CJ's Week

Last week was crazzzzy busy. Especially for CJ, he had a lot of things to do last week.

CJ's prizes from the dentist.

Well a few weeks ago, I had a guest post on the importance of early dental care. So this past week, CJ had his first dental visit. He did such a good job. He charmed all of the female hygenists, even taking one (the blonde one of course) by the hand and leading her to sit on the chair with him. If you are near Derry NH, I highly recommend Ahearn and Nichols dental office. They were amazing. The dentist we saw was one of the two named John. He was just amazing with CJ. I don't remember ever having a fun dentist experience like this when I was a kid. He had CJ sit in my lap and then just lay his head back so that he could look at his teeth. He was very gentle. When CJ started to fuss a little bit, the dentist started singing to him and CJ quieted right back down. When the exam was over, he talked to me about his teeth (which are perfect), gave him his prizes (a toothbrush with a cat on it), and then CJ held his hand and walked out into the waiting area to meet Dada. He also flew CJ around the waiting room like a helicopter before he said goodbye. I was so impressed with how well he handled CJ and his appointment. I'm actually looking forward to my own dental appointment later this month.

Reading his report card from
Early Intervention.

I don't remember if I've mentioned this on here before. CJ's pediatrician is worried because CJ doesn't really talk much. He's 23 months and he says mama, dada, nana, and then a bunch of made up words. Those of us who are around CJ all the time aren't all that worried because he can communicate just fine. But I decided to go ahead and contact Early Intervention just in case. So on Friday, CJ had his early intervention evaluation. He thought it was the best playdate ever. Three ladies came over with a big bag of toys he'd never seen before and they all played with him. He actually cried when they left. He was so sad that his friends were leaving him. There was a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, and physical therapist. At the end of the evaluation, they shared with me their results. They said that cognitively, socially, physically, and with his manual dexterity, he is well above where he should be at 23 months. The speech therapist said that his receptive speech, or how well he understands what is being said, is age-appropriate. She said that his expressive speech, his way of speaking expressing what he needs or wants, is 13-18 months. So he's not too far off. Because there is a delay though, he is eligible for speech therapy through early intervention. I will definitely keep you all apprised of how that goes.

Covered in paint,
and you can see paint behind him.

I saved the best for last. Two weeks ago, hubby put CJ's crib back together. He decided to turn it into the big boy bed by leaving off one of the sides. So the first few mornings, CJ woke up, got out of bed, and turned off his monitor to alert us that he was up. Then he started to just run into our room, kicking open our door, and just yelling DADAMAMADADAMAMADADAMADA! Well, Saturday morning, he woke up God knows when, walked his happy butt down the stairs, turned on the TV, tried to get the WII going, went into the cabinets and got himself some crackers. Then when he got bored, he walked into the office, found some paint and paintbrushes, and decided to paint the hallway floor and the door to our room. When he was finished, he walked into our room covered in paint and woke us up. This was at 10am. He usually wakes up at 8. So stinkypoo now has a gate on his door so when he wakes up he's still stuck in his room. So now he wakes up and just calls out "MAMAMADADAMAMADADAMADADAMAMA!" Pin It

Guest Post - Keeping Your Child's Smiles Bright

Now that CJ has a full head of teeth, I've made his first dentist's appointment. We've been brushing his teeth and gums since he first got a tooth. As a first time mom, I was completely at a loss as to what to do about CJ's oral hygeine, so I just sort of winged it. But today, I have a guest post from Drew James, who is going to give us some pointers on how to keep your child's smile bright.




Keeping Smiles Bright

When it comes to dental care, parents sometimes get caught up in a bit of confusion. How soon should a child start flossing? When is it time for braces, and how do you identify that need? How do you pick the right group of children’s dentists and when should you schedule the first visit?

Cavity prevention is only one part of the process. Parents usually know a bit about what is needed, but they don’t always understand the best way to get it started. Here are some pointers that will make the decisions come easier.

When Dental Care Should Start

See that first tooth. It means that dental care should already be in process. By the second trimester of pregnancy, your baby’s teeth are already forming. By birth, your baby is likely harboring twenty primary teeth and some of the jaw teeth, although not yet visible, are already fully developed within the jaw.

Advice from the American Dental Association (ADA) says your child should visit the dentist prior to his or her first birthday. The basic examination will help you understand the proper techniques for flossing and brushing a baby’s teeth. It will also help get your children comfortable with dental visits.

Here are some things you should learn from this first visit:

• Feeding habits: Putting your baby to sleep with a bottle in his or her mouth can lead to enamel erosion, bottle mouth, and pitted and/or discolored teeth.
• After feedings: Prevent bacteria buildup by softly wiping your infant’s gums with a damp washcloth.
• After teeth begin to show: Brushing begins. Use gauze or a soft toothbrush. Do it once at the end of the day and more often if circumstances indicate the need.

If you aren’t already taking your child to a dentist, get started right away. Locate a dependable children’s dentist. Your family dentist can help in the selection.

Dealing With Early-Year Dental Decay

Babies are not immune to teeth and gum problems. Feeding habits are important and while it may be convenient to prop your child on a pillow to feed with a bottle in his mouth, it is not expedient to good dental care. Cavities and even early tooth extraction can be the result of poor feeding habits.

As your child ages, the dental care process needs to be adjusted so that even toddlers begin the process of learning good dental care. Help your child establish specific times for drinking and feeding. Make certain that your child care providers follow suit.

Focusing on Special Dental Care

The modern age has created a world of specialization. Not every family medical practitioner has the extended learning that translates from adults to kids. Perhaps your child can benefit from the skills associated with pediatric children’s dentists. These practitioners are especially trained in treating kids. They may not have greater skill than your family dentists, but pediatric dentists are trained to focus on the dental issues that are specific to children.

Like your family dentist, your pediatric dentist knows how to help you ward of potential dental complications. By providing routine maintenance such as checkups, cleanings, and early recognition of special problems including overbite and complication with jaw alignment, your pediatric dentist can help you keep your child’s teeth and gums healthy. If necessary, he or she will direct you to the proper dental specialist.

The Long Range View of Cavities

By age 2-1/2 or so, most of your child’s primary teeth should be in. Your dentist may begin to apply topical fluoride. By hardening toot enamel, fluoride helps ward off cavities and other common childhood oral diseases.

1. Food left on the teeth results in bacteria.
2. The bacteria result in acid collections on the tooth.
3. This softens the enamel and eventually leads to a hole in the tooth.
4. This hole is called a cavity.
5. By toughening the enamel, fluoride helps make the teeth more resistant to acid penetration.

Some towns dispense fluoridated tap water. Most toothpaste also includes fluoride. If it seems that your fluoride resources are less than desirable, ask your children’s dentist about fluoride supplementation. Note that too much fluoride can result in discoloration of your teeth.

For older children with permanent teeth, consider having your dentist apply resin to the back of the teeth. This sealant helps keep bacteria from settling in the crevices of your child’s teeth, which in turn seals out decay.

Closing Tips

• Be sure they brush twice a day
• Be sure they floss
• Supervise your kids dental care
• Brush after the intake of any from medical consumption, including antibiotics
• Model good oral care and teach your kids to follow the pattern.

Drew James works for an Indianapolis pediatric dentist. When out of the office, you can currently find him working in raised-bed gardens, going for long runs, and making travel plans.

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