ADHA to emphasize early education during February

In observance of National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM), the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) will emphasize the importance of early education on a proper oral health regimen. This focus builds upon the National Dental Hygiene Month message, “It’s Simple. Healthy habits for a healthy smile.”

“Educating children on the importance of their home care, and teaching proper brushing and flossing, creates a routine of healthy behavior that kids can continue into adulthood,” said Pam Quinones, RDH, BS, ADHA President. “Teaching kids at a young age sends the message that oral health care is important, and this message will have a tremendous impact on their oral and overall health for the rest of their lives. It really is a simple matter of creating habits that keep your mouth, and your entire body, healthy.”

To prevent cavities and gum disease, which affect millions of Americans — including children, good oral hygiene routines should be established as early as infancy and continued throughout life. Some tips for parents include:

• Even before teeth begin to erupt, thoroughly clean your infant's gums after each feeding with a water-soaked infant washcloth or gauze pad to stimulate the gum tissue and remove food. When the baby's teeth begin to erupt, brush them gently with a small, soft-bristled toothbrush using a pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste.
• A small amount of fluoridated toothpaste will help to inhibit decay. Fluoride is also found in mouth rinses, community water supplies, and in some foods.
• At age two or three, you can begin to teach your child proper brushing techniques. But remember, you will need to follow up with brushing and gentle flossing until age seven or eight, when the child has the dexterity to do it alone.
• Change your child’s toothbrush three to four times a year, and after every illness to avoid bacteria and germs.
• Limit the amount of sugar children can eat by encouraging them to eat fruits and vegetables for snacks instead of candies and cookies. Also, limit snacking between meals, and make sure they brush afterward.
• Determine if the water supply that serves your home is fluoridated. If there is not fluoride in your water, discuss supplement options with your dental hygienist.
• Set a good example for your child by brushing, flossing and eating healthy foods, and scheduling regular oral health visits for yourself.
• Continually remind your child about the benefits of good oral health and stress the role that nutrition plays in maintaining it.
• Schedule regular oral health appointments starting around your child's first birthday.


Instilling proper oral habits is vital, but even the best oral hygiene routine needs to be supplemented by regular oral health checkups. As preventive oral health experts, dental hygienists are the best educators when it comes to your children’s mouths. During a routine visit, your oral health professional will check for cavities in the primary teeth and watch for developmental problems, as well as help to create a positive experience that may alleviate fear at future visits.

Here are some tips for preparing children for oral checkups:

• Schedule visits to the dental hygienist at a time when your child is likely to be well rested and cooperative.
• Never mention the words “hurt” or “pain” around your child when discussing an oral health visit. Saying “it won’t hurt” instills the possibility of pain into your child’s thought process.
• Do not discuss your own negative experiences in your child’s hearing range.
• Allow and encourage your child to discuss any fear he or she might have about oral health visits.

Instructions on proper oral hygiene are available on ADHA’s website, including these diagrams on proper brushing and flossing.

ADHA encourages dental hygienists across the country to get involved during NCDHM to increase public awareness of the specific oral health issues related to children and to help parents understand how prevention plays a key role in optimum health.

How to fight Seasonal Affective Disorder

Commonly known as the "Winter Blah's), Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects about 10 million Americans, it is a biological condition caused by a deficiency of sunlight in the fall and winter, causing depression, lethargy, muddled thinking, and a craving for sweets and starch. Another 25 million have a mild form of SAD. Some individuals go into a “hibernation” mode, which can lead to boredom, weight gain and depression.

How do you avoid becoming a statistic of this illness? Experts suggest going outside and walking or jogging, any activities that will get you outside in the daylight. For severe cases, a high-intensity light box may need to be used to simulate sunlight. Light therapy makes a difference for most people.

Work on some projects during the winter months such as, home improvement, getting fit by exercise and diet, take a class or throw a winter blah’s party, a potluck where everyone pitches in for the party! Staying busy is the key to avoid falling into the blah’s.

Take up a winter sport such as skiing, snowboarding, ice skating or sledding. You may find that you actually enjoy these winter outdoor activities.

Read a great book, or read several great books. If you don’t want to purchase them your local library is an option. Find a winter activity that you enjoy to pass the time until spring arrives!

Yogurt & gum disease

It’s a bird; it’s a plane; it’s… yogurt! It appears that plain, simple yogurt may be the newest superhero in our ongoing battle against gum disease. Researchers at Kyushu University in Japan studied nearly a thousand subjects between the ages of 40 and 79, and found that those with higher intakes of lactic acid foods like yogurt exhibited significantly fewer signs of periodontal (gum) disease. The study concluded that regularly eating yogurt may help keep your gums and teeth healthy.

Gum disease is an infection that occurs in the gums, deep tissues and bones that support your teeth. Without treatment, gum disease can lead to tooth loss. The American Academy of Periodontology cites gum disease as the primary cause of tooth loss in adults age 35 and over.

The best way to fend off gum disease is to follow the same measures you take to avoid cavities:

• Brush your teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste
• Floss every day between each tooth and behind your molars
• Have your teeth professionally cleaned on a regular schedule
• Avoid smoking and tobacco use
• Maintain a healthy diet (and perhaps add some yogurt!)

