Meadowlark Dental Care Blog

Happy Early Labor Day! With the new school year lurking in the back of everyone's minds, now is the best time to start on those healthy habits, like brushing your teeth, with your kids. Can you already hear the waterworks and tantrums start when you even think of mentioning it's time to brush teeth? Hopefully this post helps to t urn brushing time from                                       this:                                                                                                            to this! Here are five tips and tricks to making those 4 minutes per day a little more enjoyable for everyone: Make it a game: Most kids will do things they typically don't like doing if you dress it up as playtime. Whether you see who can brush their teeth first, or play a game of "Simon Says" with quick and slow brush strokes, if you are having fun, chances are your child will too!  Set a schedule: Making a good bedtime routine will help when school

You are at your semi-annual check-up with your dentist and everything is going great until that dreaded question. Do you floss your teeth daily? Chances are, you optimistically choose an answer that is somewhat better than your actual habits. You are not alone! According to the ADA, 16% of the public actually floss once a day and 44% of people have exaggerated to their dentist their frequency in flossing. While flossing daily is crucial and definitely advocated by dentists and hygienists alike, it is also important to recognize that WHAT you floss with is just as important as the frequency of flossing. In a survey released in October 2017 of 1,005 American adults, 61% used fingernails, 40% used folder paper or cards, 21% used cutlery, 14% used safety pins and 7% used strands of hair to dislodge food stuck between their teeth. Skeptical? From a separate survey, " ADA member dentists reported that patients have told them they’ve used...items to clean between their teet

Pregnancy can be an exciting time. Along with the changes in your body, your mouth may also experience some new and possibly not so exciting changes. It is important to recognize if these changes happen so that you and your mouth can stay healthy. One change you may experience while pregnant is bleeding and sensitive gums when you brush or floss. This is typically due to inflammation in your gums because of hormonal changes. This condition is known as pregnancy gingivitis and is a precursor to more serious periodontal  disease. Luckily, pregnancy gingivitis can be treated effectively with regular dental cleanings. Your dentist may suggest extra cleanings based on severity. Believe it or not, your teeth may also be more vulnerable to cavities . Morning sickness and diet changes contribute to this. Make sure to practice good hygiene at home to help prevent tooth decay. Brush twice per day for two minutes and floss once a day. If morning sickness is an issue or if brushing sets off