Why should I find a 'dental home' for my child?

As parents and caregivers resolve to develop new healthy habits for their families in 2015, finding a dental home – the home base for your child’s oral health needs – should be at the top of your list. If you are among those parents striving to fulfill a checklist of healthy promises for your family, remember that good oral health is a vital part of overall health and well-being, and finding a dental home will ensure the best care for little teeth.
What is a dental home?
A dental home is the ongoing relationship between the dentist and the patient, inclusive of all aspects of oral health care delivered in a comprehensive, continuously accessible and family-centered way. While it’s ideal to establish a dental home by age 1, it is never too late! In addition to the regular cleaning and care provided at twice yearly check-ups, your pediatric dentist will provide parents and caregivers personalized guidance and tips to help children establish healthy habits at home.

Why is this important?

Finding a pediatric dentist to establish a dental home is vital to keeping little teeth healthy - here are some important reasons why:

• Prevention keeps kids cavity-free. Tooth decay is a significant problem with young children in the U.S. – nearly 60 percent of children have it by age 5. The good news that it is nearly 100 percent preventable. A dental home ensures that you have the knowledge and tools you need to help your kids maintain healthy teeth and prevent cavities.
• Help when an accident happens. As all parents know, it’s always good to expect the unexpected! Do you know who to call if your child chips or knocks a tooth out? The answer should be your pediatric dentist.
• Specialized training. Pediatric dentists receive two to three years of training beyond dental school on child psychology, growth and development, and special health care needs.
• A welcoming environment. Pediatric dental offices are kid-friendly and family-oriented because making kids feel relaxed and comfortable is a priority. After all – what kid would not look forward to an office with cartoons on TV, their favorite books, stickers and goody bags all tailored to make them smile!

So how do I find a dental home?

Whether it’s through a pediatrician, school nurse or other parents, it’s common to find a pediatric dentist by word of mouth through a trusted contact. Since pediatricians and school nurses have good working relationships with pediatric dentists in the area, they can make recommendations for your family. You can also use a pediatric dentist finder on mychildrensteeth.org to find a pediatric dentist near you.

By finding a dental home, you will have a trusted partner to help keep your children’teeth healthy. Check out this story about one mom’s perspective on why she is happy that she found a dental home for her son.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/healthy_kids/Why-should-I-find-a-dental-home-for-my-child.html#TIWJWEJCpQshc8wk.99

Kolibree ‘gamifies’ its smart electric toothbrush

Some kids don’t like brushing their teeth. So France’s Kolibree came up with a connected smart electric toothbrush that trains them how to do it properly.

It announced the toothbrush last year, and now it has a couple of apps that “gamify” brushing, or use game mechanics to motivate people to do something they wouldn’t ordinarily do. It’s another sign of how the so-called “Internet of Things” — turning everyday objects into connected devices — continues to march into our homes.

Kolibree isn’t the first company to do this. GamesBeat covered Grush: The Gaming Toothbrush for Kids back in April.

Kolibree’s toothbrush can use connectivity and 3D motion sensors to figure out where the brush is in your mouth when you are using it.

“It is like GPS [global positioning system] for your mouth,” said Kolibree chief executive Thomas Serval in an interview with VentureBeat at the 2015 International CES, one of the world’s biggest tech trade shows.

While you’re brushing, you can use the mobile app to run a game, like an endless runner with a pirate theme. If you have the toothbrush in the right position, your character will run and pick up gold coins. If you miss some areas, you won’t get the coins. The feedback works via Bluetooth in real time.

The games gets kids to brush for the right amount of time, and then it produces analytics with a picture of your teeth. If your teeth are gold, you have hit the right spots. If they are red, you need to do a better job brushing, Serval said.

Kolibree has provided an open application programming interface (API) for developers to create more games, like The Pirates Game. Another is Kolibree Coach, which is still fun but it is for older brushers.

The $200 device ships later this month in the U.S. and sometime in the first quarter in Europe. A dental insurance company, Dentegra, has teamed up with Kolibree to give the toothbrush to members for a discount.
 

Takahashi, D. (2015, January 7). Kolibree 'gamifies' its smart electric toothbrush. Retrieved January 21, 2015, from http://venturebeat.com/2015/01/07/kolibree-gamifies-its-smart-electric-toothbrush-video/