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How safe is general anesthesia in dental procedures for children? When three-year-old Finley Boyle’s parents took her to the dentist last December, they expected to be returning home with her later that day – a bit tired and in some discomfort perhaps, but alive and well. According to court documents, Finley was undergoing four root […]

Are E-Cigarettes safer for your oral health than conventional tobacco cigarettes?   Since they arrived on the market in 2007, E-Cigarettes have risen in popularity. The dangers of e-cigarettes to your teeth and gums have only recently come to light. Many smokers, finding themselves ostracized by everyone except other smokers, consider this a viable option. […]

Smokeless Tobacco, also known as Chewing Tobacco, comes in a couple of different forms.  Leaves formed into a brick, or twist, is sold as ‘Chewing Tobacco’.  A finer, ground version is often referred to as ‘Snuff’. What are the many risks of using chewing tobacco? Do you think that because it isn’t lit or inhaled […]

In our home town, we celebrate the Holidays with many traditions. Some cultural, some based in religion, most celebrating the love of family and home. Holiday celebrations in history and winter solstice have been tied together for centuries. Many of us dream of a roaring fire, the intoxicating scent of pine and cookies in the […]

You may have seen the ingredient Xylitol in sugarless gum, candy, or other foods your child likes to eat. It is even an ingredient in some toothpastes and mouthwashes. How much do you know about it?  Are artificial sweeteners safe for my child?  Xylitol is a polyalcohol (or sugar alcohol), which adds sweetness to many […]

How Will the Affordable Care Act effect my child’s dental coverage? Dental benefits for kids under the Affordable Care Act explained. Parents understandably have questions about the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and their children’s oral health.  We are often asked ‘Will my child have coverage for her dental needs?’ Under the Federal […]

Dental radiographs, or x-rays, are sometimes recommended by your child’s Pediatric Dentist. As a parent, you naturally have concerns about exposing your child to radiation.  Are dental x-rays safe for my child? Are they even necessary for children?  Here are some clear answers for parents: Is it really necessary for my child to have a dental x-ray? […]

How dental x-rays work.  X-Rays are beams of ionizing radiation.  They are invisible.  Ionizing radiation contains particles that carry sufficient kinetic energy to release an electron from an atom or molecule, thus converting it to an ion. Ionizing radiation exists all around us; we absorb the radiation equivalent to 4 dental bite-wing x-rays in slightly […]

Building Resilience in Children and Adolescents   – Help Your Child Learn to Deal With Stress                                                         by Miranda Kucera, PhD, school psychologist in Placer County Resilience is necessary […]

Babies nearly all love their pacifier or their thumb – or both!  The sucking reflex itself is instinctive.  Babies would quickly starve and perish if they didn’t possess this strong instinct. Will thumb sucking affect my child’s teeth? Via ultrasound, babies have been observed sucking their thumb at about 28 weeks in utero.  Thumb sucking is […]