Teach Kids to Go Green

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22nd. This day is used to spread environmental awareness and show support for environmental protection. The Earth and its natural resources are important to allowing all living organism, from plants to humans, to thrive in the world. However, the environment isn't going to protect itself. We must take action to make sure Earth is in a clean and healthy state. Since Earth Day was launched in 1970 there has been progress with legal acts being put in place to support environmental safety. Let’s celebrate this Earth Day by getting the entire family involved.

Just like all good habits if you start young it is more likely these habits will last a lifetime. Children are the future, so teaching kids to go green is investing in the longevity of Earth. Going green simply means implementing certain lifestyle changes designed to help you live in a more eco-friendly way. It means becoming more environmentally aware and changing your behavior and lifestyle to reduce the amount of pollution and waste you generate.

Here are 5 easy ways for kids to “Go Green”:

Never Let the Water Run: Teach kids that they should never let water run. For example while brushing teeth you should only run the water when necessary, not the entire 2 minutes you are brushing your teeth.

Recycle or Reuse: Recycle paper, plastics, glass and metal. You can do this easily by creating dedicated bins within your household labeled for each material.

Don’t be a Liter Bug: Teach kids the importance of not littering the streets with trash, also getting your child involved in community projects promoting cleaning up public areas like parks is a great way to support good going green habits.

Turn it Off and Unplug:  Even when electronics and appliances are turned off, they still consume energy if plugged in the electrical outlet. Conserve energy by children to unplug their game systems, computers, chargers, or audio equipment. Also, turn off lights and TVs once exiting a room.

Get a Green Thumb: Get in the backyard and try planting and growing your own garden. Grow your own flowers, or take it a notch up and even grow you own vegetables.

Every little action you take to protect the Earth helps, start today and help save the planet. To learn more about Earth Day visit Earthday.org

Keep Your Teeth Healthy On The Road

It's Spring Break season so this means vacation traveling. Even when you are not in the comfort of your own home don’t let your healthy teeth habits fall to the wayside. Having a clean mouth is important. Brushing and flossing removes a thin sticky film of bacteria that grows on your teeth. This sticky film, called plaque, is the main cause of tooth decay and gum disease.

The best way to keep your teeth healthy while on the road you must keep a kit with you to make sure everything you need is on hand while under Orthodontic treatment.

Here are some of the items that need to be in your kit:

Travel Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Mouthwash
Threader floss
Rubber bands
Mini Mirror

& in case of a dental emergency
Dental wax
Cold pack
Over the counter pain killers

Putting together a mini dental travel kit is the easiest way to support your healthy habits while on the road. Also, your kit will make sure you have your emergency items for your braces on hand. Get a small bag that can easily fit in your carrier and fill it with all the items you need. Also, make sure you keep a contact card with Dr. Bailey's information inside your kit just in case you have an emergency and need to contact our office.

Protect Your Face! #NationalFacialProtectionMonth

As temperatures rise during spring more people are enticed to partake in outdoor activities. Most of the time those activities are physical sporting activities, and with physical activity we have to make sure we taking the necessary precautions to protect our bodies from injury.

Each year during the month of April the Academy for Sports Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Association, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and the American Association of Orthodontists sponsor National Facial Protection Month.

National Facial Protection Month focuses on spreading awareness about the importance of protecting children and adults from oral and facial injuries. Many injuries that do occur during sporting activities could have been prevented had the proper protective gear had been worn. An estimated 12 million people between the ages of 5 and 22 years suffer a sport-related injury annually.  A recently published study by the University of Alabama at Birmingham analyzed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), a database of injuries treated at hospital emergency departments, for the period 2001-2008. Researchers found the five most common causes of childhood injuries were, in order of frequency, basketball, football, bicycling, playgrounds and soccer.

For our patients we want to remind you that it is important for you to protect your mouth during treatment. For protection you must wear a mouth guard. A mouth guard can help prevent injury to the teeth, mouth and even jaw. Mouth guards are made of flexible material that is fitted to protect yourupper and lower teeth. You can buy a stock mouth guard or get a custom guard made. The right fit mouth guard will act as cushions protecting your mouth from hits and preventing serious injury.

The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons advise that you to take five, and take in these five simple safety tips:

• Mouth Guards are a Must. Mouth guards are significantly less expensive than the cost to repair an injury, and dentists and dental specialists can make customized mouth guards that hold teeth in place and allow for normal speech and breathing.  

• Helmets are always Helpful. Helmets absorb the energy of an impact and help prevent damage to the head.  

• Have 20/20 Vision with Protective Eyewear. Eyes are extremely vulnerable to damage, especially when playing sports.

• Face Shields Save Skin…and more. Hockey pucks, footballs and racquetballs can cause severe facial damage at any age.

• Cheer and Shout Out Your Support for Mandatory Protective Gear.  Athletes who participate in football, hockey and boxing are required to wear mouth guards. If mouth guards have been proven to significantly decrease the risk of oral injuries, why is it not mandatory in every sport for kids to wear them?

To learn more about National Facial Protection Month please visit AAOMS.org

EGG-cellent Easter Activities

You may have noticed bunnies and eggs popping up everywhere, along with dazzling spring colors.. well that’s because Easter Day is coming. Easter is this Sunday, April 5th and with the beautiful weather that spring has brought on it is a perfect time to get outside with your family and get involved in Easter themed activities.

Easter Day activities are fun for kids, but can bring joy to the family as a whole. And the great part about these activities is that you can pick up supplies at your local store for a round of DIY fun!

Here are 3 EGG-cellent Do It Yourself activities:

Dying Eggs
Traditionally eggs are off-white, but with beautiful colors blossoming from nature why not add a little life and color to our eggs on this holiday. The main things you need are eggs are food coloring. For detailed instructions on dying eggs click here. Here are a few egg design ideas.

Hunting Down Eggs
The day of Easter is the perfect time to invite family and friends over so kids can enjoy a fun-filled Easter egg hunt. What you’ll need is plastic eggs and mini treats. You’ll need to put the treats inside the plastic eggs, after you fill the eggs it is time to strategically hide the eggs in your yard. Let the kids run wild and find the hidden eggs. To make the hunt more fun you can pick a grand prize for the child who finds the most eggs!

Bunny Crafts
Since Easter is synonymous with bunnies, having your kids create bunny crafts can be fun! Here are some ideas for bunny crafts.

Bunny Mask

Click here for more fun ideas

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