Spreading holiday cheer to Garden Oaks Montessori School!

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This Holiday Season we were blessed to give back to some very deserving families at Garden Oaks Montessori School! Our team truly believes in the spirit of giving and helping others. We were excited to donate much needed gifts and essentials to this wonderful school and make someone else's Christmas magical!

Merry Christmas from Heights Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics!

https://www.houstonisd.org/gardenoaks

Canker Sores vs. Cold Sores: what's the difference?

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Canker sores (or called apthous ulcers) are a shallow lesion that develops inside the mouth on soft tissues, such as the cheeks, below the gums, inside of the lip, under the tongue or on the tongue. They look like a small white or yellow circle with a red border. They can burn or cause discomfort when you eat, drink or even when you brush your teeth. Canker sores do not occur on the outer surface of the lips and are NOT contagious. They are quite common and the exact cause is unknown, but they are not known to be a viral nor a bacterial infection. Possible triggers are:

  • stress,

  • acidic foods,

  • trauma such as biting the cheek, sports injury or brushing too hard,

  • ingredients in mouth products such as sodium lauryl sulfate,

  • diet lacking in vitamin B12, zinc, folate (folic acid) or iron,

  • hormonal shifts during menstruation

Most of the ulcers resolve on their own in 2 weeks. Applying a topical numbing gel can help with discomfort for children that are old enough for it. It is recommended to avoid spicy or acidic foods while the healing is in progress. Use a soft bristled toothbrush when brushing the teeth twice daily. Avoid toothpastes and mouth rinses that contain sodium lauryl sulfate.

Cold sores (or called fever blisters), however, usually appear outside the mouth on or around the lip. They usually look like a cluster of blisters, and they can eventually burst, causing oozing and crusting. Cold sores result directly from the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1). This virus is dormant until triggered, which is when you might experience a tingling or burning sensation in your mouth and the development of a sore. Several factors can trigger the recurrence of a cold sore:

  • Stress

  • Other viral infections

  • Fatigue

  • Exposure to sun or wind

  • Hormonal changes

  • Fever

Cold sores usually heal on their own but may take up to 2-4 weeks. Because cold sores are caused by HSV-1, they may be treated with an antiviral topical, blister treatment or oral medications if they do not heal on their own. The virus itself cannot be cured. The American Academy of Dermatology strongly encourages the use of sunscreen during an outbreak, as sun exposure can affect the healing of the sore. Unlike canker sores, cold sores ARE contagious and can spread easily, so to prevent spreading the virus, you should not share utensils or any other items that touch the mouth, and avoid kissing.

Our doctors are happy to address any questions or concerns. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (713) 861-4000.

Halloween Candy Buy Back

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We are having our Annual Halloween Candy Buy Back program at Heights Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics starting November 1st!

Have your kids bring their leftover Halloween candy to our office and trade it in for $1.00 per pound (up to $5.00). 

The last day to collect candy will be Friday, November 15th!

We will donate the candy along with toothbrushes to our troops overseas through Troopathon!

BEWARE of the spooky candies on HalloweEn!

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Halloween is coming up very soon!! You probably have lots of fun tricks and treats planned. We want to provide some recommendations on healthy sweets and treats to share with your BOO, and the ones to be careful of. We’re always looking out for healthy teeth and healthy smiles!!

  • You want to avoid the sticky, gooey, chewy things! These are candies and sweets such as fruit snacks, fruit roll-ups, gummy bears, jelly beans, skittles, airheads, now & laters, taffy, toffee, caramel, etc. These types of treats stick to the grooves of the teeth for a LONG time and are not easily cleansed by our saliva.  Sugars that are in sticky form have the greatest risk for cavities!

  • You want to avoid the hard candies, too. These are jolly ranchers, life savers, lollipops, etc. These also stick to the teeth and are difficult to come off. This means they spend a long time exposing the teeth to sugar and acid damage.

  • Finally, you want to avoid those high acidic candies. These include sour candies, sour sprays, fun dip, altoids, sweet tarts, sprees, etc. Acid is dangerous to the outside enamel layer of teeth, and when it causes breakdown, then a cavity forms.

Swap the for healthier options:

These include chocolates because they melt! Non-food treats include temporary tattoos, stickers, bouncy balls, colored pencils or key chains!

And remember, have your child brush their teeth before bed, and swish their mouth with water after eating Halloween sweets!

Do you have lots of those non-healthy options?

You can donate them to our

Halloween Candy Buy Back program AFTER Halloween!

Why do we take x-rays?

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Decay starting between the primary molars that cannot be seen visually!

