Happy Birthday Dr. Lindhorst!
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March 26th was Dr. Lindhorst’s birthday! We are wishing our kind, adventurous, and awesome boss lots of joy today and everyday! 🎂🎈
Smiles for Kids Blog
Books to Read About the Dentist
/Are you looking for a fun way to teach your child about the dentist or what to expect for their first visit?! We have lots of fun books in our office that you can also find at your favorite bookstore or online that will help your child learn about all things related to the dentist. They can learn about how to brush, floss, wiggle their first tooth, what to do when the tooth fairy comes, what to expect for their first cleaning or first filling, and much more! You’ll even see some of their favorite cartoons and characters!
Here are a few of OUR favorite books!
Are there any you love that aren’t shown here? We’d love to hear about them!! Tell us in the comments below!
Spring Contest!
/Hey Smiles for Kids families! Get out your crayons, markers, Popsicle sticks, and other art supplies!! We want to see you create fun dental art while you’re home these next few weeks!! Take a picture of your art and post it on our Facebook page! When we return to our office on April 6th, we will pick a lucky winner!! Let’s see your creativity!
February Employee of the Month!
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There was lots going on in the month of February!! We had National Children’s Dental Health Month, girl scout cookies, patient contests and a busy President’s Day!! Our team really pulled together to help each other out. One of our team members was voted the best of the best for February and it is…..
Jessica
Ms. Jessica is our doctors’ chair-side operative assistant. Our staff said that she has been a huge help also in the hygiene area and x-rays. Thank you Jessica for being awesome! Congratulations!!
Name This Stuffed Animal!
/Check out our “Name This Stuffed Animal” contest for this month.
It’s a cute little Charlie Brown!! But we think he needs a new name! Can you help us? We will choose our favorite name at the end of the month. If your name is chosen then you get to keep it!! Stop in to Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry before the end of the month!
We love to support our Girl Scouts!
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The Girl Scouts are an organization of girls that promote character, outdoor activities, good citizenship, and service to others. WOW. How awesome! This time of year you can find them around town promoting their annual fundraiser, Girl Scouts Cookies! We love doing our part to support these young ladies. If you are a girl scout, then please stop by our office so we can buy boxes of your cookies.
You can see that Dr. Lindhorst’s son Luki was very excited to buy his first box of girl scouts cookies this year!
Star of the South Dental Conference
/Our team looks forward to the Star of the South Dental conference every year hosted by the Greater Houston Dental Society. We get to learn about new technology, techniques, materials, update our certifications, and more as a team so that we can better serve our patients! We really enjoyed it this year!
“Name That Stuffed Animal” Contest Winner!
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Congrats to this sweet patient for winning this month’s “Name the Stuffed Animal” contest!! She got to take home “Cotton Ball”. We will have a new stuffed animal to name soon!! Good luck!
Valentines Day Candy!
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With Valentine’s Day just a couple of days away and so many fun parties we are sure you have planned, we want to provide some recommendations on healthy sweets and treats to share with your loved ones, but also the ones to be careful of. We’re looking out for healthy teeth and healthy smiles!!
You want to avoid the sticky, gooey, chewy things! These are candies and sweets such as fruit snacks, fruit roll-ups, gummy bears, jelly beans, skittles, airheads, now & laters, taffy, toffee, caramel, etc. These types of treats stick to the grooves of the teeth for a LONG time and are not easily cleansed by our saliva. Sugars that are in sticky form have the greatest risk for cavities!
You want to avoid the hard candies, too. These are jolly ranchers, life savers, lollipops, etc. These also stick to the teeth and are difficult to come off. This means they spend a long time exposing the teeth to sugar and acid damage.
Finally, you want to avoid those high acidic candies. These include sour candies, sour sprays, fun dip, altoids, sweet tarts, sprees, etc. Acid is dangerous to the outside enamel layer of teeth, and when it causes breakdown, a cavity forms.
Healthier sweet or snack options include chocolates because they melt, peanuts which produce salivary flow, and fruits like apples and cranberries that have natural sugars and inhibit bacteria from adhering to the teeth! Trail mix typically has a mix of nuts, seeds, grains, dried fruit, and chocolate so you are getting fiber, protein, and many beneficial plant compounds. But be careful of the ones with added sugars or granola bar-types because they will have a sticky-sugar component to them.
We hope you and your families have a happy Valentines Day! We love our patients and helping keep healthy smiles!
February is National Children's Dental Health Month!
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This month is about creating a healthy start for children’s oral health. If you haven’t met the fabulous Ms. Yvette yet, then be on the lookout for her at your school or daycare! She is traveling around town promoting healthy smiles! She is giving presentations to children and families about brushing, flossing, healthy diet habits, oral hygiene and what routine dental appointments are like so children don’t have to be scared! Enjoy these photos of one of her presentations to kick off the month!
