February is National Children's Dental Health Month!

This month is about creating a healthy start for children’s oral health. If you haven’t met the fabulous Ms. Yvette yet, then be on the lookout for her at your school or daycare! She is traveling around town promoting healthy smiles! She is giving presentations to children and families about brushing, flossing, healthy diet habits, oral hygiene and what routine dental appointments are like so children don’t have to be scared! Enjoy these photos of one of her presentations to kick off the month!

Do you want Ms. Yvette to visit your school? Please contact us!

Important Facts to know for children’s dental health:

1. Tooth decay is the most common childhood disease.

2. 3 out of 5 children are affected by tooth decay.

3. It is 5 times more common than asthma.

4. 51 million school hours are missed due to oral disease.

5. It is recommended to see the pediatric dentist by your child’s first birthday!

6. Brush your child’s teeth twice a day for 2 minutes. Then floss to clean in between the teeth. Parents should help with brushing until they can clearly write their own name.

7. Fluoride helps to make enamel stronger and protects teeth against cavities by fighting acid & erosion.

February Employee of the Month!

One of our team members was a shining star in January and was voted Employee of the Month! Congratulations to…

Dental Assistant & New Patient Coordinator, Yvette!

You can find her always busy working and taking pride with everything she does!! Thank you for your continuous care and love you give to all the babies and children at Heights Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics. You are our Wonder Woman!

Congratulations, Yvette!!

iTero Scanner is here!

We are so excited because we finally equipped our practice with an iTero digital scanner! We all loved Dr. Darsey’s scanner from his Memorial office so much that we finally decided that we need one for all our pediatric and orthodontic patients here at Heights Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics.

Want to know what this machine might be??? Well… do you remember those gooey messes that were put in your mouth on plastic trays to get a mold of your teeth? The ones that made you gag? The ones that made a mess of your clothes and stuck in all the crevices of your mouth for the rest of the day? Oh yes, those were fun! But now you can now say goodbye to those! Our iTero scanner is a wand that takes digital pictures of your mouth and sends them directly to a lab that fabricates appliances. We use the scanner for anything from Invisalign to space maintainers for kids in cases of early loss of baby teeth, or expanders for orthodontic movement of teeth and jaws.

It takes just a few minutes to scan the upper and lower jaws. The wand is painless and gives improved accuracy for the lab which in turn can make better fitting appliances. We are super excited about our new scanner and cannot wait to show it off to you!

Birthday Party Winner!

How adorable is this Dumbo-themed 2nd birthday party at the Children’s Museum of Houston?! Congratulations to our birthday contest winner! We love making our patients happy and helping celebrate your birthday!!

“[It] was a huge hit. Special thanks to you and Heights Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics for helping making it happen. The goodie bags were wonderful as well!”

Drop your name in our birthday box when you check in for your next appointment and you could be our next birthday party drawing winner with Heights Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics!

Enamel Hypoplasia

Enamel is that hard, protective, visible outside layer of the tooth. It keeps teeth strong and healthy! Have you ever noticed any discolorations or defects in your child’s tooth? You could be noticing enamel hypoplasia. This condition is a defect that causes a lesser quantity of enamel than normal. It can appear as a white spot, yellow to brown staining, pits, grooves or even thin, chipped or missing parts of enamel. In severe cases, the enamel doesn’t develop at all.

Because of these surface irregularities, hypoplastic teeth can have the following dental problems: more sensitive to heat or cold or pain, more prone to wearing down from grinding or “tooth to tooth contact”, more susceptible to an “acid attack” from the sugars in our foods and drinks, more susceptible to trapping plaque and bacteria, and more prone to tooth decay.

If you see a concerning area on your child’s teeth, then its best to schedule an appointment with your pediatric dentist! It is important to check and monitor these teeth. There are also many different treatment options if necessary depending on the severity of the hypoplasia and the child’s ability to cooperate during dental treatment. Options may include protective sealants, desensitizing agents like Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF), esthetic composite resin or “tooth-colored” fillings, full coverage crowns, or microabrasion. If left untreated, cavities may form and lead to pain or dental infection.

