Tips & Resources

For Your Reference

We recommend that parents all have a copy of Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5, by The American Academy of Pediatrics. It is an excellent resource to have on hand. Inside, you'll find information broken down into sections by age group, beginning with prenatal care and preparing for a new baby. Circumcision, breastfeeding, bathing, nutrition, growth and development are just some of the topics covered.

Tooth Care

Fight Cavities! Parents know that children should always brush teeth before bed, but did you know that this should be after any juice or cough syrup, to prevent cavities? Children must always brush their teeth after medication doses, like cough syrup, as well as after any juice or milk before bed at night. Because there is less saliva flowing over the teeth at night, the sugar in the mouth ferments and provides an environment where different mouth flora grow and damage the enamel of the teeth, eroding the it and causing gum disease. Over a period of time, the mouth flora changes more permanently, predisposing these children to dental decay. For older children, to change the flora back to a more normal type, brushing, flossing, and xylitol in gum help prevent overgrowth of bad mouth flora. We also use fluoride topically on older kids and orally in everyone. Some people who drink tap water from a municipal water source that has fluoride in the water supply have harder enamel than those who drink well water. Discuss fluoride supplementation with us when you come in.

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