Everglades Pediatric Dentistry

Okeechobee & Sebring, FL

APPOINTMENT REQUESTNEW PATIENT FORMS
2029 HWY 441 N
OKEECHOBEE, FL 34972
5606 US 27 N
SEBRING, FL 33870

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(863) 357-7338

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Activities to do in the Car While Waiting for Your Dentist Appointment

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Waiting in the car for a dentist appointment can be grueling on children.

During these unprecedented times while our state of the art, kid-friendly office is closed off we’d like to offer fun activities to do with your kids while you wait safely in your car for your appointment.

Activities to do in the Car While Waiting for Your Dentist Appointment

1. Play an audiobook over the car speakers

2. Play “Eye Spy” with cars and objects in the parking lot. “I spy, with my little eye, something purple.”

3. Play the Memory Game: One person starts the game with “I’m going on a trip and I’m going to pack…” and the second person must then repeat what the first person said while adding another item, starting with the next letter of the alphabet.

For example:

  • Person 1: I’m going on a trip and I’m going to pack… an air mattress.
  • Person 2: I’m going on a trip and I’m going to pack… an air mattress and butter.
  • Person 3: I’m going on a trip and I’m going to pack… an air mattress, butter and a canteen.

4. Play Simon Says

5. Find the Colors: Pick a color and see who can find the most objects that are that color.

6. Two Truths & A Lie: So long as you’ve established that lying to parents is only ok during the game, this is a fun one. Take turns sharing 3 statements, 2 of which are true and 1 being a lie. Make sure they are all reasonable sounding (or ALL crazy) and have the kids guess which is the lie.

7. Mini Coloring Boxes– Use an empty first aid kit box ($1 in the travel section at Target) and attach a new square size post it with hot glue or double stick foam tape to the back and stick a few crayons in. It’s the perfect size to hold everything and you can toss it in your purse.

8. Homework! This is a great time to catch up on homework. I bring a clipboard for each child and I put their homework on it. For the younger kids, I just clip a blank sheet of paper on it and they draw.

9. Pipecleaners. A handful of pipecleaners will keep the kids busy, creating, for quite a while!

Make your next visit to the doctor’s office with your kids a pleasant experience by keeping them engaged in activities that will make the waiting time fly by.

How to Ease Your Child’s Fear of Losing Their Teeth

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When it comes to losing baby teeth, some kids might be eager to play with their wiggly tooth but others could find the whole experience quite frightening. Luckily, parents can play an important role during this time. Especially if they work together with the child’s dentist.

Everglades Pediatric Dentistry is Here to Help!

If your child has expressed fear in losing their teeth, start by telling them it’s normal to lose teeth and that everyone goes through it. Our team at Everglades Pediatric Dentistry can also be an ally in explaining tooth loss, especially if you’ve been taking your children regularly for check-ups and have helped build a trusting relationship with us. 

Let them know that baby teeth are the first set of teeth they have that usually fall out and get replaced by permanent teeth. This generally happens around six years of age. Explain how the tooth comes loose and eventually falls out, leaving a gap which is then permanently filled by its replacement tooth. To make things a little less scary, parents can also introduce the tooth fairy to their child. The idea of the tooth fairy has been around for ages. 

The Tooth Fairy

The legend of the tooth fairy coming to get baby teeth from children in exchange for money is originally from the United States and dates back to the 1900s. Tooth fairies are still popular with parents and children today, and parents look for fun and creative ways to bring the tooth fairy to life with their children.

By the time the children’s full set of 32 adult teeth come in they will have lost 20 baby teeth. When a child loses their first tooth, it’s best to set expectations on how much money the tooth fairy normally leaves. On average, the tooth fairy leaves $1.50-$2.50 per tooth.

Tooth Fairy & Good Dental Habits

Teaching your children the importance of oral health is an important lesson that will benefit them for their entire life.  Using rewards from the tooth fairy is a great way to stress the importance of this. The tooth fairy can write your child a note reminding them to brush and floss. You can also add glitter to make fairy dust for the note to seem more authentic and believable for skeptical children.

Losing a tooth is a right of passage for your child, this is one of the first things that welcome them out of their baby phase into their adolescence. This should be a fun experience for both you and your child. You can use this as a reason to talk to your child about keeping their teeth and mouth healthy.

More Resources for Explaining Tooth Loss

There are several books that can help explain tooth loss to children. Some of our favorites include: 

  1. Truman’s Loose Tooth | This book helps kids cope with the emotions that come with change and growing up.
  2. Gilbert and the Lost Tooth | Gilbert’s tooth falls out at recess. What happens when a classmate gets jealous and comes up with a sneaky plan?
  3. My Tooth is Loose, Dr. Moose! | Dr. Moose’s “Moose Magic” makes losing teeth more fun!
  4. My Wobbly Tooth Must Not Ever Fall Out | Lola doesn’t want her tooth to fall out until Charlie tells her about the Tooth Fairy. Once it’s out, though, how will the Tooth Fairy know?
  5. Here Comes the Tooth Fairy Cat | Cat tries to trick the Tooth Fairy into revealing herself.
  6. How Many Teeth? | This book teaches kids how many baby teeth they have. Then goes on to discuss how they’ll lose those teeth and new adult teeth will take their place.

You can also find a plethora of picture books on losing teeth here.

Additionally, there are a ton of whimsical kid-friendly products such as tooth fairy certificates (there are several free downloadable versions available online) or specially-made tooth fairy pillows (some can even be monogrammed) — go to www.ultimatetoothfairy.com for lots of great products. 

You can also visit Ask The Tooth Fairy to find commonly asked questions pertaining to tooth loss. 

