June 2023 - Carolina Complete Dental Blog

June 27, 2023

Goose Creek dentists Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams of Carolina Complete Dental Care give parents and children some positive ideas and techniques to handle being bullied about their teeth. Every kid feels uncomfortable in social situations sometimes, especially when they feel they “look different”—and studies show the #1 reason kids are bullied for their appearance is the way their teeth look. Bullies sense this discomfort and annoy, anger, and confuse kids who already feel vulnerable—and if the child being teased is openly reactive, the bullies may choose to step up their efforts.

Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams of Carolina Complete Dental Care would like to share some guidelines for positive self-esteem that our pediatric patients have found helpful. Parents can share these skills, which may help with more than just feelings about their teeth!

Effort: Suggest kids take extra care with their appearance to help them approach situations with more confidence—and remind them they are worth the effort!
Assertion: Encourage kids to be polite but direct. Consider ways they’ve answered past questions, and prepare to respond to things that might come up again—and to look mean kids straight in the eyes and smile at them, which will surprise the bullies (they feed off negative reactions).
Positive Self-Talk: Tell kids to repeat “I can do this” and similar messages to themselves, even if they don’t quite believe it yet.
Humor: If your child is comfortable cracking a joke or two, others laughing with them can have positive results—and make sure they are jokes everyone can laugh at without hurting anyone else’s feelings or putting themselves down.
Awareness: Avoid any location their bully or bullies seem to hang out. Let them know that staying away from a situation like this is smart—not cowardly.

Encourage kids to practice skills like these with you, friends they trust, or even in front of a mirror to help them get used to and feel more comfortable with these confident responses.

If you need to schedule a checkup or your child has any dental questions, contact Carolina Complete Dental Care today!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

June 13, 2023

Carolina Complete Dental Care w Goose Creek dentist Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, and Dr. McAdams of Carolina Complete Dental Care discusses using only water in baby bottles and sippy cups to prevent tooth decay. ants to tackle the issue of babies and water intake in today’s blog. Of course, water is the healthiest beverage available for kids and adults, particularly when it comes to oral hygiene, but in babies less than six months of age, water is a no-no.

Until babies are six months old, they have a liquid diet of formula or breast milk. Both of those are made up of 80-90% water, providing plenty of hydration and nutrition as long as they remain undiluted. Water intake for infants is detrimental because it makes them feel full, interfering with proper nutrient intake and healthy weight gain.

Once a baby is six months old, they can have small sips (a few tablespoons) of water, but caregivers should still use caution until kids are at least a year old. At that time, it is safe to give a quarter- to half-cup of water to your little one because they will be eating solid food. Whether your baby is breastfed, bottle-fed, or has graduated to solids, their gums and new teeth should be wiped with a wet washcloth or gently brushed after each feeding and before going to bed.

Putting only water in their bottles (but not before six months, and not too much!) between feedings is the best practice for your baby’s oral health. This will not help prevent acidic buildup that would otherwise lead to baby bottle tooth decay, which can happen when babies are put to bed with a bottle of milk.

If you have more questions about baby bottle tooth decay, pediatric dentistry or your baby’s first teeth, contact Carolina Complete Dental Care and schedule an appointment to talk to Dr. Barganier, Dr. Zuffi, Dr. Williams, or Dr. McAdams today!