Ryder's Ready for Christmas!

Hey Everybody, 

      I hope you all are getting ready for Christmas - I know I can't wait! Christmas is my favorite time of year! I get to see all of my family and eat so many yummy leftovers. This year I asked Santa Clause if he would make it a white Christmas. I love playing in the snow. Check out this video of me playing in last year's snow.

 What did you ask Santa for this year? We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love,

Ryder

How Dr. Leaf Began his Career in Dentistry, an Interview

Where did you go to school?

I went to Georgetown University School of Dentistry and then did my pediatric dental residency at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Was there any special training required to be a pediatric dentist?

We have a lot of different disciplines – we learn about growth and development, behavior management, tooth movement, orthodontics, the drilling and filling and all the different procedures, and of course, pediatric dentistry.  We also had instructors teach us about patients with special needs – everything from cleft palates to heart conditions, and all different kinds of special needs patients.  We also learned a lot about emergency care and spent time in the emergency room.  There was also specialized training to do dentistry under general anesthesia.

Something else I learned is how to take care of Pandas!!  While I was at Children's Hospital, part of my rotation was in  the anesthesiology department.  One day, I actually left with one of the anesthesiologists so we could put LingLing to sleep while they did some diagnostic procedures.  So that was kind of a little sidebar but something pretty cool when I was in the program.

When did you think you first wanted to be a dentist?

When I was about thirteen years old, I was playing baseball and I got hit in the mouth with a ball.  I ended up having a front tooth that was going to need a root canal.  My parents took me to a dentist who was a young guy.  He let me hold some of the instruments and let me develop x-rays with him (that's when we had a tank to develop x-rays) and he didn't hurt me.  I said to myself – WOW! - this might be a cool profession!

Then when I was a senior in high school, I got a job as a volunteer at the Eastman Dental Center.  The director said, “Gee, I wonder where I should put you?”  He said, “We have a brand new program – it's called pediatric dentistry.  I'll put you with those guys.”  They were young, they were energetic, they were happy, and they were taking care of the kids!  It appeared as if they were having a good time!  They let me seat the patients, put on their napkins, hold their hands, and get them their balloons and stickers.  I really had the time of my life that summer!

Now that you are a pediatric dentist, do you have any favorite parts of working with the kids?

You know, no – I really don't.  Actually, you know what the favorite part is?  When you have somebody who gives me a hug when they're finished, especially if they have had a hard time and  then they come back six months later, “Hey Dr. Leaf!”, high five me, or give me a hug.  That's like – wow -  money can't buy that!  That's what I do like the best!

4 GREAT Reasons to Love Your Sealants

   

       Sealants are a thin, tooth colored, and flowable material that covers the deep grooves and pits in molar teeth. It is easy for bacteria/plaque to accumulate and hide out, and it is often a hard place for tooth brushes to reach. Sealants reduce cavities simply by covering a surface that is more prone to cavities, but they are great for other reasons too!

1. They're 0.00000% BPA Free and Bis-DMA Free
      BPA is a cancer-causing chemical used in some plastics and resins. In 1996, the Granada Study was released*. This study reported that all sealants contained Bisphenal-A (BPA). However, only one sealant brand was tested in the study.
       What is BIS-DMA, it is another bisphenol based product that is sometimes used in sealants or resin based composites. When it reacts with saliva, it breaks down into BPA. Dr. Leaf only uses sealants that do not contain BPA or BIS-DMA in order to help keep your child's teeth and body healthy!

2. The sealant releases fluoride to the tooth to promote healthy enamel
       Fluoride is essential for the health of your teeth. It helps to strengthen the enamel of the tooth which helps prevent against decay. It also helps to remineralize and repair areas where the tooth might have been weakened or where a cavity has begun to form.

3. They are certified gluten free
       The sealants we use are evaluated by a testing organization known as the Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO). This organization measures the amount of gluten in a product by standards set by the Association of Analytical Communities and the American Association of Clinical Chemistry to ensure that a product is gluten free.

4. They are 96.3% Effective
    In a study surveying 350 adolescents two-years after sealants were placed 96.3% of the youth had no new pit and fissure carious lesions (signs of decay) and the sealants had stayed intact**. If your child is getting routine 6 month check-up and cleanings, it can be expected that this number will increase as we evaluate and reapply sealants as needed.

