It’s Children’s Dental Health Month — the perfect time to look at your children’s dental health habits. Taking care of their teeth is an important part of their oral and physical health. But it involves more than teaching them proper brushing etiquette.

What your child eats has a significant impact on the health of their teeth. Our dentists at Weaver, Reckner & Reinhart Dental Associates are committed to helping everyone in your family achieve a healthy mouth. Here are some ideas for healthy snacks that parents can incorporate into their lunchboxes or meals.

Apples

You know the saying… An apple a day keeps the doctor away. The same holds true for dentists! Chewing apples and other crunchy, high-fiber fruits help to eliminate plaque from teeth. They also make an excellent lunch-time snack!

Water with Fluoride

Water with fluoride is an essential component in the health of your child’s teeth. This year’s slogan for Children’s Dental Health Month, “Water, Nature’s Drink!” encourages children to not only brush their teeth and visit their dentist but to eat a healthy diet that limits sugary beverages and snacks. Drinking water is a great alternative to damaging beverages such as sodas and fruit juices. The American Dental Association states, “One way to help children to drink more water is to add natural fruits like berries, cucumbers, lemons, and limes.”

Eggs

Eggs are a great source of calcium, protein, and vitamin D, which are important minerals for oral health.

Dairy

Milk, cheese, and yogurt are high in calcium, casein, and phosphorus, which can protect tooth enamel.

Crunchy and Leafy Veggies

Celery and carrots, broccoli, and other green leafy vegetables provide an excellent source of vitamins and minerals which aid in the strengthening of tooth enamel.

In addition to eating healthy, it is important to maintain regular dental visits. It is recommended that children be taken to the dentist after the first tooth erupts with fluoride applications every six months.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 20% of children have cavities that have not been treated. Regular dental check-up visits in our Harleysville or Souderton locations, combined with healthy foods, can help to reduce the chance of decay.

Maintaining the proper home care in between routine dental visits is essential to a healthy mouth. Consistent brushing and flossing with your child can help to create a routine that will enable them to care for their teeth as they grow older.

 

Our dedicated team of hygienists and dentists at Weaver, Reckner & Reinhart Dental Associates is here to assist you and your family achieve a healthy lifestyle. We are looking forward to seeing you at your next oral check up in Harleysville or Souderton. You can learn more about our office and other services, including orthodontics, cosmetic dentistry, and dental implants, by browsing our website. If you have a true dental emergency, you can contact one of our offices at 215-486-1649 or 215-486-1652.

Maintaining your oral health is just as important as keeping up with your overall physical health. Studies show that there is a connection between gum disease and heart disease. Read more

Back to school. These three little words mean a little something different for everyone these days. Whether your child will be learning in a traditional classroom or virtually, it is important to keep up with their oral health by scheduling regular visits to the dentist. A fresh start to the school year begins with a check-up and cleaning to catch any potential problems. At Weaver, Reckner & Reinhart Dental Associates, we are working to make sure that our patients stay as up-to-date as possible on their routine appointments. Read more

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, a time focused on raising awareness of cancer of the mouth. The American Cancer Society estimates that over 53,000 people will get oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer in 2020. 

At Weaver, Reckner & Reinhart Dental Associates, we recognize that the first step in prevention is awareness. Given the situation that we are in currently with the COVID-19 restrictions, although we are not able to see you for your regular hygiene visits until further notice, this is a good time for you to increase your dental health awareness. Let us help you gain a better understanding of this disease, what it looks like, and how it can be prevented or caught early with an oral cancer screening.

What Is Oral Cancer?

Oral cancer is a broad term that refers to any cancer that begins around the mouth. This type of cancer can affect:

• Lips
• Tongue
• Cheeks
• Soft and hard palate of the mouth
• Floor of the mouth
• Throat
• Sinuses

Learn the Risk Factors

Tobacco and alcohol use are among the top risk factors associated with oral cancer. However, even if you do not smoke or drink, you can still develop oral cancer. Other factors include HPV (human papilloma virus) infection, prolonged sun exposure leading to lip cancer, and poor oral hygiene and nutrition.  Men are twice as likely as women to develop oral cancer, and people over the age of 45 are also at an increased risk. 

Recognize the Symptoms

Not everyone with the risk factors will get oral cancer, and some people with none of the risk factors could still develop it. This is why it’s so important to be able to recognize the symptoms when they appear. These include:

• Sore throat or feeling like something is stuck at the back of your throat
• A sore or irritation around your face, mouth, or neck that has not healed after 2 weeks
• Hoarseness 
• Difficulty swallowing, chewing, or moving your jaw or tongue 
• Numbness, tenderness, or loss of sensation around the mouth, face, or neck
• Unexplained bleeding in the mouth
• Red or white patches in your mouth
• Bumps, swollen areas, lumps inside the mouth or on the gums or lips

Early Detection Saves Lives

The earlier oral cancer is caught and treated, the better the rate of survival. Those who have one or more of the risk factors should consider getting regular health screenings, which can detect oral cancer before any of the above symptoms appear.

