Smile Zone Pediatric Dentistry Blog

Report Card Rewards

Wed, 23 May 2012 13:48:00 GMT

Hey moms, are you looking for some fun ways to reward your kids for those great report cards? Our friends over at Metro Family Magazine have put together a working list of local businesses that are offering "report card" rewards programs. Check it out here.

Fun Summer Activity

Mon, 21 May 2012 19:19:00 GMT

Join the OK Aquarium Smile Club
Give the kids a reason to smile with a free Aquarium admission. Print out and bring this certificate to your child's next Smile Zone dental check-up. They'll receive a free child admission with the purchase of a full price adult admission. Download the certificate for details of this special offer.

Download Aquarium Certificate Here

Guard Against Mouth Injuries

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:06:00 GMT

Republished from (NAPSI)

According to a recent survey by Impulse Research Corp., 27 percent of parents of children between the ages of 8 and 18 who participate in organized sports said their child has sustained an injury during a game that resulted in a trip to the emergency room-but yours don't have to be among them. That's because by taking proactive measures, such as requiring children to wear facial protection and mouth guards, parents and coaches can help prevent injury and keep young athletes in the game.

Yet, the survey found, 67 percent of parents admitted their children do not wear mouth guards during organized sports such as football, baseball, basketball, soccer and lacrosse.

That may be why orthodontists and dentists are seeing so many young patients suffer oral and facial trauma as a result of sports injuries.

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) encourages mothers across North America to take the Moms For Mouth Guards pledge that their children will consistently wear mouth guards and other protective gear at competitions and practices.

What's more, by taking the pledge online, parents and coaches can also make a difference in the lives of other young athletes. Each time someone takes the pledge, the AAO will donate a mouth guard to the National Alliance for Youth Sports to help protect the smile of a child.

Injuries to the face and mouth can happen in an instant. "Using a mouth guard is one of the most inexpensive and simple measures parents and coaches can take to help keep their kids safe during sports," said Lee W. Graber, D.D.S., M.S., M.S., Ph.D., president of the AAO. "As experts in helping patients achieve a healthy, beautiful smile, the last thing my colleagues and I want to see is a smile ruined by a preventable injury."

To take the Moms For Mouth Guards pledge and learn more about the importance of mouth guards in youth sports, visit http://www.momsformouthguards.org. To locate an orthodontist nearby, visit "Find an Orthodontist" at http://www.braces.org or ask your dentist for a referral.

For more information, visit http:// www.braces.org/sportsafety/sports_safety_facts.html.

Planning for Family Meal Time

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:36:00 GMT

As we all know, studies are showing consistently that families that eat together stay together. That's all well and good, but the stress of planning and preparing meals in a busy and hectic week is enough to stress most moms out. So today I'd like to share a website with you that some are saying is paving the way to relieving some of this stress. www.foodonthetable.com The concept is somewhat simple, but very effective in answering the most common reasons for failure in meal planning. If you can take out the time consuming aspect of planning most meals and offer cost effective solutions for saving money and time in the shopping, you might have a great tool. Here is a short video by a local news station in the Chicago area that has looked into it. Let us know if you've tried it, are you using it or something similar and would you be willing to share your own insights on the subject.

No Boring Summers

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:34:00 GMT

Have you started to plan your kid's summer activities yet? According to a recent scientific study...10 out of 10 kids hate a boring summer break! So to help you out, we have started a "Smile Zone Pinterest Board" with some fun summer camps and activities you should check out for this summer. If you have other fun events or camps you'd like to share, post the link to our Facebook page here and tell us about the event.

Check out this video on the Pine Cove summer Base Camp at Wildwood Community Church in Norman, July 16-20th

Teaching Our Children about Stewardship

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:25:00 GMT

Earth Day 2012

Today I was thinking about the word "stewardship". Webster defines "stewardship" as related to the environment in this way. It is the caring for land and associated resources and maintaining healthy ecosystems for future generations. What does the word "stewardship" mean to you? How do you teach your children to be good "stewards" of our earth?

If you are looking for a fun way to introduce the idea of "stewardship" and open up a discussion with your kids. May I suggest you try a family friendly movie this weekend. Chimpanzee the movie, by Disney Nature, opens this weekend. It is a heart warming story about an orphaned chimpanzee named Oscar. Disney does a fantastic job showing us a part of our world that is so beautiful, but also so endangered. Ask your children how we can be good "stewards" of such beautiful places and animals.

How Safe are Dental X-rays?

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:57:00 GMT

Have you seen the news in the last couple of days? Here is just one of the videos you can find online about the subject, watch and then please read the AAPD & Smile Zone response below.

From the AAPD (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry)

"Today a study was released and published in CANCER, that associates yearly or more frequent dental X-rays to an increased risk of developing meningioma, the most commonly diagnosed brain tumor. Similar to the ADA, AAPD’s long-standing position is that dentists should order dental X-rays for patients only when necessary for diagnosis and treatment. Radiographs are valuable aids in the oral health care of infants, children, adolescents and persons with special health care needs, and the recommendations in the ADA/FDA guidelines and endorsed by the AAPD, were developed to serve as an adjunct to the dentist’s professional judgment." See the full press release here.