Do you want Ms. Yvette to visit your school? Please contact us!
Important Facts to know for children’s dental health:
Tooth decay is the most common childhood disease.
3 out of 5 children are affected by tooth decay.
It is 5 times more common than asthma.
51 million school hours are missed due to oral disease.
It is recommended to see the pediatric dentist by your child’s first birthday!
Brush your child’s teeth twice a day for 2 minutes. Then floss to clean in between the teeth. Parents should help with brushing until they can clearly write their own name.
Fluoride helps to make enamel stronger and protects teeth against cavities by fighting acid & erosion.
Dance Studios and Little Gym Deliveries!
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Smiles for Kids loves giving back to our community! We recently had our team put together bags filled with goodies and delicious breakfast and delivered them to small gyms and dance studios in the Houston area. We had so much fun putting it all together! Our team also had a chance to meet new faces and introduce our office to new people!
January Employee of the Month!
/One of our team members was a shining star in January and she deserves to be congratulated!! Congratulations to…
Taja
Ms. Taja assists with hygiene and exams, but has also started learning how to assist the doctor in dental/operative procedures and has done a great job taking on that new role! She steps in to help wherever help is needed in the office.
Congratulations, Taja!! We’re so lucky to have you on the Smiles for Kids Team!
Birthday Party Winner!
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Congratulations to our January birthday party drawing winner! What kid doesn’t love a PIZZA party?!
Thank you for letting us help celebrate your birthday!
Drop your name in our birthday box when you check in for your next appointment and you could be our next birthday party drawing winner with Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry!
“Name That Stuffed Animal” Contest Winner!
/Our furry friend is now named Pengy and has a new home!
Congratulations to our winner of the “Name that Stuffed Animal Contest”! We love seeing our patients so excited, having fun with our contests and spreading smiles!! Come in for your next appointment and try your chance at winning one of our next contests! Good luck!
Birthday Party Winner!
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Congratulations to our birthday party drawing winner! Who said you can’t have fun in the sun even in the winter time?! Congratulations!! Thank you for letting us help celebrate your birthday!
Drop your name in our birthday box when you check in for your next appointment and you could be our next birthday party drawing winner with Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry!
Enamel Hypoplasia
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Enamel is that hard, protective, visible outside layer of the tooth. It keeps teeth strong and healthy! Have you ever noticed any discolorations or defects in your child’s tooth? You could be noticing enamel hypoplasia. This condition is a defect that causes a lesser quantity of enamel than normal. It can appear as a white spot, yellow to brown staining, pits, grooves or even thin, chipped or missing parts of enamel. In severe cases, the enamel doesn’t develop at all.
Because of these surface irregularities, hypoplastic teeth can have the following dental problems: more sensitive to heat or cold or pain, more prone to wearing down from grinding or “tooth to tooth contact”, more susceptible to an “acid attack” from the sugars in our foods and drinks, more susceptible to trapping plaque and bacteria, and more prone to tooth decay.
If you see a concerning area on your child’s teeth, then its best to schedule an appointment with your pediatric dentist! It is important to check and monitor these teeth. There are also many different treatment options if necessary depending on the severity of the hypoplasia and the child’s ability to cooperate during dental treatment. Options may include protective sealants, desensitizing agents like Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF), esthetic composite resin or “tooth-colored” fillings, full coverage crowns, or microabrasion. If left untreated, cavities may form and lead to pain or dental infection.
Just because a baby tooth has hypoplasia, doesn’t mean a permanent tooth will. These irregularities can occur before, during, or after birth of the child. Your primary and permanent teeth are developing at different times.
There are many different causes of enamel hypoplasia from genetics to environmental factors. This list includes: inherited developmental conditions, vitamin deficiencies, maternal illness, medications given to mother prior to birth or to the child during early childhood when teeth are developing, preterm birth, low birthweight, trauma to the teeth, infection, malnutrition, systemic diseases, and smoking or drug abuse.
Good oral hygiene and a healthy diet are important for all of our patients, and especially those with hypoplastic teeth. We recommend brushing twice daily with fluoridated toothpaste. Maintain a diet low in sugar and be sure to avoid those ooey, gooey, sticky snacks! And don’t forget to visit your dentist at least twice a year for a checkup, professional cleaning and fluoride application.
Interested to learn more about dental conditions and some of the services we provide in our office? Check out our clinical updates under the resources tab on our website!
December Employee of the Month!
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Wow! It’s 2020!! We are back in the office and ready to work this new year! However, we can’t start this year without first congratulating one of our team members that ended 2019 being voted Employee of the Month for December! Congratulations to:
Sofia
Our SFK team said, “She is always positive and does her best everyday. She’s a hard worker and has learned so much since she started working here.”
Congratulations, Sofia!! Way to go!