Summer is an active time for you and your children. There are camps and sporting activities and more time spent playing in the sun. Our Novi Michigan dental office has multiple ways to help your children maintain their natural, beautiful smile.

Dr. Ross and our staff can treat patients of all ages. Most of or our staff have children of their own, so we know how to treat your children once their are in the dental chair. We’re also a mom-approved office! We have been named as MetroParent Magazine’s Mom’s Choice Award for Best Dentist. You can call us today at 248-697-2487 for our elite children’s dentistry.

Today we want to show you three ways our office can improve and protect your child’s smile this summer. You might have children who need extra protection during sporting events or some high-quality preventive care.

Protect Your Active Child’s Mouth

Your children can damage their teeth in a number of ways. During contact sports or even traditional non-contact sports. You probably know that it’s wise to wear mouthguards during sports like ice hockey, lacrosse, or football. BUT now we dentists are recommending that your children wear mouthguards during non-contacts sports as well.

Here are some facts you need to know about mouthguards:

  • Not wearing a mouthguard during athletes makes you 60 times more likely to sustain tooth or mouth injuries.  
  • Kids are more likely to suffer dental trauma between the ages of 7 to 12 while playing baseball … and the ages of 13 to 17 while playing basketball, two non-contact sports.
  • Athletes who participate in contact sports have about a 10 percent chance every season of injuring their teeth or mouth.
  • The American Dental Association recommends that you use mouthguards for all contact sports, but also sports like gymnastics, handball, shot putting, weight lifting, and soccer. Basically , if there is a chance you might collide with someone during a sporting event, get hit in the mouth, or fall on your mouth, you should wear a mouthguard.

Our Novi, Michigan dental team can craft a custom mouthguard for you to wear during sporting events. A custom mouthguard will comfortably fit over the teeth and better protect the teeth and mouth than generic boil-and-bite mouthguards. Your children can even have their favorite color or team logo put on the mouthguard.

Keep Those Dental Cleanings and Exams

Your children should visit the dentist once every six months. Those cleanings give us the opportunity to properly clean the teeth and monitor the development of the teeth and jawbone. And, if there is a problem, we can treat the issue before it balloons into something more serious. We’re using advanced technology like the the laser cavity detector Carivu that spots even the tiniest forms of dental decay.

Did you know that children will miss about 51 million hours of class instruction because of of dental problems. That means you’re going to miss time of work to bring your child to the dentist … and, of course, you don’t want your child to deal with dental pain or discomfort.

To keep your child’s mouth healthy, we’re using great preventive methods like fluoride treatments and even dental sealants. Fluoride treatments have been proven to reduce the risk of decay and even restore the enamel. We use the fluoride at the end of your cleaning, and it will stay on the teeth for about 1 minute. We also use dental sealants for children or those who have trouble with cavities. The sealant is placed on the biting surface of the teeth and literally block out dental decay. A dental sealant is not harmful to the mouth, and they can last for years.

Give Children Healthy Food Options

Summer break can sometimes give children more access to unhealthy foods. Some kids are spending more time at home and in the pantry, and other will be with their friends or spending time at the mall. Either way, the summer freedom doesn’t have to mean unhealthy food choices.

Soda is the obvious elephant in the room. Most sodas have between 30 and 40 grams of sugar in 12 ounces. That’s almost twice the recommended sugar intake level. And, it’s proven that soda with citric acid is actually worse for your teeth than many dark sodas. There are many carbonated drinks on the market that do not contain harmful levels of sugar or citric acid. We understand that children — and adults — like to enjoy a soda now and then, but just make sure the soda intake is minimal and to brush the teeth

Foods that are chalked full of sugar and carbohydrates can damage the teeth and cause bacteria to form around the mouth. Sticky treats are especially bad for your dental health, and fruits high in acidic (lemons or oranges) can damage the enamel of your teeth. Foods like dairy, nuts, and fruits that are juicy and crunchy are great for your teeth!

Visit Our Novi Michigan Dental Office

We want you and your family to have the best dental care. Dr. Ross and his team are treating patients of all ages and dental scenarios. We’d love to see you in our office! Give us a call today at 248-697-2487 or use the online form to schedule a visit.