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Your bright smile means you’re happy, and it’s catching! Sharing your smile makes the people around you happy, too! And you can make sure your smile is as bright as it can be by keeping your teeth their cleanest.

Nobody wants food stuck in between their teeth, but cleaning your teeth doesn’t just mean brushing away any leftover bits of food. It also means brushing away the sticky plaque that builds up on your teeth every day. Germs in plaque called bacteria help make cavities, so it’s extra important to brush and floss away all the plaque you can.

When you were younger, a grown-up cleaned your teeth for you. Now that you’re ready to begin brushing and flossing on your own (with some adult help, of course), here are some good habits to start you off right.

Brush the Right Way

• Brush a tooth or two at a time with small brushstrokes and circles. Long back-and-forth brushstrokes miss a lot of plaque. Make sure you brush all the different sides of your teeth, not just the ones which show when you smile. Brush on the inside of your teeth and the tops of your molars (those big teeth in back). Use up-and-down strokes to clean behind your front teeth.
• Tip your toothbrush toward your gums while you brush along the gum line to get the plaque that likes to hide there.
• Don’t scrub your teeth. The tooth enamel that covers and protects our teeth is very strong, but brushing too hard can hurt it. Gentle brushing works!
• And don’t forget to gently brush your tongue for fresh breath.

Take Your Time

• You can’t keep your teeth their cleanest if you don’t spend enough time brushing them! That’s why dentists say it’s best to brush at least twice each day, for two minutes each time you brush.
• It’s hard to guess how long two minutes is, so use a little timer to keep track of the time. If you like music, play a song that lasts two minutes. Or ask a grown-up to time you—and maybe even brush with you!

Use the Right Toothbrush

• You want a brush that is just the right shape and size. A brush which is too big is hard to use—and hard to fit inside your mouth.
• You want a brush with soft bristles. Medium and hard bristles are too hard, and can scrape your enamel and gums. Stay with soft bristles, and your teeth and gums will be healthy and happy.
• Toothbrushes don’t last a very long time because their bristles start to break down after a while. After all, it’s hard work cleaning teeth twice a day every day! So it’s a good idea to change your toothbrush every three or four months, or whenever the bristles start to look a bit scruffy.

Use the Right Toothpaste

• Fluoride toothpaste helps protect your teeth from cavities and makes your enamel even stronger than it already is. There are plenty of fun-flavored fluoride (say that three times fast!) toothpastes to choose from.
• You don’t need too much. Once you’re brushing on your own, a small dab about the size of a pea will do the trick.
• Be sure to spit out the toothpaste after brushing. It’s for cleaning, not swallowing!

Don’t Forget to Floss

• Once you have any teeth that touch each other, you need to floss between them at least once a day. Flossing is the best way to get rid of the plaque that hides between your teeth where your brush just can’t reach.
• Flossing can be a little tricky at first, so you might need some help until you’re able to floss on your own. Dr. Maryam Azadpur can teach you the best way to floss, and a grown-up at home can help you until you’re ready to floss by yourself.
• There are lots of different kinds of floss. If you’re having trouble flossing, ask our Simsbury, CT dental team which kind is best for you.

Every smile is different, and yours is one of a kind. If you have any questions, talk to your pediatric dentist. Dentists don’t just take care of your teeth—they teach you to take care of your teeth, too! Your dentist can show you the very best way to keep your very own smile as bright and healthy as it can be.

How better to spend the fall months than inside by the fireplace with a warm cup of cider and a book in hand? Dr. Maryam Azadpur and our team at Simsbury Pediatric & Adolescent Dentistry encourage you to warm up your mind this fall season with a few great books. Sure it may be easy to put off reading when balancing a hectic schedule, but reading is vital to brain development. Besides, reading is always a blast!

This week, we thought we’d ask what you or your child are reading this fall. Do you have any suggestions for must-read books this year? Out of ideas for great fall reads? Ask us for suggestions, and we would be happy to provide a few. You may also ask a local librarian here in Simsbury, CT for some ideas.

Happy reading! Be sure to share with us your fall picks or your all-time favorites below or on our Facebook page!

