Helping Kids Enjoy Healthy Dental Habits

February 20, 2024 | by admin | Blog

One of the most common phrases we hear our dental patients say is “I wish I would have taken better care of my teeth.” Helping kids enjoy healthier dental habits early on, will increase their chances of having a healthier smile.

Many instances we tell kids “brush and floss and don’t eat candy or you’re going to get cavities.” Sometimes, it’s hard to help children, who understandably see the world with a “here and now” vision.

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Helping Kids Enjoy Healthy Dental Habits

As an effort to motivate children to take care of their teeth, you have to show through your own actions. If you realize the importance of preventative care today, the long term positive effects will be evident later on.

So while it is very important to teach our children about prevention and the consequences of not doing so, it can be equally as important to supplement that with positive reinforcement to help them learn to enjoy the preventative dental measures themselves.

If we can teach our children to actually enjoy healthy habits at a young age, instead of just using scare tactics to avoid unhealthy habits, they will certainly have a more solid foundation for a lifetime of choosing a healthy path.

Helping Kids Enjoy Healthy Dental Habit tips:

Have an assortment of healthy and natural “treats” (carrot sticks, fruit pieces, etc) available.
Allow the child to be part of the decision making process.
Be a good role model in what your choices and habits are.
Use fun dental hygiene products! Tooth Tunes toothbrushes are an excellent example. It plays music when the brush touches the teeth. Having fun while brushing positively reinforces the habit, whether they understand the concept of prevention or not.

Healthy Eating Is Good For Your Dental Hygiene

February 16, 2024 | by admin | Blog

Providing a nutritious lunch for your kids during the Hoover Alabama school year is essential. Healthy eating is good for your Dental Hygiene. Fruits, Vegetables, and Protein are a good starting point.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are always best. Apples, snap peas, celery, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and asian pears are great for the health of your teeth.

Hard and crunchy fruits and vegetables help to clean in the crevices of teeth when chewed. They contain lots of water which helps to wash away oral bacteria. Including fruits and vegetables will provide additional vitamins and minerals not found in carbohydrates and proteins.

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Healthy Eating Is Good For Your Dental Hygiene

Adding additional protein through dairy products help to curb hunger. Some options may be yogurt, cheese, or yogurt based dips such as tzatziki which they can dip vegetables into.

The calcium typically associated with dairy is abundant in other things like beans, green veggies, almonds, and seeds. As far as non-dairy beverages go, alternatives such as soy milk boxes, edamame beans, or tofu are great sources of calcium and protein.

Keeping Hydrated

What your child drinks throughout the day is extremely important as it will ideally keep them hydrated which will help them to stay focused and alert. Remember that if your child’s drinks contain sugars, these will stay in their mouths until they are removed and can cause teeth and gum decay over time.

Large influxes of sugar will also give your child a rapid burst of energy followed by a drop that can make them tired and less focused for long periods. Sugars that absorb more slowly over time will help to avoid that problem, and will limit the potential hazards surrounding sugar highs.

The best beverage for your child to have throughout the day is water. You’ll never get tired of water.

The sooner you start, the easier it will become routine.

Choosing A Pediatric Dentist In Hoover AL

December 31, 2023 | by admin | Blog

Nothing is more important than your children’s dental care. Choosing a pediatric dentist in Hoover, AL to provide quality dental care is a big decision. You can rest assure that our staff will earn your trust when it comes to taking care of your child’s teeth with a caring and nurturing dentist. At Sampson Dentistry we try to make a visit more enjoyable for kids. We will provide tremendous dental care while calming your child. Our dental staff strives to eliminate the negative stigma of a trip to the dentist office.

Why Choose Sampson Dentistry To Provide Dental Treatment To Your Child?

Sampson Dentistry has over 2 decades in treating children for dental work. Our staff will handle basic dental care for children from infancy until they’re adults. We consider ourselves as experts in teaching parents about how to help kids break bad habits like thumb-sucking and pacifier dependency.

Basic tasks include teeth cleanings and fluoride treatments. At Sampson Dentistry, we provide recommendations about diet and nutrition, pointing out foods that are likeliest to strip the enamel off of teeth. That’s a dangerous practice that impairs the long-term development of permanent teeth.

Choosing A Pediatric Dentist In Hoover, AL

Choose Sampson Dentistry in Hoover Alabama when it comes to providing quality dental work for your children.

Are Diet Drinks Bad for Your Teeth?

December 26, 2023 | by admin | Blog

First, let’s answer this question: What causes cavities? The answer in the simplest terms is acids. Growing up in Hoover Alabama and more importantly in the Southern part of the United States, people tend to drink more diet sodas than in other parts of the country.

Bacteria adhere to your teeth (plaque). The bacteria then use the sugar you consume and create acids. Are Diet Drinks Bad for Your Teeth? The acids eat away at your teeth and form holes. The cycle continues as the bacteria bore their way deeper and deeper into the teeth.