Heights Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics is very conservative with our use of x-rays, but they are a necessary tool that helps us fully assess all of our patient’s dental needs. We use them to detect cavities, gum disease, extra or missing teeth, cysts, or infections before they worsen. They are essential to proper oral health and maintenance. X-rays help US help YOU!

Depending on a child’s individualized caries risk status which takes into account their history of cavities, quality of tooth structure, diet and snacking habits, daily oral hygiene, we then set the frequency of X-rays specific for each child. That frequency ranges anywhere from 6, 12 or 18 months. So insurance doesn’t dictate when or how often we take X-rays and they’re not necessary for every visit for every child. It’s specific to your child’s needs!

That’s an extra tooth inbetween the developing permanent incisors!

Did you know that the amount of radiation from a dental X-ray is very small, and the risk from a single image is low? For example, the minimal amount of images we take for each child is less than the amount of radiation from background sources, like the sun, TVs, smartphones, and computers. In our office we use DIGITAL x-rays which are 80-90% less radiation compared to traditional dental X-ray machines.

If you’re concerned about radiation exposure, talk with your dentist. We can help you weigh the pros and cons of the dental X-rays recommended.

Back to School Lunch Ideas!

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We know that school has just started and that means early mornings, getting all the kids out of the house with clothes and shoes one, teeth brushed, homework packed, and on time before the bell rings! We also know that dinner time can be crazy trying to come up with healthy foods for our kids somehow squeezed in-between tutors, music lessons, homework time, and sports. And when our precious babies are finally in bed, parents still have laundry, dishes, other chores and those LUNCHES to pack! Oh how easy it is to reach for prepackaged foods full of sugar and completely lacking in nutrition! Marketing companies make it so easy to pick those up from eye level grocery store shelves… So here we, your Heights Pedo Ortho team, are ready to equip you with some tips on making lunch packing easier for everyone! Start with a lunch box that has compartments! This helps pack the right amount and a variety.

Lunch needs to be healthy, easy to make, and nutritious. Here are our suggestions:

  1. The biggest compartment needs to be filled with the main meal. Sandwich with peanut butter, ham and cheese, or anything else your kids love is a good choice. Try to pick non-white bread to make it a bit more healthy. You can also pack a salad, pasta, meatballs, chicken, etc into that larger compartment. Simple wraps made with tortillas are also great ideas kids love. You can make enough pasta to last the whole week. You can make few sandwiches at a time and store in your fridge. The main meal should be an easy pick and pack on daily basis instead of making something new every day.

  2. One of the smaller compartments can fit fruit and/or veggies. For fruit we suggest anything that can easily be sliced at the beginning of the week or fits into the box without cutting up. Apples, oranges, berries, grapes, or kiwis are all great and can be cut up on Sunday night and distributed daily. Best veggies are the ones that your kids will eat. We find that kids like carrots, celery, broccoli, peas in a pod, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers. Have them all ready for easy “throw in” at the beginning of the week.

  3. Another small compartment can be used for a healthy carb such as pretzels, healthier version of chips or crackers. Kids like crunchy snacks in addition to their main meal and fruit and veggies. Granola or nut mixes are also great to fill in this spot. If you choose to pack granola bars, read labels as they are often filled with empty calories and sugar. However, there are many great alternatives on the market now, so do your research before and buy in bulk.

  4. Last but not least…. a TREAT! The smallest compartment should be the one filled with a treat. Try to stay away from anything that is sticky, gooey or filled with chemicals. But a piece of chocolate, small cookie, chocolate or yogurt dipped pretzels, never hurt anyone and your kids will look forward to those little treats!

  5. SNACKS - these might not fit in a lunch box, but your kids will appreciate something to snack on throughout the day. There are plenty of healthy and non-sugar filled yogurts, apple sauces, puddings, fresh fruit such as apples and bananas, and other packaged foods that can make your kids happy!

  6. DRINKS - we have only one word… WATER. A carton of milk at lunch time is perfectly healthy, but otherwise they need nothing but water to drink throughout the day. And lots of it! Encourage them to stay hydrated. Flavored waters without sugar or sodium can be a once a day treat as well. Stay away from soda, energy drinks and sports drinks as those are loaded with unnecessary soda!

We sure do hope that this helps guide your on your daily lunch box quest! Remember, the less cutting, slicing, and spreading you can do daily, the less you will despise lunch making hour! And if we have to summarize it in one sentence here it is:

STAY AWAY FROM LIQUID SUGARS,

GOOEY, CHEWY, STICKY SNACKS,

AND MAKE YOUR KIDS’ LUNCH BOXES

AS COLORFUL AS YOU CAN!