Monday, March 18, 2013

How Long should you brush your teeth?

How Long Should You Brush?


Brush until they are clean. Most people try to brush for 2 minutes twice a day. Time is not the answer.


People who have taught themselves to be effective tooth brushers can get the job done in one minute. If you are brushing the way you have always brushed since a child, some places get clean and some don’t.

More times per day and more minutes per brushing just gets the clean spots cleaner and the not clean spots are still not clean!

Teach yourself to be an effective brusher (see "disclosing bacteria) and get the job done in one minute per day!

 Be sure to ask us to evaluate your effectiveness when you are in the office. Call us at 1-530-878-2357 or visit our web page. www.winningwithsmiles.com


Scott Thompson, DDS

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks: Not for Kids


The American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Nutrition and Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness published their “Clinical Report – Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks for Children and Adolescents: Are They Appropriate?” 

In today’s blog I am going to merely quote summary statements from that report.  The full text is available free on line and I encourage you to use the reference at the end to access, print and read the full text.  The details and references are stunning.

“Sports drinks and energy drinks are significantly different products, and the terms should not be used interchangeably.”

“Rigorous review and analysis of the literature reveal that caffeine and other stimulant substances contained in energy drinks have no place in the diet of children and adolescents. Furthermore, frequent or excessive intake of caloric sports drinks can substantially increase the risk for overweight or obesity in children and adolescents.”

“With children and adolescents, careful consideration is necessary when selecting a beverage to hydrate before, during, or after exercise and outside of physical activity to prevent excessive sugar and caloric intake that may encourage dental erosion, overweight, and obesity.”

“Children and adolescents should be taught to drink water routinely as an initial beverage of choice as long as daily dietary caloric and other nutrient (e.g., calcium, vitamins) needs are being met. Water is also generally the appropriate first choice for hydration before, during, and after most exercise regimens. Children should have free access to water, particularly during school hours.”

“Sports and energy drinks are not indicated for use during meals or snacks as a replacement for low-fat milk or water.”

“The actual caffeine content for many energy drinks is not easily identified on product packaging or via the Internet. The total amount of caffeine contained in some cans or bottles of energy drinks can exceed 500 mg (equivalent to 14 cans of common caffeinated soft drinks) and is clearly high enough to result in caffeine toxicity. …

Additional concerns regarding the use of caffeine in children include its effects on the developing neurologic and cardiovascular systems and the risk of physical dependence and addiction.  Because of the potentially harmful adverse effects and developmental effects of caffeine, dietary intake should be discouraged for all children.”

“For most children and adolescents, daily electrolyte requirements are met sufficiently by a healthy balanced diet; therefore, sports drinks offer little to no advantage over plain water. During or after participation in short training or competition sessions, athletes generally do not need supplemental electrolyte replacement.”

“Low-fat milk is a good option for use as a post-exercise protein-recovery drink.”

“In general, the use of amino acids in energy drinks in place of traditional dietary sources is not supported by the scientific literature and, therefore, is discouraged for children and adolescents.”

“Given the current epidemic of childhood overweight and obesity, we recommend the elimination of calorie containing beverages from a well-balanced diet, with the exception of low-fat or fat-free milk, because it contains calcium and vitamin D, which are particularly important for young people.”

Want to learn more, check out this link to read the full report:http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/05/25/peds.2011-0965

Call us to find out more: 530-878-2358

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Welcome to Winning With Smiles - Pediatric Dentistry. We are dedicated to cavity free, healthy beautiful smiles. We look forward to the opportunity to share with you what we know about creating optimal oral health for growing children. We understand oral health is closely tied to general health and like to work closely with the family physician. Oral health is also closely tied to family life and lifestyle. That is why we like to have the family involved with dental appointments. What we teach our patients works best if understood and supported by the family and will benefit the family as well. We enjoy working with parent and siblings present. We have been learning from families since 1974. With the family present, open questions lead to family learning. We are dedicated to your oral health.