What is the main thing the bacteria need to thrive? Sugar.

Are diet drinks also bad for teeth?

Most diet drinks do not contain sugar. They use some form or another of artificial sweetener. The good news is that cavity-causing bacteria cannot metabolize these sweeteners to form acids. The bad news is, just like their “regular” counterparts, diet drinks are extremely acidic in themselves. Again, what causes cavities? Acids! And so, even though the typical path of cavity formation (bacteria eats sugar, releases acids, forms holes in teeth) is not followed as much, these drinks can just bypass the bacteria step and eat away at your teeth on their own. Pathologically speaking, it is a different type of cavity with different attributes than that of a bacteria caused one. However, in the big picture, it doesn’t really matter. In both situations, tooth structure is eaten away and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Drink more water. There is nothing better!
Limit soft drinks, including diet soft drinks, to meal times.
At the very least, swish around with some water after consuming to remove some of it off your teeth.

Headaches and Teeth

December 23, 2023 | by admin | Blog

Headaches and Teeth! Did you know that many headaches are actually linked to your teeth? Bruxism is a term to describe the clenching and grinding of teeth. When a person clenches or grinds their teeth together, muscles that control the movement of the jaws become sore and painful.

The muscles (in particular the temporalis and masseter muscles) become very sore and cause painful tension-type headaches. Facial pain is also frequent symptom with bruxism.

Bruxism is sparked by stress, anxiety and bite abnormalities.

Headaches can be linked to your Teeth

Treatment can significantly reduce the frequency or severity of the headaches and/or facial pain. The most common form of treatment is a dental appliance that can control your bite and jaw position. This will help protect the teeth and distribute the forces of bruxism. Furthermore, it will ease the tension off of the muscles, and in some cases stop the bruxism habit all together.

Dental devices can really help the symptoms. Moreover, stress management and/or therapy can be very beneficial to get to the source of the problem. Also, check if the source is a bite abnormality.

Make dental visits a part of your lifestyle. We recommend to Maintain normal dental visits early on in life. Continuing dental visits throughout the early part of your life is a great way to start a good oral hygiene.

Are All Toothpastes Good

December 5, 2023 | by admin | Blog

You want to take care of your teeth, just like anyone. So, are all toothpaste good? One of the basic decisions you’ll face in safeguarding your teeth is which toothpaste to use.

Each day, the toothpaste you pick will clean your teeth and will have ramifications for years to come. Here’s a guide on which one you should use.

The Importance of Fluoride

Any good toothpaste will include other components to make it more effective. Fluoride is the most important one. In fact, it’s the primary reason tooth decay and cavities have declined dramatically over the past 50 years.

Fluoride counters this problem in two ways. It strengthens tooth enamel, the protective layer on the outside of your teeth, and that added strength makes your teeth less susceptible to chipping and cracking.

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Other Toothpaste Components

Many toothpastes will also include artificial sweeteners. The minty taste that you associate with toothpaste isn’t a natural flavor. Manufacturers add saccharin and other ingredients to make the taste of toothpaste better.

Without it, the process of brushing your teeth wouldn’t feel as pleasant. If brushing your teeth left you with a bad taste in your mouth, it might reduce your desire to brush regularly. Toothpaste now comes in flavors as diverse as lemon, grape, and bubblegum to make them more appealing – not just for adults, but for children too.

Are All Toothpaste Good?

Now that you know the key components of toothpaste, you can pick the brand that’s right for you. If you’re a smoker or coffee drinker, you should choose a product with the highest amount of fluoride. Without a prescription, you’re looking for a brand that’s at least 1,000 parts per million (PPM). A product with the CDA Seal has received independent review and validation of its product claims.

If you’re someone with yellow teeth, you’ll want a brand with a higher number of silicates. A product that includes whitening will gradually alter the shade from yellow back to white. If cavities are a big issue, you want a product with special cavity-fighting power.

If you have a plaque problem, you can prevent tartar buildup with toothpastes that are specifically formulated to fight tartar. Finally, if you have sensitive gums and/or teeth, the best product is one that treats the underlying problem of sensitivity.

No matter the problem, simply consider your needs and choose the correct toothpaste.

When Do You Take Out Wisdom Teeth

December 1, 2023 | by admin | Blog

Wisdom teeth are our third set of molars that usually come in during your late teens to early twenties. Over time our jaws have shrunk, leaving little room for the extra row of teeth, which is why they can cause pain and need to be extracted. So, when do you take out wisdom teeth?

Signs You Need Your Wisdom Teeth Taken Out:

Not every patient experiences pain associated with their wisdom teeth. Sometimes a dentist will recommend pulling them based on your x-rays if the wisdom teeth will cause overcrowding or put excess pressure on the other teeth as they move.

When overcrowding occurs, teeth that were once straight begin to shift. Shifted teeth can cause problems such as one tooth moving in front of another, gum issues, and even result in infections caused by trapped food.