“Did you know that you need to take a probiotic when taking antibiotics to protect your gut microbiome? I didn’t learn that from TikTok, or even from my children’s pediatrician.

Dr. Azadpur taught me that. She and Dr. Marvasti-Sitterly also taught me that I can strengthen my son’s jaw muscles by having him eat crunchier foods, as well as with a simple toy available on Amazon.

Simsbury Pediatric Dentistry is not close to where I live, by any means, but well worth the drive for quality dental care. Highly recommend.”

- One of our patients

Sweets are hard to resist, especially at this time of year. We think that it’s okay to indulge in a couple treats here and there, but there should be a limit to the number of sweet treats your child eats. Stay far away from sticky candies that get caught on and in-between teeth and be sure to step up their brushing and flossing game!

Eating extra sweets can lead to cavities. Kids don't always brush after every meal or snack, so the extra sugar will attract those nasty "sugar bugs" that may cause cavities to form. If your child doesn’t have the ability to brush after snacking on sugar, drinking water can help wash away some of it.

If your child has never had a cavity, there are some signs you can look out for. These signs include tooth pain and sensitivity to hot or cold, which can occur even before anything is visible. That is why it is so important to schedule your child's dental checkups twice a year and get x-rays taken once a year. We’ll be able to catch any cavity formation earlier.

If your child is experiencing pain or sensitivity at home, please give us a call. While this isn’t considered an emergency, potential cavities should be treated sooner rather than later. Delaying treatment can lead to the problem worsening, which may lead to more extensive and expensive work. Give us a call as soon as your child complains of pain. We may ask you to send us a picture of the affected area so it may be a good idea to take that picture prior to calling, especially if they are headed off to school for the day and you were planning on calling while they were gone.

Dr. Marvasti-Sitterly, our new doctor who joined our team in August, is available alongside Dr. Azadpur, to help address any of your concerns. Dr. Marvasti-Sitterly has been a huge hit here in the office with the kids and their parents. She came to us from general dentistry but completed the extra couple years of pediatric dental training and residency and was handpicked by Dr. Azadpur to join our team. It feels like she has always been a part of our team. Be sure to say hello when you come in!

And check out our winner of our 3rd Quarter giveaway. This happy guy won $500 to Great Wolf Lodge! Keep those reviews and referrals coming and you might win our next big prize: a Nintendo Switch 2!

We hope you have a wonderful Halloween season and hope to see you soon.

One of the best ways to take care of your teeth is to brush them twice each day for two minutes each time. And brushing works even better when you take care of your toothbrush! Let’s look at some easy toothbrush rules to keep yourself, your teeth, and your brush healthy.

• Don’t Share

You can share toys, or share games, or share stories—but don’t share your toothbrush! Germs can hide on your brush. If you have a cold, you don’t want to give it to others. And if your family member or friend has a cold, you don’t want to catch it! This also means that toothbrushes shouldn’t touch each other while they’re drying. Separate brushes are healthy brushes.

• Keep Your Brush Clean

After you finished brushing your teeth, you might notice some toothpaste suds sticking to your brush—or even bits of the food you’ve just brushed off your teeth. Keep your brush clean by rinsing off all the toothpaste and food crumbs before you put it away. And it’s always a good idea to wash your hands before you brush to get rid of any germs which you don’t want to share with your brush—or your mouth.

• Stand (It) Up Straight

Let your toothbrush dry standing up, with the bristle end on top. That way your brush can air-dry quickly.  Germs like to grow in dark, damp spaces, so don’t put your toothbrush in a case while it’s wet. If you take your brush to school or on a trip, make sure your brush is dry before you pack it away.

• Don’t Keep Your Brush Too Long

After about three months, no matter how well you take care of your toothbrush, you’ll be needing a replacement. Bristles get worn out after weeks and weeks of brushing twice a day, and just can’t clean as well as they did when they were new.

• Don’t Forget Regular Checkups

Regular cleanings at our Simsbury, CT pediatric dental office and exams with Dr. Maryam Azadpur will remove any plaque you missed and keep your smile clean and bright.

Keep your toothbrush to yourself, keep it clean, keep it dry, and don’t keep it too long—and you’ll help keep yourself, your teeth and your toothbrush in good health!