It has all the benefits of water plus vitamins and minerals that you need. Water has no taste! What about the ones that say “No Added Sugar“? These are frequent responses we get when we tell parents they should give their children water to drink.

Fruit juices slip under the radar for parents and don’t get the scrutiny that candy gets.  They come from fruits so they must be good for you.  We meet many parents who feel water would deprive their child of something beneficial in fruit juice.  Those parents frequently do not like to drink water either.

What is less frequently emphasized is that natural sugars have a very similar effect on the body as table sugar.  They cause cavities and spike the blood sugar wreaking havoc on almost every one of your organs, but since the effects are gradual we get distracted by more urgent matters like work, bills and Disneyland.

I think it is time to share with you a secret about dentists and their drinking habits; except for special occasions, water is the primary drink for them and their families.

The large marketing budgets of big beverage companies are hard to compete with, but I wanted to share with you warnings from 3 reputable sources against drinking too much fruit juice.  Below are articles from the American Dental Association, the Australian Dental Association and French Public Health authorities: 

The ADA (American Dental Association)says: Fruit juice is not a necessary or even a desirable part of a healthy diet for young children.  Ouch, it is not even desirable!

The ADA (Australian Dental Association) cites an article in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) that is even more blunt: Fruit juices may be as bad for peoples’ health as soft drinks .  Yes, that applies to adults too!

The best solution is to allow children to limit fruit juice drinking to special occasions only.  The main beverage should be water.  The link below is the recommendation of the French public health officials:

 Fruit juice intake has to be limited and other beverages restricted to occasional use

So be careful about what your kids drink.  If you want your child (and yourself!) to have a healthy body and healthy teeth Water should be their main beverage.  

Was your child diagnosed with multiple cavities? If so they may need dental crowns but you probably don’t want your child to have a mouth full of metal.  If your child needs more than four crowns, your dentist may not be able to treat them all with white crowns, but there is hope!

Most dentists offer white crowns for the four upper incisors.  If your child has more than 4 cavities and you don’t like metal teeth, we can help; we are able to use beautiful white zirconia on all 20 of your child’s teeth if necessary.  Email smile@babyprl.com , text or Call us at (972)674-9965 for a consult with Dr. Baghai to find out how white crowns can change your child‘s life.

Fillings are frequently used on kids. They look great, they cost less and they are placed in one visit.  So why is my dentist recommending a dental crown on a baby tooth?

The question comes up frequently in a pediatric dental office.  Parents are often surprised that a dentist would suggest a crown for a baby tooth.  They are reminded of horror stories about the cost, frequent visits and a painful recovery period but there is a big difference between the adult and the baby version.  Other than the fact that both cover the entire tooth, they have little else in common.

Let’s discuss each concern a parent may have about crowns on their child’s teeth:

“They are expensive“

Crowns on baby teeth cost about 75% less than adult crowns.  Crowns for baby teeth are pre-made and they take a lot less time to put on; that is why they cost similar to a filling than an adult crown.

“They take a long time“

Since crowns on baby teeth are pre-made, they are started and finished in the same visit.  As a matter of fact, they usually take less time than fillings to complete.  

“I don’t like the silver color“

We don’t either, especially on the front teeth!  The gold standard has been the stainless steel crown for many years but there are now white crowns that look as good as natural teeth. Nobody has to know your child ever had a cavity any more

“But I still want a filling, why get a crown when a filling sounds good enough?“ 

The main reason is durability.  Especially when the cavity is between the teeth or if it has damaged large parts of the tooth.  In these cases fillings often fall out and leave a bigger hole than the original cavity.  The fastest way to traumatize a kid is to make them think every time they go to the dentist they will have to get another tooth fixed.  

“How can baby teeth be different? They are all teeth!“

Fillings just don’t bond to baby teeth as well as they do to adult teeth. They are chemically and morphologically very different.  You may read further by clicking on the following three scientific articles.  They explain the poor bond strength of white fillings to baby teeth:

1. White fillings bond better to permanent than to primary teeth
2. The differences between primary & permanent teeth causes poor bond strength of white fillings
3.  The primary enamel is thinner and has less Calcium and Phosphorus 

So if more than one dentist is recommending crowns for your child, then fillings may cause more trouble for you in the long-run.  Your child will certainly not appreciate the repeat visits when the fillings start to fall out.

But don’t worry; silver dental crowns are not the only option for your child’s smile! Using beautiful white zirconia crowns we can make sure nobody can tell your child ever had a cavity, even if your child has cavities on all 20 teeth.  Call us today at (972)764-9965 for a free consultation with Dr. Baghai.