Comment below with your reasons why YOU love your sealants!




*Olea N, Pulgar R, Pérez P, Olea-Serrano F, Rivas A, Novillo-Fertrell A, et al. 1996. Estrogenicity of resin-based composites and sealants used in dentistry. Environmental Health Perspectives (104,
3, pp. 298–305)
**Boksman L, Carson B. Two-year retention and cured rate of UltraSeal XT and Fluorshield light-cured pit and fissure sealants. Gen Dent. 1998; 46(2); 184-7

Thumbs, Fingers, Pacifiers, Oh My!

Fingers, thumbs, and pacifiers are all great ways for children to self soothe, but what do you do when it's time to stop?

Cross-bite, open-bite
caused by thumb habit

10 Tips from the ADA to Stay Mouth Healthy for Halloween

1. Eat Halloween candy and other sugary foods with meals or shortly after mealtime. 

• Saliva production increases during meals and helps cancel out acids produced by bacteria in your mouth and helps rinse away food particles.

2. Avoid hard candy and other sweets that stay in your mouth for a long time.

•  Besides how often you snack, the length of time sugary food is in your mouth plays a role in tooth decay. Unless it is a sugar-free product, candies that stay in the mouth for a long period of time subject teeth to an increased risk for tooth decay. 

3. Avoid sticky candies that cling to your teeth.

•  The stickier candies, like taffy and gummy bears, take longer to get washed away by saliva, increasing the risk for tooth decay.

4. Drink more water.

•  Drinking optimally fluoridated water can help prevent tooth decay. If you choose bottled water, look for kinds that are fluoridated. 

5. Maintain a healthy diet. 

• Your body is like a complex machine. The foods you choose as fuel and how often you "fill up" affect your general health and that of your teeth and gums. 

6. Avoid beverages with added sugar such as soda, sports drinks or flavored waters. 

• When teeth come in frequent contact with beverages that contain sugar, the risk of tooth decay is increased.

7. Chew gum that has the ADA Seal.

•  Chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes after meals helps reduce tooth decay, because increased saliva flow helps wash out food and neutralize the acid produced by dental plaque bacteria. 

8. Brush your teeth twice a day with an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste.

•  Replace your toothbrush every three or four months, or sooner if the bristles are frayed. A worn toothbrush won't do a good job of cleaning your teeth. 

9. Clean between teeth daily with floss.

•  Decay-causing bacteria get between teeth where toothbrush bristles can't reach. Flossing helps remove plaque and food particles from between the teeth and under the gum line.

10. Visit an ADA member dentist.

•  Regular visits to your ADA-member dentist can help prevent problems from occurring and catch those that do occur early, when they are easy to "treat."

ADA Mouth Healthy Campaign

5 Dental Tips For Your Child Under 5

 

   1. Wipe teeth after bottle or breast feeding.

After bottle or breast feeding your baby, it is important not to let their teeth soak in milk while they sleep. The lingering milk has sugars in it that will damage your baby's teeth. To remove the milk, use a damp cloth and gently wipe their teeth. For older children, send them to bed with a bottle of water, not sugary juices or milk.  

   2. Say no to gummy vitamins

While gummy vitamins may be an easy way to get your child to take a supplement, the sticky candy clings to the chewing surface of the teeth. To help ward off potential cavities brush teeth after taking a chewable vitamin, or consider a liquid or pill vitamin.

   3. Reduce snacking between meals

The average pH of saliva is around 7.0 -- when a meal is eaten, the pH level of your mouth changes. This is a concern because a lower pH level creates a more acidic environment in your mouth which helps to breed cavity-causing bacteria. If snacks are being eaten regularly throughout the day, your mouth hardly gets a chance to return to its normal pH level! While snacks may be a tasty treat for your tummy, too many could lead to cavities.

   4. Dilute juices

Juices are a great addition to any breakfast and full of vitamin C! Unfortunately they are also full of sugar that will linger on the teeth. To help prevent decay dilute juices, or drink water afterwards.

   5. Make brushing fun!

Many children see brushing as a tedious chore, but healthy teeth do not have to create nightly battles. So tie on some bath towel capes to help save Tooth Town from the evil sugar bugs, or listen to your favorite song as you brush!