How to Enjoy Your Halloween Treats – October 23, 2020
Halloween is a fun event filled with lots of treats. As dentists, we like our candy, too! As you go through your Halloween treats, I would like to share with you some tips on how to lessen your chances of getting cavities.
If you don’t have dairy or nut allergies, it is best to eat chocolate that melts easily. Hershey kisses, plain chocolate bars, and M & Ms are some of the better choices. It is best to stay away from chocolate with hard caramels, toffees, and nougats.
It is best to stay away from the sticky candies such as gummies, Skittles, jaw breakers, sour coated candies, and taffy (including Starburst, Airheads, Tootsie Rolls). If you are going to eat hard candies like Jolly Ranchers or lollipops, try to suck on them within a short amount of time and resist crushing them with your teeth.
When it comes to developing cavities, it is not how much candy you eat, but how frequently you are eating it. Every time you eat any sugar source, the bacteria in your mouth feed off the sugar and release acids. As you chew, the extra saliva that is released cleans your teeth and helps buffer these acids so that they don’t break down the enamel (outer layer) of the teeth. If you continuously snack on sugary treats, the acidity continues and eventually can break the enamel down to form a cavity. It is best to eat your treat in a 5 to 10 minute session and be done with it rather than to nibble on a couple of pieces every few minutes for a longer period of time.
Brush your teeth as soon as you finish your treat. If you are not home and are not able to brush right away, chew on a piece of sugar free gum to work out the remains from the teeth and to produce more saliva to buffer the acids.
This may sound unconventional, but I allow my kids to keep their candy out all year in a small bucket in sight above the refrigerator. This way they feel like it is always around and they have access to it. There is no temptation to hoard it in their rooms and sneak around to eat it. They actually end up forgetting about it and only asking for it every once in a while.
We wish you a happy and safe Halloween, and hope that you enjoy your treats ☺
Children’s Dentistry of Oakton Update – April 30, 2020
We are excited to open our doors and serve you again starting May 11! It will be a slightly different experience for a while, but please be assured that we are following every guideline and precaution to keep your families and our team safe. As a reminder, even in “normal” times, dental offices have always taken numerous steps to keep our treatment and waiting areas clean and disinfected.
Below is information about how we will be scheduling patients, additional precautions we have taken, and information about the visit itself.
Scheduling Information
- We are opening with a limited schedule to minimize the number of people in the office at one time.
- To help prevent any future dental emergencies, we will initially be prioritizing patients with dental emergencies and outstanding treatment (e.g., cavities) who had to miss their scheduled appointments.
- In certain cases, teledentistry appointments may be available, depending on your child’s dental issues, so that we can address your concerns and questions without you and your child needing to leave your home.
- For all of you who had appointments from mid-March to the first week of May, we will be calling you to reschedule the appointments. We do not want your appointments to be delayed any further; therefore, we may add extended hours, if necessary, to accommodate you.
Additional Precautions We Have Taken
- It breaks our hearts to wear extra gear that may appear scary to a young child, but it is necessary to help keep everyone safe. The front desk team will be wearing a mask. The clinical team will be wearing a different type of mask, a face shield, head covering, and a long gown. Please see Dr. Niloo’s video (attached in the link and available on Facebook, Instagram, and our website) where she shows your child what we will be wearing in order to familiarize them with what to expect when they see us.
- We are blessed that Dr. Niloo’s father, who designed the office, had the foresight to partition the treatment areas so that the children are separated by well over 6 feet. Additionally, we have always had an extra venting system that circulates fresh air from outside throughout the office all day. As an extra precaution, Dr. Niloo is also installing additional air filtration, which will further remove particles from the air.
- We have stored away our beloved toys, books, magazines, and coffee station for the time being.
Before the Visit
- Please help your child brush and floss their teeth thoroughly the night before and the day of your appointment just before you leave your home.
When You Arrive
- We ask that only one parent accompany young patients to their appointments. Please only bring the child/children who have appointments.
- Call us when you arrive in the parking lot. We will let you know when it will be your turn to come upstairs.
- Parents of children over 12 years of age are encouraged to send their children up by themselves. There are always exceptions, of course, and we are happy to accommodate you and your family on a case-by-case basis when you call us from the parking lot.
- Please wear a mask when you bring your child to the office. Your child does not need to wear a mask but is welcome to do so until the exam begins.
- After you arrive in our office, one of our team members will take the temperature of your child and the accompanying adult.
- We will call you as soon as your child is finished and discuss the treatment and any examination findings just as before. If there is a need for you to sign anything, we will let you know.
- There will be a demarcated line to show you where to stand so that you are at least 6 feet from our front desk team. As we have a spacious reception area, there was no need to place plexiglass barriers in front of our front desk area.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. This information may be modified as new guidelines are presented to us. We will get through this together!
We wish you all much good health and look forward to the day when we can give high fives and hugs to your beautiful children whom we have missed very much. ?
Sincerely,
Dr. Niloo and team
Children’s Dentistry of Oakton Update – March 13, 2020
Dear Children’s Dentistry of Oakton Families,
The health and safety of our community and team are our top priority. Our practice has always had strict guidelines for sterilization and infection control, but with all the growing concerns around the coronavirus, we want to be proactive and put additional measures in place to keep our community healthy.
As of now, we will be open during our normal business hours, and we hope to continue doing so. We will be closely monitoring guidance from the CDC and local departments of health, however, and may make adjustments accordingly. For the most current updates about the practice, you can follow us on Facebook or Instagram. We will also reach out via email with any substantial updates.
What We Are Doing
– Asking our team members to not come in when they aren’t feeling well.
– Sanitizing the toy surfaces, door handles, and our prize tower more frequently throughout the day.
– Setting aside some of the toys and books that cannot be easily sanitized.
– Encouraging patients and families to wash their hands upon arrival.
What We Ask That You Do
– Please do not bring your child to their appointment if you or they are not feeling well.
– Please do not bring any other children or adults to the office if they are not feeling well.
– If you cannot make your appointment because someone in your household is sick, please call our office as soon as possible. Although we generally require 24-hour notice for cancellations, we will be waiving all cancellation fees during this uncertain time.
Additionally, you can email (oaktonsmiles@gmail.com) or call our office if you have any questions or concerns.
Wishing your family much good health during this time,
Dr. Niloo and Team