Best & Worst Halloween Candy for Children

Halloween is just around the corner, and although candy consumption is almost unavoidable this time of year, the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) wants parents and children to know that there are both good and bad candy options, both of which may find their way into children’s trick-or-treat bags this fall.

“Of course, dentists do not advocate that children eat large amounts of sugary treats, but it is that time of year, so we want to clarify for parents which treats are better for their kids’ teeth and which ones may increase the risk of developing cavities,” says AGD spokesperson Cynthia Sherwood, DDS, FAGD.

Worst:

•  Chewy/sticky sweets, such as gummy candies, taffy, and even dried fruit can be difficult for children and adults to resist, and even more difficult to remove from teeth. “These candies are a serious source of tooth decay, particularly when they get stuck in the crevices between teeth, making it nearly impossible for saliva to wash them away,” Dr. Sherwood says.
•  Sour candies are highly acidic and can break down tooth enamel quickly. The good news: Saliva slowly helps to restore the natural balance of the acid in the mouth. Dr. Sherwood recommends that patients wait 30 minutes to brush their teeth after consuming sour/acidic candies; otherwise, they will be brushing the acid onto more tooth surfaces and increasing the risk of enamel erosion.
• Sugary snacks, including candy corn, cookies, and cake, all contain high amounts of sugar, which can cause tooth decay.

Best:

•  Sugar-free lollipops and hard candies stimulate saliva, which can help prevent dry mouth. “A dry mouth allows plaque to build up on teeth faster, leading to an increased risk of cavities,” Dr. Sherwood says.
•  Sugar-free gum can actually prevent cavities as it not only dislodges food particles from between the teeth but also increases saliva—which works to neutralize the acids of the mouth and prevent tooth decay.
• Dark chocolate and its antioxidants, according to some studies, can be good for the heart and may even lower blood pressure.

“Parents should closely monitor their children’s candy intake this Halloween—and all year round—and continue to promote good oral health habits,” Dr. Sherwood says. “Kids also should be brushing their teeth twice a day for two minutes.”

For more tips on improving your child’s oral health, speak with your dentist and visit KnowYourTeeth.com.

from the Academy of General Dentistry 

S.M.I.L.E. for Cancer Check

SMILE for Cancer Check

Guest blogger : Jonathan A. Bregman, D.D.S., F.A.G.D.

Oral cancer is something that has stayed “below the radar” of the public; it is not known nor understood by the majority of non-dental health care providers.  There is not the level of awareness or understanding of the necessity of self-exam as there is for breast cancer, for example.

For that reason, there is a very simple way for the public to be able to save their own lives through awareness of their own oral health, with S.M.I.L.E.-Mirror™ and through the website www.endoralcancer.com.  Along with self-awareness of the need for self-exam is the clear message about the importance of seeing one’s dentist at least twice per year for an oral cancer screening as well.

Use of your S.M.I.L.E.-Mirror™

An oral cancer self-examination looks for abnormalities (white patches, red patches, bumps, lumps, or ulcers). You, as a patient need to S.M.I.L.E.™ once per month for yourself and twice per year for your dentist…for early detection of oral cancer!

If you see something abnormal, wait 2-3 weeks, look again.  If it is still there, go see your dentist.

And remember, what you don’t know about your mouth can kill you!  

To get additional smile-mirrors and for a video demonstration of the S.M.I.L.E.-Mirror™ go to www.endoralcancer.com.

Next in this blog series about oral cancer:  Meet Stage IV- Oral Cancer survivor Eve Grayzel, http://www.sixstepscreening.org/about

Halloween Contests!!

This month we are holding our first Halloween costume contest! And yes, it is open to all ages, but please keep it PG-13 :) We are very excited to see what our patients come  up with! So excited, that we decided the prize is a family 4-pack of movie passes!

So How Do You Enter Our Costume Contest?

Step 1: Like us on Facebook! Click here or search for 'Dr Treva Lee'

Step 2: E-mail your photos to: DrLeeCostumeContest@gmail.com

Step 3: Watch for your photo to be posted on our Facebook. We'll upload your photos to an album, share your photo and get everyone you know to like your entry! The photo with the most likes wins a family 4-pack of movie passes!