Just because a baby tooth has hypoplasia, doesn’t mean a permanent tooth will. These irregularities can occur before, during, or after birth of the child. Your primary and permanent teeth are developing at different times.

There are many different causes of enamel hypoplasia from genetics to environmental factors. This list includes: inherited developmental conditions, vitamin deficiencies, maternal illness, medications given to mother prior to birth or to the child during early childhood when teeth are developing, preterm birth, low birthweight, trauma to the teeth, infection, malnutrition, systemic diseases, and smoking or drug abuse.

Good oral hygiene and a healthy diet are important for all of our patients, and especially those with hypoplastic teeth. We recommend brushing twice daily with fluoridated toothpaste. Maintain a diet low in sugar and be sure to avoid those ooey, gooey, sticky snacks! And don’t forget to visit your dentist at least twice a year for a checkup, professional cleaning and fluoride application.

Interested to learn more about dental conditions and some of the services we provide in our office? Check out our clinical updates under the resources tab on our website!

January Employee of the Month!

Happy New Year!! We are so excited to announce this year’s very first Employee of the Month! Drum roll please….

Dental Assistant, Jackie!

Our staff all said that Miss Jackie is always so helpful, happy and smiling!

Check out our “Wall of Fame” and congratulate her the next time you are in the office!! Way to go Jackie!!

Happy New Year!

This year has been full of lots of laughter and smiles from our patients to our staff. We are truly thankful for our entire Heights community. Thank you for making 2019 a wonderful year! Cheers to 2020!

- Dr. Darsey, Dr. Lindhorst, Dr. Rogers, Dr. Theriot, and the entire Heights Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics Team

Heights Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics Staff Christmas Party

We just love the holiday season and the opportunity to celebrate the wonderful year we have had with our amazing team. We all enjoyed a delicious lunch at Crisp. We shared stories about the adventures we had throughout the year, surprised each other with Secret Santa gifts, laughed our way through a white elephant exchange and then topped it all off with a fun afternoon at Painting with a Twist! It was such a fun day spending quality time as a team for the holidays.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of our patients and families!

Dental Holiday Gift Ideas

The holidays are here and we know you have probably been hustling and bustling around town to find the perfect gifts for your loved ones! Dr. Lindhorst and the Heights Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics team whipped up a quick and easy dental gift-giving guide!  We figured that one thing we can help you with are holiday gifts and stocking stuffers that are easy to get and great for achievable New Year’s Resolutions.

1. Sonicare or OralB electric toothbrushes are great!  They cost around $100 plus, but they are a truly wonderful and motivating tool for kids and adults alike.  They come with timers, various speeds and modes, and have smart apps that help kids stay on task.  Now keeping that New Year’s commitment to brushing twice a day for full two minutes is a breeze!

2. Battery operated toothbrushes are less expensive and do not have the ultrasonic mode, but they are fun, pretty, come with timers, sing songs, and often have apps that can help kids focus.  And what’s easier to commit to than a sing along???

3. A variety of teeth whitening kits are sold over the counter, but you can ask us about prescription strength ones as well.  What a thoughtful gift for that teenager straight out of braces!

4. Floss comes in all shapes, sizes, and flavors.  Check out super fun ones like cotton candy, grape, or even bacon!  Great stocking stuffers!

5. Dental timers are especially useful for keeping brushing time if you are using a manual toothbrush.  Stop by our office and we will equip you with some in your favorite color.

6. Sugar free gum or mints, especially ones sweetened with xylitol can make wonderful stocking stuffers as well.

7. The Waterpik is an excellent adjunct to your brushing and flossing routine, and makes a great gift! Kids think it’s fun to do so it peaks their interest in cleaning their teeth. They are inexpensive and even come in a wireless version that takes up less space on the bathroom counter.