It’s very important to be aware of the symptoms of gum disease, since it can often occur without pain or discomfort to signal its presence. Keep a lookout for:

• Gums that appear red or swollen
• Gums that feel tender
• Gums that bleed easily (during brushing or flossing)
• Gums that recede or pull away from the teeth
• Persistent bad breath
• Loose teeth
• Any change in the way teeth come together in the biting position
• Any change in the way partial dentures fit

If you suspect you may suffer from gum disease, make an appointment immediately. We can diagnose the problem and advise you about treatment.

The Doctor's Corner

Every fall in Ohio, the deciduous trees shed their leaves until the branches are bare. When that happens, we know that winter is on its way. Like trees that shed leaves, children shed all twenty of their deciduous teeth between the ages of 7 and 14 and when that happens, young “adulthood” is on its way. Unlike the trees that shed every leaf, children often have deciduous or “baby” teeth that do not shed. They become retained for unknown reasons and thus the permanent teeth that follow have to work around them and often erupt in a poor position. Sometimes these permanent teeth become blocked and impacted or in a position that will never allow eruption.

The shedding, or “exfoliation” of teeth begins at around 7 years of age. That is why orthodontists would like to see all children at age 7; to make sure the baby teeth are getting loose and the permanent teeth have room to erupt. A digital panoramic x-ray is usually taken at age 7 or 8 to see if all the permanent teeth are present and forming properly. The upper and lower front teeth erupt between 7 and 9 and often the orthodontist has to direct the dentist to remove baby teeth to allow proper eruption of the permanent teeth that follow. In some cases, the baby teeth fail to get loose and if they are not removed, the poor eruption can cause a front cross-bite which is damaging to the newly erupting lower permanent front teeth.

The baby canine teeth should be loose or exfoliated around the ages of 10 to 12. When these teeth fail to get loose or fall out, the permanent canine teeth often grow sideways in the bone and become impacted. If this happens, it requires an oral surgery procedure and an extra year of braces just to get this tooth back down into the proper position. Obviously, the expense is much greater as well as the difficulty of the treatment.

Although some late bloomers still have baby teeth at age 14, many early bloomers have lost all their baby teeth at nine! So waiting until 12 or 14 to be checked for proper tooth loss may be way too late! Also, you should never see two teeth in the same spot. If a permanent tooth is erupting and the baby tooth is still there, call your orthodontist or dentist and have the baby tooth removed.

It would be nice if children were like trees and exfoliated teeth like leaves but since they are not, make sure your child is evaluated for proper baby tooth loss at age seven and every 6 months after that.

Drs. Bernard and Eimer 21ST Annual Scholarship Award!

Once again Drs. Bernard and Eimer’s office is offering (3) $1,000 Scholarships to seniors in our practice from ALL schools!

21st Century Orthodontics

We currently speak to elementary schools during February for “Children’s’ Dental Health Month”. We are now offering to do presentations for middle schools or any other organizations such as PTO’s, Women’s Clubs, Civic Groups and Parent Associations.

In our standard Dental Health presentation we demonstrate proper tooth brushing and flossing, the importance of sterilization, advances in technology with x-rays, and present healthy food choices.

The presentation will be approximately 45 minutes. We also have other programs on orthodontics for adults and advances in orthodontics. Our programs can be scheduled at any time of the year not just February. If you are interested in scheduling this informative health program or any other program please contact Terri @ 330-494-4310.

Surprising Facts About Smiling

Happy New Year!

Seeing a child’s smile creates as much pleasure as 2,000 chocolate bars—or $25,000 in cash. That was the surprising finding of a British study conducted by Hewlett Packard, using an electromagnetic brain scan machine and heart-rate monitor to measure “the mood-boosting value” of various stimuli. The study also found that seeing a loved one’s smile was worth about 600 chocolate treats or 8,500 Pounds Sterling ($13,175), while a friend’s grin was valued at $225, or 200 chocolate bars. In a subsequent survey, 1,000 British adults ranked smiling as more likely to give a short-term high than sex, candy, or shopping (in that order).

Smile often—and the people around you will literally feel like a million bucks. And here are more ways it pays off to supersize your grin: Research suggests that the size of your smile may predict how successful you’ll be at love and work, how inspiring you’ll be to others, and even how long you’ll live. To learn more, I talked to Ron Gutman, author of Smile: The Astonishing Powers of a Simple Act (TED Books, 2011). Here’s a look at some of the intriguing research from around the world that he’s compiled.

Babies are born smiling.

3-D ultrasound imaging has captured vivid pictures in which developing babies are smiling in the womb, says Gutman, the CEO of Healthtap, Palo Alto, California-based healthcare social networking company. “Even before birth, babies seem to be practicing this uniquely human expression.” Initially babies smile in their sleep, but by three months of age, they learn they can inspire smiles in others through a deliberate smile—launching one of the first childhood games: the “smile exchange,” as the American Academy of Pediatrics terms this milestone in infant development.

We can detect a smile from more than 300 feet away.

That’s more than twice the distance at which we can distinguish other facial expressions. It’s thought that this ability evolved so we could quickly tell friend from foe and react accordingly. Studies at both the Institute of Cognitive Science, in France, and the University of Manchester, in the UK, separately report that a smile can even make us feel that a complete stranger looks familiar.