At Smile Zone Pediatric Dentistry, we only utilize low-dose digital X-rays, which are the newest improvement in dental diagnostic imaging. Now you can have your dental X-rays done electronically, almost instantly appearing on our computer screen with up to 80 percent less radiation than conventional x-rays. The benefit to our patients is that you would need eight years of these new state-of-the-art low-dose digital X-rays to equal one year of the regular dental X-rays. And the X-rays are better because we can optimize the brightness and contrast as well as enlarge them for easier viewing.

From the Smile Zone FAQ related to dental X-rays

As with any treatment related to your child, please don't hesitate to ask our staff or Dr's any questions or concerns that you might have about your child's visit to Smile Zone.

Brent Greene

Smile Zone Pediatric Dentistry

Smile Zone Visits Mother's Day Out

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:23:00 GMT

We had a great time visiting with the kiddos at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Norman this week. A big thank you to Aimee Bradley the Director for Mother's Day Out for letting us come share with her kids.

Ouch! Preschool Cavities on the Rise

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:56:00 GMT

According to the CDC and a recent New York Times article, the increase in preschool cavities is on a sharp rise. Check out the story from today's "Today Show" regarding the alarming rise of childhood cavities.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Sippy Cup and Your Child's Teeth

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:36:00 GMT

Today's blog post comes from our friends at the (ADA) American Dental Association:

As soon as teeth appear in the mouth, decay can occur. One of the risk factors for early childhood caries (sometimes called baby bottle tooth decay or nursing mouth syndrome) is frequent and prolonged exposure of a baby’s teeth to liquids, such as fruit juice, milk or formula, which all contain sugar.

Tooth decay can occur when a baby is put to bed with a bottle. Infants should finish their naptime or bedtime bottle before going to bed. Because decay can destroy the teeth of an infant or young child, you should encourage your children to drink from a cup by their first birthdays.

Many training cups, also called sippy or tippy cups, are available in stores. Many are ―no spill‖ cups, which are essentially baby bottles in disguise. ―No spill‖ cups include a valve beneath the spout to stop spills. However, cups with valves do not allow your child to sip. Instead the child gets liquid by sucking on the cup, much like a baby bottle. This practice defeats the purpose of using a training cup, as it prevents the child from learning to sip.

Don’t let your child carry the training cup around. Toddlers are often unsteady on their feet. They take an unnecessary risk if they try to walk and drink at the same time. Falling while drinking from a cup has the potential to injure the mouth.

A training cup should be used temporarily. Once your child has learned how to sip, the training cup has achieved its purpose. It can and should be set aside when no longer needed.

Tips

For sipping success, carefully choose and use a training cup. As the first birthday approaches, encourage your child to drink from a cup. As this changeover from baby bottle to training cup takes place, be very careful:

- what kind of training cup you choose
- what goes into the cup
- how frequently your child sips from it
- that your child does not carry the cup around

Talk to your dentist for more information. If your child has not had a dental examination, schedule a ―well baby checkup‖ for his or her teeth. The American Dental Association says that it is beneficial for the first dental visit to occur within six months of the appearance of the first tooth, and no later than the child’s first birthday.

What's a QR code and what are they used for?

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:29:00 GMT

So you may have seen these little square boxes around our office, on our marketing materials, our print ads or on our Facebook page from time to time. Here's a great little video from "Rocketboom.com" that may help explain what they do, where you might see them and why they are growing in popularity here in the USA. Give them a try the next time you're in the Smile Zone office.

Healthy snack and drink ideas

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:40:00 GMT

Join us for Vlog Friday as Diana shares some healthy drink and snack ideas.

Krafting with Kaylee

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:39:00 GMT

Christmas Snow Globe

Hi guys! The weather is getting cold and the sky is turning gray. That makes it the perfect time for a indoor kid's craft project. Remember when you made the homemade snow globes when you were in school? They were awesome, right? In case you forgot how to start your global project, I've included a supply list and directions so you and the kiddos can have an indoor, winter activity.

Materials:

Glass Jar of any size
Ribbon (to fit around the rim of the lid)
Ornament or figurine (Be sure ornament or figurine is water proof safe)
Glitter (white or iridescent-you want it to look snow like)
Baby oil or cool temp water
Hot glue gun

Directions:

Apply a layer of hot glue to the inside of lid. *Be sure you leave room for when you seal lid on to jar.
Sprinkle glitter on to glue to give a snow like affect. Repeat step 1 and step 2 until you have a high enough to make a base for your ornament/ figurine to set on. Once you have base high enough so that you can see your ornament/ figurine when jar and lid are sealed together, set lid aside.
Fill jar with a “spoonful” of glitter. * Keep in mind that to much glitter will effect you to see your ornament/ figurine when your snow globe is completed.
Fill jar with Baby oil or room temperature water . Leave about ½ inch so that there is room for ornament/ figurine and baby oil/ water dose not over flow.
Around rim of jar and lid apply a then layer of hot glue and seal tight.