You can always stop by our office to ask for other ideas and samples.  We have a variety of ultrasonic toothbrushes, whitening kits we tried out ourselves, super cool dental timers, and a plethora of knowledge about dental products!

Happy, fun, joyous, and non-stressful holidays!

And best of luck keeping all your dental New Year’s Resolutions in 2020.

December Employee of the Month!

Drum roll please!!

Our December employee of the month is…

Ms. Phuong!

She is one of our newest additions to the Heights Pedo Ortho team. She is a bubbly and wonderful person to welcome you at our front desk!

• “She is always happy, inviting, super friendly and professional.”

• “She is great to work with and a very positive person. She’s kind and smiles all day.”

• “She is doing a great job learning her roles and is very LOVED by the team!“

Congratulations Phuong! We’re so lucky to have you at Heights Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics!

Fall Contest Winner!

Our team at Heights Pedo Ortho is thankful for our outstanding team, our amazing patients and their sweet families. We have enjoyed learning what YOU are thankful for during our Fall contest! Your leaves of thankfulness have filled up the tree in our office! Watch our video to find out who won the contest!

Congratulations Amelia!

Thank you everyone for participating! Stay tuned for our Spring contest!

Sparkling Water

It seems like everywhere you look, a new type of sparkling water has appeared on the market. You know some of their names like Perrier, Topo Chico, San Pelligrino, La Croix and others. What are they? These are carbonated waters, which is water containing carbon dioxide gas. This can occur naturally from certain mineral springs or through an artificial process under pressure, which produces carbonic acid. Yes, I said acid. But how acidic is TOO acidic, and what does this mean for your teeth?

The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. Anything below 7 is an acid, and anything over 7 is basic. Drinks that should be avoided are those with a very low pH (<4) or very acidic, for example, fruit juices, fruit drinks, sodas, sweetened teas, sports drinks, and energy drinks. Those above 4 are considered minimally erosive to the teeth. Carbonated waters can be found in the range of 3-6. Regular water is typically found between 5-7. You can visit the ADA.org for a comprehensive list of beverages and their associated pH levels and erosive potentials.

A recent study by the ADA determined that even though carbonated water is slightly more acidic than regular water, they had about the same effects on teeth. So there you have it! Carbonated water is a better alternative than sodas, juices, and other sugary drinks mentioned above, BUT be sure to check for added sugars, flavors or citruses! These will increase its acidity, thus increasing your risk for cavities.

The best water is regular, fluoridated water.

November Employees of the Month!

Once again we couldn’t decide on just one Employee of the Month for November! We have two! Congratulations:

Kendyl and Juliana

“Kendyl is a great ortho assistant and does a great job keeping up with ortho every day!”

“Juliana is sweet, smiles all day, and is always busy. She is always nice & respectful to everyone.”

They are part of our amazing orthodontics team. Their experience and compassion makes your ortho experience a breeze, and they love seeing your smiling faces every week!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the US. While very rare, men can develop breast cancer too.

The month of October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month with its purpose to raise awareness about breast cancer and educate men and women alike about the symptoms, prevention, treatment, and share stories about those that have fought, are fighting or lost the battle against breast cancer. There are many different ways to get involved, support, donate or volunteer during this month, and help those alongside their journey.

Facts about Breast Cancer:

• Breast cancer is a disease in which the cells in the breast grow out of control. There are many different types of cells in the breast, which means there are many different kinds of breast cancer.

• More than 245,000 women in the US get breast cancer each year. Most breast cancer is found in women ages 50 and older, with about 11% in women under age 45.

• Risk for getting breast cancer is higher if there is a strong family history of having breast cancer, or inherited changes in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.

• There are many symptoms of breast cancer, such as new lumps, thickening, irritation, or pain. Some have no symptoms at all. For a full list of signs and symptoms visit www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast.

• The best diagnostic tool to detect breast cancer early is a mammogram. A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast and can detect breast cancer up to three years before it can be felt.

• During October, you can see a pink ribbon being worn or advertised. This is the international symbol of breast cancer awareness.