When oral and throat cancer is detected early, there is a much higher risk of surviving without serious long-term effects. Many of these cancers can be found early when they are still small with a routine screening exam by a dentist. At Weaver, Reckner & Reinhart Dental Associates, “an oral cancer screening is a quick and painless part of your ordinary dental examination,” says Dr. John Reckner, D.M.D., M.A.G.D. “Although we perform oral cancer screenings all year long, in April we make sure that we educate our patients on what to look for and how to prevent it.”

What can you do between visits?

• Reduce your lifestyle-related risk factors. These include smoking, drinking alcohol, sun exposure, a diet low in vegetables and fruit, and poor oral health.
• Be aware of other risk factors, including a history of other cancers, HPV infection, a weakened immune system, and oral Lichen Planus.
• Watch out for these signs: mouth sores that don’t clear up within 14 days, mouth pain, thickening of the cheek lining, loose teeth, ill-fitting dentures, loss of sensation in the lips or cheeks, voice changes, bleeding in the mouth.

During these uncertain and difficult times, our dentists in Souderton and Harleysville want to reassure you that your health is our top priority. As soon as we are able to begin seeing our patients again, we will maintain the same level of high-quality care that you have come to expect from our practice. In the meantime, it’s important to perform oral self exams every month. Tilt your head back and using a mirror and a bright light be sure to check your gums, the inside of your lips, lining of your cheeks, back of your throat, and the roof and floor of your mouth. Check for suspicious patches, sores, inflammation, or other changes. 

Cancer of the mouth can affect anyone, regardless of age and smoking or drinking habits. We at Weaver, Reckner & Reinhart Dental Associates look forward to seeing you again soon in either our Harleysville or Souderton location for your routine oral cancer screening. You can learn more about our office and other services, including orthodontics, dental implants and cosmetic dentistry by browsing our website. If you are having a true dental emergency, you can contact one of our offices at 215-486-1649 or 215-486-1652.

What age should I bring my child to the dentist? When is my child going to lose their first tooth? Why is fluoride important? These are all common questions parents face when they discover their child’s first tooth. While it’s a joyous and special time, it also creates many uncertainties about the importance of their child’s oral health and what it means to take care of their child’s teeth. 

As a leading family and children’s dentist in Montgomery County and Bucks County, we create smiles for all ages, including the smallest of smiles. We can care for your child as they grow from a baby to a young adult. Before bringing your child to the dentist for the first time, there are some important tips to help guide parents as to what to expect when visiting Weaver, Reckner & Reinhart Dental Associates. 

We recommend that children make their first visit to the dentist when the first tooth has erupted. This is a great opportunity for parents to ask questions and seek advice. Around the age of two, a child’s visit will give them the opportunity to  “get a ride in the chair and count the teeth,” and occasionally polish, if the visit is going well. 

Many people believe that primary teeth (baby teeth) are not as important as permanent teeth. However, neglected cavities on the baby teeth can frequently lead to further problems in the development of permanent teeth. Baby teeth are important for chewing and providing space for permanent teeth to get into the proper position. Most children will begin losing their front teeth around ages six or seven, while the back teeth can be in the mouth until the child reaches 13 years or older. 

When you visit one of our offices in Harleysville or Souderton, our pediatric dental specialists will recommend fluoride in-office to protect current teeth in the mouth and fluoride supplements to strengthen developing teeth currently growing in the jawbone. Sealants are another preventative measure for your child; they fill in the grooves of the permanent molars with a safe, protective shield. While sealants are not a substitute for brushing and flossing, they can keep cavities from forming and may even stop early stages of decay. 

Radiographs (x-rays) are also a key factor in helping to diagnose certain dental conditions which could be missed. X-rays detect much more than cavities. With the proper imaging, dentists can survey erupting teeth, diagnose bone diseases or plan for future orthodontic treatment. At Weaver, Reckner & Reinhart Dental Associates, there is no need for an orthodontist referral. As a child progresses from child to young adult, Weaver, Reckner & Reinhart Dental Associates is ready to treat your child in every phase of their oral health development. By maintaining a consistent cleaning and examination schedule, it paves the way for a lifetime of preventative care and a healthy mouth. 

If you would like to learn more about pediatric dentistry in Montgomery or Bucks County, or to schedule an appointment with a leading children’s dentist in Souderton or Harleysville, browse our website or call one of our offices at 215-486-1649 or 215-486-1652 for more information.