August 14th, 2014
Surf City Pediatric Dentistry would like to wish all our patients a great 2014-2015 school year! We would love to help make this a great first day of school for you.
Dr. Guijon and staff will be giving away a $75 Tilly’s gift card to 2 lucky winners. All you have to do is post a First Day of School picture of your children on either our Facebook page or Instagram.
Instructions:
Facebook: First “Like” our page, then post your picture to our John A Guijon DDS Inc – Surf City Pediatric Dentistry page! Share the photo with all your friends and family and get them to “like” your photo. The person with the most “likes” wins!
Instagram: Post your photo on Instagram and tag your photo with #SurfCityPediatricDentistry. Dr. Guijon and staff will randomly select a winner.
Contest will end Friday, September 12th with the winners to be announced soon after!
Have a great first day of school and good luck!
Important Dates:
HBUHSD first day of school is August 27th
HBCSD and Oceanview School District first day of school is September 3rd
August 12th, 2014
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 Surf City Pediatric Dentistry when they are between six and 12 months old. Please give us a call if your child hasn't visited our Huntington Beach, CA office in the last six months!
August 5th, 2014
Last month Dr. Guijon was out of the John A. Guijon DDS, Inc. - Surf City Pediatric Dentistry office for a few days to attend Boy Scout Summer Camp with his son!
These are photos from BSA Troop 1518 Merit Badge Day where Dr. Guijon taught the Dentistry Merit Badge!
It was a great day for the Scouts to learn about dental health!
August 5th, 2014
One question our team at Surf City Pediatric Dentistry hear all the time is, “When should I start brushing my baby’s teeth?”
You should begin regular cleanings even before your baby has teeth. After each breast feeding (or bottle-feeding) use a clean, damp washcloth to gently rub your baby’s gum tissue. You may wrap the material around one finger to make it easier to remove any food bits from your baby’s mouth.
When your baby’s first tooth comes in, switch to a baby toothbrush. Look for special baby toothbrushes in your drugstore; they have just a few bristles and are very soft. There are even brushes shaped like finger puppets that fit over the tip of your pointer finger! All you need at this point is water (no toothpaste yet).
After a few more teeth appear, you may start using toothpaste, but you only need a tiny bit, and make sure it doesn’t contain fluoride for the first two years. 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.
If you have any questions about caring for your baby’s teeth, or to schedule an appointment at our convenient Huntington Beach, CA office, please contact Surf City Pediatric Dentistry.