How can we help?

• Encourage women to get screened, and talk to their doctor about when it is recommended to get a mammogram.

• Take steps to lower your risk of getting breast cancer, such as maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, avoiding or limiting alcohol intake, limiting radiation exposure, avoiding chemicals that can cause cancer, and more.

• Donate to charities that support breast cancer research.

• Simply sharing this blog can help to educate others!

Annual Halloween Candy Buy Back

It's almost that time of the year

to go Trick-or-Treating with

your little witches, goblins and ghosts!! 

We are having our Annual Halloween Candy Buy Back program starting November 1st! Have your kids bring their left over Halloween candy to our office and trade it in for $1.00 per pound (up to $5.00). 

You only have until November 7th to bring it in so don’t delay!

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

Our Fall Contest Has Begun!

We love contests at Heights Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics. We also love our patients, our families and our friends. This Fall season, we want to know who or what YOU are thankful for! Stop by our office, and write what you are most thankful for on a leaf and hang it on our tree!

Our Fall contest ends November 22!

We can’t wait to see what you are thankful for! One lucky winner will be chosen randomly for a big prize!

October Employees of the Month!

October is one of our favorite months of the year around here.

We love the start of everything FALL from pumpkin spice candles to lower Houston temperatures. We also love that not just one {but TWO} of our amazing team members were voted Employee of the Month:

Lydia and Yesenia

“Lydia is always helpful, pumping sunshine, working and smiling all the time! She does so well with all of her work with ortho and pedo…”

“Yesenia helps with both sides of the office, pedo and ortho, and has been improving a lot!”

We are thankful for you both! Congratulations on tying for this month’s Employee of the Month!

September Employee of the Month!

Wow! What a busy summer we had!

We loved seeing all of our patients while they were off from school. Our team was working really hard! One employee truly stood out and was voted our next employee of the month:

Dental Assistant, Jackie

She always makes sure that your children are comfortable and well taken care of when they are here for their treatment appointments.

We are so lucky to have her on our team! Thanks for all you do Ms. Jackie!

Lunch Ideas for Tired Mamas

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, matching shoes, and on time before that bell deems them tardy. We know that dinner time is crazy trying to come up with healthy foods for our kids somehow squeezed in-between tutors, music lessons, homework time, and sports. And we also know that after our precious babies are finally in bed, parents still have laundry, dishes, 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 rescue you by giving you some quick tips on making it easier on yourselves.

Let us start with discussing lunch boxes as those can really make a difference in packing lunches for our kids. Our favorites are ones that have compartments that make is easy to pack just the right amount and just the right variety. Personal favorite? PlanetBox Rover stainless steel lunch box. It comes with a sandwich size compartment that also fits a bowl for soups or salads, few other compartments made just right for fruit, veggies, or the right amount of chips or pretzels. It also has a tiny middle spot perfect for a treat and another small container where you can pack yogurt, apple sauce or salad dressing! These lunch boxes have customizable magnets for decoration, caring case, and a matching bottle! And they are machine washable. No, we are not selling those and we are not getting any royalties from advertising them, but we do love them :) Many other companies make lunch boxes that are similar though so pick one up and then start prepping.

Yes Pinterest has all these photos of smiley faced sandwiches and custom cut fruit that look like animals.

You might be one of those crafty parents, in which case you should post on Pinterest and we will follow!

But most of us aren’t quite that skilled…

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. Second smaller 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.

4. Granola or nut mixes are also great to fill in one of the lunch box spots. 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.

5. Last but not least…. 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!

6. 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 be added to the packet of the lunch box case that will make your kids happy.

7. 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 make sure that they stay hydrated. Flavored waters without sugar or sodium can be a once a day treat as well.

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.

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day

from Heights Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics!

We hope today is a day off to relax and enjoy some quality time with family and friends.

We want to recognize our amazing team members for their hard work and dedication to our office every single day. We can provide high quality, personalized dental care to our patients because of your passionate and caring labor of LOVE.