Like many childhood fears — such as scary monsters in the closet or worries about being sucked down the drain of the bathtub — this one shall pass, usually once a kid loses that first tooth and gets a visit from the tooth fairy. Know that your child is not alone with her fears, and that other families are eagerly awaiting the day the little pearly white object falls out and the grumbling and crying ebbs away.

For questions regarding tooth loss, give us a call or make an appointment for a dental check up with Everglades Pediatric Dentistry. New patients are always welcome. Call today! (863) 357-7338.

 

30-Day Dental Challenge

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Welcome to Everglades Pediatric Dentistry’s Dental Challenge!

Why join the challenge?

This is your chance to commit to building a healthy habit and get on track to keeping your #teeth4lyfe! Floss and brush daily and say hello to healthier gums, fresher breath, and a whiter, brighter smile.

 

 

Ready for your challenge? Here’s all of the details:

Each day that you complete equals one point. The person with the most points at the end of the 30 day challenge will win a prize!

To hold yourself accountable, print this page and each day that you complete- cross it off your sheet and have someone else in your home initial beside it.

Some days will also require you to post pictures on our facebook page as proof of participation. (Make sure you’re following our page!)

 

Your 30 Day Challenge

  1. Brush your teeth to the first 2 minutes of your favorite song
  2. Floss your teeth this morning after breakfast
  3. Take a picture of you and your caregiver brushing your teeth together
  4. Floss your teeth tonight before bed
  5. Brush your teeth while someone in your family sings twinkle twinkle little star
  6. Brush your teeth while standing in the shower
  7. Brush your teeth after you eat lunch
  8. Brush your teeth with one of your siblings
  9. Set the timer for 2 minutes and brush your teeth the entire 2 minutes
  10. Brush your teeth and dance while doing it (You have to dance the whole time!)
  11. Have a floss race with someone in your family. See who can floss every tooth in your mouth.
  12. Brush your teeth to the Macarena song
  13. Floss 3 times in one day- after breakfast lunch and dinner
  14. Do a dizzy brush: spin around 3 times and then brush your teeth with a sibling or care giver
  15. No sugary drinks all day long
  16. No sugary snacks all day long
  17. You can have water as your choice of beverage all day today
  18. Eat an apple today- apples are good for your teeth
  19. Add a green veggie with your lunch or dinner and eat it
  20. Brush your teeth outside
  21. Eat yogurt as a snack or with your meal today
  22. Brush your teeth with a hat on
  23. Floss your top and bottom teeth after breakfast
  24. Floss your top and bottom teeth after dinner
  25. Eat a slice of cheese today
  26. Use mouthwash after you brush your teeth today
  27. When you brush your teeth today, brush your tongue 5 times down
  28. Give your toothbrush a name and write it down
  29. Brush your favorite stuffed animals teeth before you brush yours today
  30. Brush your teeth to the song ‘Cant stop the feeling’ by Justin Timberlake

Be sure to follow us on Facebook. There may be some days when we ask for our participants to post a picture of themselves doing that day’s challenge for bonus points!

Topical Fluoride Treatment For Your Child?

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Topical Fluoride Treatment For Your Child?

Tooth decay or dental caries is one of the most common dental problems in children. While not a life-threatening condition, it is crucial to protect your child from this problem and the pain that comes with it.

In fact, healthy teeth are important to your child’s overall health. A topical fluoride treatment could help protect your kids from tooth decay. It will not only help them enjoy healthier teeth and gums now, but it might also ensure their future dental health.

The Importance of Topical Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride is effective in strengthening the teeth enamel’s mineral content. Although it can help avert dental carries throughout life, fluoride is particularly essential for enamel when it is still developing.

Your little one may be getting fluoride from other sources like drinking water and toothpaste. From these sources, however, fluoride must first pass through the digestive tract. Then it goes through the bloodstream before reaching the teeth.

Topical fluoride treatment goes directly to the enamel. It promotes efficient absorption of the chemical into the teeth enamel.

Topical Fluoride Application Techniques

A dentist may apply fluoride to your child’s teeth as a varnish, gel, or foam. These applications boast higher levels of fluoride compared to what you get from other sources like toothpaste.

The varnish is painted on the teeth while the foam is put into a mouthguard. In the case of foam, your child will wear the mouth guard for one to four minutes. For gels, the dentist can either paint them on teeth or apply them through a mouthguard.

What Are The Side Effects of Fluoride?

Like any medication, excessive fluoride can have detrimental effects. Too much fluoride may lead to:

  • White spots on mature teeth
  • Staining and pitting on teeth
  • Very dense but weak bones
  • Bone homeostasis issues

Nonetheless, the benefits of fluoride outweigh the risk of detrimental side effects, particularly for kids aged at least 6 years. Various studies around the world have revealed an average 28% drop in decayed, filled, or missing teeth in kids who receive a topical fluoride treatment.

EPD Coloring Contest

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With the current events going on in the world and lots of children stuck at home, we thought now would be the perfect time to bring out your child’s creative side!

To remind kids about the importance of dental health, we’re hosting a coloring contest for a chance to win a $25 Amazon Giftcard. (We’ll send the gift card virtually by email)

Just have your child download, print and color this color sheet: DOWNLOAD SHEET HERE

(If you don’t have a printer at home, ask your child to draw and color themselves brushing their teeth!)

Once your child has colored the page, take a picture and private message us on our Everglades Pediatric Dentistry Facebook Page along with your child’s first name.

Our team will pick a winner by random draw from all submissions next Wednesday, 3/25.

Happy coloring!

New patients are welcome. Call today! (863) 357-7338

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