Pain is usually the first sign that your wisdom teeth are causing problems and will need to be pulled (extracted). The pain is typically a dull, aching pain in the jaw. Certain foods that require more chewing like meats and root vegetables can make the pain worse when chewing.

Hot/cold sensitivity can be another indicator.

Impacted teeth is another common issue from wisdom teeth coming in crooked. When there isn’t enough room in the mouth the teeth will commonly grow in on an angle and sometimes not in the same direction as the rest of your teeth. This usually results in tenderness, swelling, gum infections, and damage to surrounding teeth. When wisdom teeth are impacted, it is highly recommended to remove them as soon as possible. Impacted teeth are more likely to cause jaw issues and can cause other serious problems.

Sedation Dentistry Hoover AL

November 30, 2023 | by admin | Blog

Nervous or highly fearful patients can receive the treatment they need in a low-stress. relaxed state thorough the use of sedation dentistry Hoover AL.

Sedation Dentistry Hoover AL

Many Americans avoid seeing a dentist because of anxiety and fear. This can have serious consequences for their dental health and overall quality of life. The practice offers oral conscious sedation as an option for patients who are very anxious during dental treatment or who need to undergo long procedures.

How Oral Conscious Sedation Works

With oral conscious sedation, the patient takes a pill that induces a highly relaxed state. The patient is awake and aware of their surroundings and can follow instructions from the dentist. Because the pill is taken several hours before the appointment and takes a little while to wear off, the patient will need someone to drive them to the dentist’s office and back again after the appointment. Using oral conscious sedation, Dr. Sampson has helped many patients comfortably get the treatment they need.

Most commonly the result of very bad past experience(s), dental phobia ranks in the top 3 phobias in adults. Other contributing factors to dental anxieties are feelings of loss of control, embarrassment, needles, the drill and dental smells.

When you walk through our doors, you will not even feel like you’re at the dentist. Dental anxiety is an all-too real problem for many and our aim is to make your visit as comfortable and stress-free as possible.

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Hoover Dental Implants And Local Dentists Nearby

November 28, 2023 | by admin | Blog

In the past, not all patients were able to take advantage of Hoover dental implants and local dentists nearby. With recent advances in implant and bone grating technologies, dental implants can be used for most cases of missing teeth.

Also, dental implants are the modern solution for replacing missing teeth. With implants, patients can have the beauty and function of natural teeth.

Dental Implants And Skilled Dentists Nearby

Dr. Sampson utilizes latest technology to make the procedure minimal invasive. In addition, he has extensive training in every step of treatment and has successfully completed many implant treatments.

Full Implant Services

Dr. Sampson and his staff have the experience and technology necessary to provide all phases of implant treatment. This means that Dr. Sampson’s patients can receive their implants and quality new teeth right in the office.

Experienced Dentists

While Dr. Sampson is highly trained in dental implant treatment, he continues to stay current with the latest developments in dental technology in order to provide the best possible treatment to his clients.

Affordable Dental Treatment

Providing the entire treatment in one office visit makes it more economical for patients. The Doctors keep implant pricing simple and affordable.

What Is A Dental Implant?

Artificial Tooth
Gum
Jawbone
Implant

Benefits Of Dental Implants

Moreover, implants look, act and feel like natural teeth. In addition, people usually do not notice any difference. Implants are the strongest and longest-lasting replacements for missing teeth. As we know already, implants let you talk and chew just like with natural teeth. Implants don’t require alteration to the structure of adjacent teeth, as with dental bridges.

Furthermore, implants preserve bone in the jaw and prevent the unattractive facial sagging and loss of structure that occurs, over time, with dentures.

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Choosing The Right Dentist In Hoover Alabama

November 25, 2023 | by admin | Blog

It is vital that the patient and family members feel comfortable with choosing the right dentist in Hoover Alabama. This will greatly help in following the oral care advice from a dentist you respect. It doesn’t hurt to help you keep appointments from a dentist who you prefer and respect.

A Thing to Remember

When looking for the right dentist, bear in mind that dental care is quite personal. It is not advisable to choose a dentist just because he/she is recommended by a friend, or neighbor. It is important to do some careful research and choose the right dentist from the beginning.

Factors to Consider when Choosing the Right Dentist

Observe if the office is welcoming and friendly. Consider if the dentist clearly discusses the treatments and procedures in a manner that the patient can fully understand.
It is better if the dentist’s clinic or office is located nearby the patient’s place or work office. It is also essential for a patient to take into consideration if the dentist’s office hours can accommodate his/her schedule.
Choose a dentist who is a certified member of the ADA (American Dental Association).
Consider if the dentist takes dental insurance. Obtain information with regards to costs and payment plans prior dental procedures and treatments being scheduled and performed.

What a Patient Must Know

Make a careful assessment after a dentist appointment. At the time of initial visit, observe the dentist office to ensure it’s orderly, neat and clean. Observe if the dental staff members are friendly and helpful. Consider if these people handle the patient’s dental and medical history with much care and if the office is child-friendly.