Let's talk about THUMB SUCKING!

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Thumb sucking is a natural and comforting behavior that many babies and young children engage in. It’s often part of their early developmental stages providing them with a way to self-soothe. The behavior may become a concern if it persists as the child grows older. It can potentially lead to dental issues such as misalignment of the teeth, narrow jaw development, airway patency concerns, and sometimes affects speech development.

Some children stop thumb sucking on their own by age 3 or 4, but many need help from parents and health professionals. In our practice we start working with kids and parents to wean them off the habit at three years of age. Here are our recommendations on step by step approach:

  1. Positive Reinforcement: Offer praise and rewards when the child refrains from sucking his or her thumb. We provide charts that can help kids achieve daily rewards. We also encourage parents to praise kids abundantly and to bring them to our office for big prizes when completely weaned off. Here is a link to our free and printable charts. https://www.heightspedoortho.com/charts

open bite due to thumb sucking

2. Distractions: If thumb sucking is related to a specific comfort items (like a stuffed animal or blanket), remove them from child’s reach at vulnerable times such as watching TV, car rides, or sleeping. Meantime introduce other soothing techniques such as deep breathing or a calming activity.

example of a thumb guard

3. Physical barriers: If thumb sucking continues beyond the age of 4, try using band aids, gloves, Malvala nail polish, or other physical “thumb guards” to help kids remember not to put the thumb in their mouths.

4. Dental thumb appliance: If all else fails, our team can fabricate custom fitted mouth guard that will be temporarily glued on molars in order to help kids quit the habit completely. It blocks the thumb from creating the suction with the palate, which is the feeling kids crave. These appliances are easy to wear and do not inflict any pain or harm. We recommend wearing them for 6 months in order to ensure full success.

Feel free to call us anytime you have questions about how to help your little one with stopping thumb sucking habit. We know it is a journey and many of our doctors and team members struggled with this issue with our own kids. We have personal experience as well as resources to help our families!

dentist made thumb appliance

Contest Winner

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Contest winner!

We love our patients and their sweet ways to welcome the New Year! Our New Year’s Resolutions contest lasted all January long and we’ve see so many great ways our patients want to welcome 2025! But all good things come to an end so we finally drew our winner!

NICO you’re the one! Nico’s resolution for 2025 is to BRUSH CLOSER TO HIS GUMS AND FLOSS! Way to go Nico. We certainly support this idea :)

What is Swim Stain?

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Swim staining, commonly known as "swimmer’s stain," refers to discoloration of teeth after prolonged exposure to chlorinated water. This staining can be yellowish, brownish or greenish in color and can range from mild to severe. It commonly affects competitive swimmers, recreational swimmers or just swimmers who spend a lot of time in pool water. Chlorine, while essential for keeping pool water clean and free from bacteria, can lower the pH of the water. Highly acidic water increases the likelihood of enamel erosion, which allows staining agents to penetrate the surface of the teeth more easily. Many pools contain metals like copper and iron, often used in algaecides or other cleaning treatments. These metals can bind to the enamel on your teeth, leading to a greenish or brownish discoloration. This is particularly common in pools with poor filtration systems or those that are not regularly maintained. Dry mouth can make enamel more susceptible to damage, so swimmers who also breathe through their mouth instead of their nose, have less saliva production. Less saliva means less protection of the teeth. While staining is the most common noticeable problem, teeth can also appear dull, less glossy or even feel rougher due to the enamel being worn down.

How can you prevent swim stain?

1) Brush your teeth before swimming. This will help remove the plaque or biofilm on the surface of the teeth, and help minimize the amount of chlorine or chemicals that stick to your teeth. Using fluoridated toothpaste helps to prevent tooth decay and protect enamel from acidic breakdown. You can also use a tartar control or whitening toothpaste that has gentle abrasives for helping remove surface stains and specific ingredients that help break down the stains on your teeth.

2) Rinse your mouth with fresh water before and after swimming, and drink water during breaks. This will help keep your mouth hydrated, promote saliva production and minimize the amount of time chlorine or chemicals are exposed to your teeth.

3) Check the chlorine and chemical levels. Make sure the pool water is tested, well-maintained, filtered appropriately, and has a healthy balanced pH.

4) Visit your dentist more frequently for professional dental cleanings. We can use professional dental abrasive pumice and polishing systems to keep the teeth clean, smooth and polished.

If you have noticed swim stain, would like to know more or want to schedule your child for an appointment for a dental cleaning, give us a call at 713-861-4000!

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!