ENJOY the great holiday with you home made snow globe!!!

Tips:
Home made Christmas snow globes make a great holiday gift to mom, dad, grandma and grandpa or class room teacher.
Makes a great class room holiday project.
Make it a tradition. Write your child's name and age, or year, on the lid and watch your collection grow.

I'd love to see the globes you guys create. Please post your pics on our Facebook page for us to see!

Look for our next “Krafting with Kaylee” project in January!

Smile Zone After Hours

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:06:00 GMT

It’s official. Summer vacation has begun. The days spent at the park and swimming pool can also become the days bike accidents and baseball injuries happen. Never fear though, Smile Zone is here. Did you know we have an after-hours emergency number to help when dental accidents happen? Well, we do. And, since you’re my loyal reader, I’m going to tell you how to reach us any time. All you need to do is call Smile Zone. Pretty simple, right? One of the Smile Zone crew members will answer the phone during business hours. If it’s after business hours, as all emergencies seem to be, the voicemail recording gives you the number to our after- hours emergency number. When you call this emergency number, you’ll reach one of Smile Zone’s dental assistants. The dental assistant will help you to handle whatever type of dental emergency you’re having. The injuries we see most often in summer involve broken teeth or teeth that have been knocked out. With that in mind, let me share a few tips with you. If your child breaks a tooth, rinse any dirt from the injured area with warm water and then place a cold compress over the injury. Look around for any of the tooth fragments and save them if you find them. Call Smile Zone as soon as possible. If your child actually knocks their tooth out you’ll follow similar steps. You’ll want to find the tooth. When you find the tooth, you’ll want to pick it up by the top portion, not the root, and then gently rinse the tooth. DO NOT clean or unnecessarily handle the tooth. Try to reinsert the tooth in its socket. Have the child hold the tooth in place by biting on a clean gauze or cloth. If you can’t reinsert the tooth, immediately place the tooth in a cup of tap water or milk. Time is a critical factor in saving the tooth- Call Smile Zone immediately. Always remember, do not panic! We’re here to help however we can. The after-hours emergency number is just another way we strive to provide excellent patient care. We wish you a fun, and safe, summer!

Tips for planning a fun-filled family vacation

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:46:00 GMT

For many of you, summer break will start in 51 days, 8 hours, 47 minutes and 39 seconds. 38, 37, 36…but who is counting, really? This means you have only a matter of time to plan your summer vacation!

Now, don’t freak out—a family vacation doesn’t have to be a disaster waiting to happen. You just have to be prepared! And that’s where I come in. No, I’m not a travel agent or even a professional planner—I’m just your run of the mill, Type A personality who likes her ducks in a row. Planning is crucial to any successful outcome. None of this winging it stuff when family fun is on the line.

So where do you even begin? Well, unless you’re a gazillionaire, you have to set a budget. This is so important! This is supposed to be a fun time—not a stressful time—so make sure your finances are in order. Fun doesn’t have to = expensive. You’ve seen how your kids enjoy the box the toy came in more than what was inside, right? The same principal applies here. What’s important to you (a five star hotel) isn’t going to be what’s important to your kids, so set your budget and pick and choose what you think will make the entire family happy.

Next, make sure the entire trip is “kid friendly. “ The last thing you want to do is plan a trip to a place where your kids are miserable. Talk about a disaster waiting to happen! Do some research and make sure there are plenty of activities for everyone in close proximity. Family vacation is about watching your kids have a good time—if you want it to be about you and your hubby, you should plan a second honeymoon.

Most vacation destinations fill up early. Make hotel, car rental and activity reservations as soon as you know what your vacation schedule is. Like I said, planning is crucial. And as any planner will tell you, you should always have a “Plan B.” Knowing in advance where you will be and what sights and activities are close by will keep your schedule fluid and flexible to change if necessary.

To ensure everyone will be happy and pleasant on this vacation, you should schedule a family counsel before the trip. Use a guide with local activities listed and give every family member a "day" that is theirs to choose an activity. If you’re traveling with other families, make sure to take into account their interests and schedules.

You should also consider activities for the “on the way there” part of the vacation. Whether you traveling by car or plane, make sure your kids will have plenty to do. You don’t want to start the trip off on a bad note by hearing, “I’m bored!” A fun activity to coincide with the vacation is having your kids prepare a scrapbook. Bring along paper, stickers, crayons, scissors, (unless you’re flying) and have them make pages for the memories your family will soon create.

The most important thing to remember when planning a family vacation, don’t stress! If you can’t afford to go to Italy for the summer, big deal. Fun doesn’t always mean a far away land. Some of my favorite childhood vacations involve a 6-hour car ride to a neighboring state to ride go-karts and visit a wax museum. Don’t fret about creating a fancy family vacation—I guarantee you, those vacations won’t be your most memorable. Well, maybe if you’re going to Italy then yeah… But for the most part, destinations closer to home are just as good.

Have you started summer vacation planning? What tips can you share?