Please e-mail your entries to us no later than Monday, November 5th.
Winners will be announced Monday, November 9th via Facebook.
So start creating (or buying) those costumes!

Think your costume can beat this adorable little guy? Let's see it! (Image found via Tumblr)

...But wait, there's MORE contests?!

Why yes! In addition to our costume contest on Facebook, we are having a coloring contest that your children can enter during your visit to our office during the month of October.

Not to be outdone, we are also holding a guessing game for all-ages! Stop by our office and guess how many candy pumpkins we fit into the jar. Winners will not only win the jar of candy but a gift card as well!

0 to 5 in 30 Minutes! -- Fluoride Varnishing.wmv

It's a New Year, and after all those holiday treats, here's how to protect your child's teeth from all those "acid-attacks"

This a test message to my blog. Hope you thanked a veteran on Friday!

It's B-a-a-a-c-k! HALLOWEEN CANDY BUYBACK!!!

Dear Moms, Dads, Grandmas, Grandpas, Aunties, and Uncles,

Halloween is coming, and normally it’s hard for your dentist to get excited about that day because of all the candy your kids will eat. However, this year will be different. Don’t you just wish that on the day after Halloween that your kids’ sacks full of candy would just disappear? Well we can help, and this is something we are very excited about! This year we’ll buy the candy back from your kids. We’re not kidding! Sure, they can have a few treats on Halloween night and maybe even keep a couple more for later in the week. But we’ll take the rest of it and pay them for it! The candy will be shipped overseas to our courageous troops (who could sure use a treat or two!) serving our country abroad . In return, we’ll give your kids $1 per pound of donated candy and a goody bag! If they create a card or letter to send to our troops, they’ll be entered in a special contest for a Jamba Juice gift card Also if you “Guess the Total Candy Weight” correctly, you could win 4 movie tickets!

Global sugar consumption for kids increases by about 2% annually and currently sits at 50 million tons per year, which means parents need to be very watchful now more than ever before. Too much candy can lead to hyperactivity and weight gain, as well as cavities or worse. In some cases, the wrong types of candy can also lead to broken teeth and damaged braces.

Kids should still dress up, go out, have fun, and yes, even eat some candy. But after picking out the best of their stash, they will probably have about 10 pounds left, and nobody needs that much candy!

Bring your kids and your candy to 2630 N. Fresno St. #101, Fresno CA 93703 on November 1^st between 3:00 pm and 6:30pm (559-226-3010) and please spread the word!

Sincerely,

Treva D. Lee, DDS,

Master of the Academy of General Dentistry

Fellow of International Congress of Oral Implantologists

P.S., If you’d like to donate any promotional items to include in the kid’s goody bags, or help defray the shipping costs to Operation Gratitude, that would be terrific!!

Adding Another Tool in the Toolbox to Help Dental Patients

Dear Central Valley Resident,


As you well know, treating high fear dental patients while they sweat and squirm in the chair is stressful for both the patient and the doctor. These kind of dental appointments increase the patient's hatred of dentistry and many patients go untreated for months if not years!

If you have a friend, relative, or colleague in need of dental treatment who:

Consistently break appointments due to fear

Cannot get numb

Are needle-phobic
Have a high gag reflex

Have had a traumatic dental experience
Have very sensitive teeth
Simply don't have the time

Then I invite you to consider referring them to us to complete their general dentistry while they are sedated. As an active member of DOCS (Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation), I have updated my training in the safe and effective use of sedation for dentistry and have an additional California Dental Board license specifically for Oral Conscious Sedation.

Many simple to complex, multiple-visit procedures can be performed in as little as one visit. I am dedicated to helping people have healthy, attractive smiles.

If I can be of help to you or someone you know, please call me at 559-921-4692

Yours Sincerely,

Treva Diane Lee, DDS, MAGD, FICOI

P.S. I also invite your to email me: info@trevaleedds.com