been linked to several species of bacteria, particularly mutans streptococci, with its ability to colonize tooth surfaces and produce lactic acid that demineralizes tooth enamel.

Xylitol has been shown effective in preventing tooth decay through its selective antibacterial action against mutans streptococci, the researchers said.

***

"Our results suggest that exposure to xylitol in a twice-daily topical oral syrup during primary tooth eruption could prevent up to 70% of decayed teeth," the researchers said.

However, the researchers cautioned that use of Xylitol is only one means to fight tooth decay and that brushing, flossing and regular visits to the dentist are imperative:

The researchers said their findings support the position of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and of an NIH consensus statement that "xylitol is an important tool for the prevention of dental caries."

They added that more work is needed to develop strategies for the public health application of xylitol.

In an accompanying editorial, Burton L. Edelstein, DDS, MPH, of Columbia, added that the report highlights the need for more work in refining and standardizing risk assessment, creating interventions, and developing prevention and management tools.

He added that the findings are "encouraging" and "hold strong promise to significantly dampen ECC occurrence." They also "suggest the addition of this approach to pharmacologic management in public health and individual care settings."

While xylitol "will likely become a routine element of ECC control," Dr. Edelstein said, the high prevalence of tooth decay (24 to 41%) even among treated children "reminds us that no single silver bullet is going to solve the problem of ECC."

Read the full article here.

Tiny-K Board Membership

I was asked recently to join the Douglas County tiny-k Early Intervention Board of Directors here in Lawrence, KS. I was honored to accept the invitation and explore more about what this great organization does for our community. We had our first meeting this week and I will continue to update you.

In their own words:

tiny-k Early Intervention is the agency in Douglas County, Kansas, that provides support and services to children, ages birth to three who have special needs, and their families.

tiny-k works with parents and child care providers to help them learn strategies and carry out interventions with their child throughout the day.

tiny-k provides support in the child’s natural environments using already existing routines and activities.

tiny-k staff use Evidence-Based Practices in their interaction with families and children.

tiny-k services are provided at no-cost to the family. tiny-k provides free developmental screenings to all children, birth to three years old, in Douglas County.

Front Page Article in LJ World Regarding Budget Cuts for Dental Program

A recent article in the Lawrence Journal World outlined recent administrative budget cuts for a state program that provided dental care to low income pregnant women in Kansas:

A program that was meant to provide dental care for low-income pregnant women in Kansas has never gotten off the ground because of a lack of funding to administer it, officials say.

Lawmakers had appropriated $500,000 to pay for the dental care, but have slashed administrative expenses at the Kansas Health Policy Authority to the extent that the agency hasn’t been able to implement the initiative, according to KHPA officials.

Click here to read the full article.

As discussed in my previous post regarding the new American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Perinatal and Infant Oral Health Guidelines, dental care during preganancy is crucial for the health of the child and the mom. More quotes from the release:

[The new guidelines] call for all pregnant women to receive counseling and oral healthcare during pregnancy, and also that infants receive an oral health risk assessment and oral care by their first birthday. These steps will contribute to optimal oral health for both mom and baby.

“There is evidence associating periodontal disease and increased risk of preterm birth and low birth weight,” said AAPD’s Immediate Past-President Dr. Beverly Largent. A recently published study found significant differences between women treated for periodontal disease and those who were not treated. The findings suggest that incorporating periodontal care may result in improved pregnancy outcomes.

More to come on this issue . . .

AAPD Releases New Perinatal and Infant Oral Health Guidelines

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) announced new oral health guidelines for expectant mothers and infants following its 62nd Annual Session in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Some highlights that you and your little one may find helpful:

• Recent studies suggest that incorporating periodontal care during pregnancy may result in improved pregnancy outcomes. This finding suggests that taking care of your dental needs while you are pregnant can help prevent preterm and low birth-weight babies.

Proggie, http://www.flickr.com/photos/tym/191534942

• Mothers with poor oral health may be at greater risk of infecting their children with the bacteria that causes cavities, increasing their children’s caries risk at an early age. What this means for moms and moms-to-be: visit your dentist both while you are pregnant and after the baby is born to have a complete professional examination and cleaning.

The updated guidelines also address proper oral care for infants and toddlers, the age group most susceptible to early childhood caries (ECC), which is an infectious but preventable disease that causes tooth decay and potentially more serious health issues. When left untreated, ECC can affect speech and communication, eating and dietary nutrition, sleeping, learning, playing, and quality of life – even into adulthood. The guidelines outline how simple changes in a mother’s oral hygiene, diet, use of topical fluoride and sharing of eating utensils can significantly reduce a child’s risk for ECC.

Click here to link to the full release.

3 Great Big Surprises Are Coming!

Hey Guys!

Sorry for the extremely long delay between postings. It has been very busy. But I promise to update this blog more often.

Just wanted to let everyone know that there are 3 BIG SURPRISES in the works!

I'll let you in on the first one: Growing Smiles is getting a new website!

The website will be totally redesigned with new features and some great information on kids and oral health. Ultimately, it will be a significant resource to help you and your little one. Look for it to be up by mid-summer.

For existing patients, it will allow you to login and:

1. See your account statement.

2. Determine when your next appointment is. This feature will also allow you to sign up to receive text messages and email reminders for your next appointment.

3. Make a payment online.

We are very excited and hope that it will allow our patients to easily interact with Growing Smiles and myself.

About the other 2 SURPRISES . . . you will have to check back soon! I can give you two hints: one involves me and the other involves a great partnership that Growing Smiles has entered into.

Have a great week!