Most of us have heard that fluoride is good for our teeth, but why is it? The truth is that fluoride, in moderation, is great for teeth. It could be the most effective cavity prevention treatment available today. In fact, research has shown that when fluoride is introduced to a city’s drinking water in can reduce the rate of tooth decay by 40 to 70 percent for the people that drink it.

Fluoride works in three ways:

1. Promotes tooth remineraliztion
2. Can make teeth more decay resistant
3. Can inhibit oral bacteria’s ability to create acids

However, fluoride toothpaste is not recommended for children 6 and younger.  If too much fluoride is ingested it can cause dental fluorosis, a condition that is caused by the chronic ingestion of too much fluoride during that time period when a child’s tooth enamel is forming. Be sure that your child is ready for fluoride toothpaste. Also make sure that your child is using good brushing and rinsing techniques.

Source: http://www.animated-teeth.com/tooth_decay/t4_tooth_decay_fluoride.htm

During these tough economic times, many regular activities are being put on hold — and that includes visits to the dentist, as reported by Medill Reports.

So how can people take care of their teeth now to avoid expensive dental procedures in the future? Here are a few tips for you and your kids that will help you keep your teeth healthy.

1) Drink plenty of water. It’s a “natural” mouthwash that can help reduce stains left by coffee, soda and red wine.

2) Eat a piece of cheese. After dinner, munch on some cheddar – it can help neutralize acids in your mouth.

3) Chew sugar free gum. Chewing gum increases saliva production, which helps to wash away plaque acid and bathe teeth in needed minerals to strengthen tooth enamel.

4) Wait to brush after acidic drinks. After drinking orange juice and soda pop, don’t reach for the toothbrush right away. Wait at least 20 minutes to reduce the chance of enamel wear.

5) Rinse with hydrogen peroxide. (Not for the Kids) A small amount of H2O2 mixed with water makes a great anti-bacterial and whitening rinse after brushing. Just don’t swallow!

6) Brush with baking soda, a gentle abrasive that can clean like toothpaste.

7) Use a straw. Might feel awkward to drink coffee or red wine through a straw, but doing so can help minimize direct contact between your pearly whites and these staining liquids.

8) Soften your toothbrush. Sensitive teeth can find relief from rough bristles by running the toothbrush under hot water before brushing.

9) Avoid sugar and starches. Both sugar and carbs can feed bacteria that causes tooth decay. It’s just not the sweet stuff – a handful of crackers can have the same effect as a candy bar at feeding bacteria.

10) Brush and floss. Duh.

Source(http://worldental.org/oral-hygiene/top-ten-budget-tips-to-keep-your-teeth-healthy/)

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Here are 3 more dental experiments to do with your kids. These experiments are a great way to keep fun and education going throughout the summer. Our favorite was the soda experiment, very interesting!

1. Clean a penny with soda (the effects of acid on teeth)

Children love to perform this experiment. The acid from the soda eats the dirt away from the penny’s surface, resulting in a clean penny.

 Materials needed:
    - Shallow container
    – Carbonated cola beverage
    – Pennies (the dirtier the better)
 

Instructions: 
Put a dirty penny in a shallow container. Add enough cola to cover the penny. Let the penny sit undisturbed overnight. The next day remove the penny and discuss why it is clean.

What a child learns from this experiment:
Bacteria and germs in your mouth need sugar to make acid. The acid then eats away at your tooth. If you are not cleaning your teeth properly or you eat a lot of sugary foods, you can get these acid attacks more often which will result in a cavity. In this experiment, the soda acids etch and eat at the penny, just as the acids etch and eat away at the tooth’s surface. 

2. Make your own toothpaste

Making your own toothpaste is an easy experiment for kids. Adults will find this a cost effective and simple approach for use as daily toothpaste.

Ingredients for homemade toothpaste:
  – Baking soda 
  – Salt 
  – Glycerin (found in the first aid aisle)
  – Flavoring (peppermint or strawberry suggested)

Instructions: Combine 3 tablespoons baking soda, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon glycerin, and a few drops of flavoring. Mix together. Water can be added to get to the desired consistency. Store in an airtight container.

If making a larger batch of homemade toothpaste the ratio is 3 parts baking soda, to 1 part salt, to 1 part glycerin, and flavoring to taste.

3. Tongue taste buds

Our food combines with saliva when we eat. This lets the food disperse the flavors across the entire tongue and its taste buds. This experiment will single out the specific areas for each type of taste bud and its flavor.

What you will need:

Cotton swabs

Tonic water (bitter)

Lemon juice (sour)

Salt water

Sugar water

With the cotton swab, apply a small amount of one of the solutions to the area of the tongue that contains its taste buds. Try this with all the different solutions and their correlating areas of the tongue. Use the solutions in other areas of the tongue that do not contain that taste bud as well.

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