October is National Dental Hygiene Month

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Dental decay is the most common chronic disease of childhood, affecting 50 percent of children by middle childhood and nearly 70 percent by late adolescence. Luckily, early childhood caries can be easily prevented by instilling a proper oral hygiene routine at an early age. By emphasizing good oral health habits as early as infancy, parents can help lay the foundation for a lifelong, effective oral health routine.

Dental Hygiene Tips:

brush twice daily with fluoridated toothpaste, floss once daily to clean in-between the teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach, and then rinse with fluoride mouth rinse at least once daily to reduce oral bacteria and maintain fresh breath!

We want to thank our awesome dental hygienist, Ms. Allison! She spends quality time with each and every patient during their dental cleanings, educating them on how they can improve their oral hygiene habits at home. She reviews brushing and flossing techniques, and other tips and tricks! We are so thankful for a hygienist that truly cares about our patients and enjoys taking the extra time they need.

Our goal at HPDO is to cultivate relationships with our patients and empower them to have a lifelong beautiful, healthy and confident smile.

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month!

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Did you know that 1 in 3 children in the United States is either overweight or obese? Obesity increases a child's risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, asthma, and sleep apnea.

Luckily, we can help prevent childhood obesity. The Smiles for Kids team encourages your family to make these changes together to help minimize your child's risk:

(1) Eat healthy meals together. Try to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into every meal of the day. Avoid eating refined sugars. If you're eating grains, choose whole-grain foods. Have your kids help prepare meals so they can learn about healthy choices and portion sizes.

(2) Play together. Encourage your kids to get active. They can play sports, go on a walk with the family, or even ride their bike around the neighborhood. Try to encourage 30-60 minutes of activity time every day.

(3) Limit their screen time. Though ipads and computers are very tempting, try to limit the amount of time your child plays video games or watches television.

(4) Talk to your pediatrician. Know your child's BMI (body mass index) and track it as they grow. It is a calculation based off of your child's weight and height.

These small changes can make a world of difference. We hope that you will spread the word about National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month!

Tips for picking out a toothbrush and toothpaste!

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Shopping for a new toothbrush or toothpaste can be hard! Just look at all of those options in the grocery store aisle!

⭐️Choose a toothbrush designed for children’s smaller hands and mouths. Look for large handles that help children control the toothbrush.

⭐️The best toothbrushes have soft bristles that clean while being gentle on the gums. Remember to throw out a toothbrush after 3 months or sooner if the bristles are fraying. Frayed bristles can harm the gums and are not as effective in cleaning teeth.

⭐️ Use toothpaste with fluoride and the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance.

⭐️For children under 3, use a smear or “rice-sized” amount of fluoridated toothpaste on the brush. For ages 3-6, use only a “pea-sized” amount. Careful supervision is encouraged.

⭐️When all sides of a tooth cannot be cleaned by brushing alone (because the teeth are touching or crowded), it is time to begin flossing the teeth!

Every time you visit us at Heights Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics for your dental checkup, we will provide you an age-appropriate toothbrush, floss, fluoride toothpaste and a 2 minute timer!

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Staying Safe during COVID-19

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We are so happy that we get to do what we love every single day. We have the best patients and families! During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have ramped up our personal protective equipment, disinfection and sterilization procedures, and changes in our scheduling to ensure our patients feel safe when they come in for their dental or orthodontic appointments.

If you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call us!

We’re ready to see your smiling faces! We’re smiling underneath these masks! :)

July Employee of the Month!!

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It’s hard to select just one Employee of the Month since our entire team has gone above and beyond to take great care of each other and our patients in such a crazy time of COVID-19!! But we did have one that has stood out with her constant positivity, organization, welcoming smile and helping hand…

Phuong!

Congratulations on being voted our next Employee of the Month!!! We’re so thankful to have you on our Heights Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics Team!!

Healthy Yogurt Bites Recipe

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Dr. Theriot has a delicious red, white and blue recipe for you and the kids to make this holiday weekend! It’s one of her favorite snacks and is super easy to make!!

All you need is your favorite yogurt, strawberries, and blueberries!

⭐️ Spread the yogurt out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
⭐️ Add fresh fruit on top of the yogurt. We like how they cut the strawberries into stars!
⭐️ Freeze for a few hours until yogurt is solid.
⭐️ Break up or slice, and serve!

Make this recipe your own with other yummy fruits and even granola!! Yogurt alternatives like Greek or non-dairy are great too!

*Picture belongs to ForkAndBeans.com

Office Reopening Update!

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Hello, HPDO family! According to Governor Abbott & the State Dental Board, dental offices can reopen starting Friday, May 1st. In order to complete staff training and have all of our new systems in place for a safe return, we are opening 2 days next week for our “soft reopening.” We will see pediatric dental patients on Wednesday, May 6th and orthodontic patients on Thursday, May 7th.

The week after that, starting on May 11th, we will be seeing our pediatric dental patients on Mon/Tues/Wed and orthodontic patients on Thurs/Fri in order to minimize number of patients in the office at one time. Stay tuned for our schedule after these weeks.

Please call (713-861-4000) or email info@heightspedoortho.com and we will call you back to schedule your appointments.

*Please check your email for a full letter about the changes you should expect going forward.

Thank you for being part of our family of patients. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.

- Dr. Lindhorst, Dr. Darsey, Dr. Theriot and the rest of our HPDO team

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