August is Get Ready for Kindergarten Month!

With the hot and sultry Dog Days of Summer slowly coming to an end, it's time for you and your child to start thinking about school. August is Get Ready for Kindergarten Month for the two million kids who will be entering kindergarten come September.

Our staff at Pearland Pediatric Dentistry suggest getting involved in storytime by reading your child books about kindergarten, such as The Night Before Kindergarten or First Day Jitters.

Parenting Magazine also suggests that moms and dads take their child for a walk by their or perhaps taking him or her inside for a quick tour to get them familiarized with the concept of kindergarten. Take a walk around the classroom or peek in the windows and talk about what will be going on once school starts. Also, think about adjusting your child's sleep schedule gradually to the school’s schedule.

At home, make learning fun for your child by teach him or her the names of colors, or shapes and taking them on interesting trips around Pearland, Alvin, Shadow Creek Ranch or surrounding communities—to the library or grocery store, or to a museum or park—and talk with him or her about what he or she sees and what they think.

Finally, make sure your little one visits Dr. Pamela Clark or Dr. Suha Reddy before the first day of school. No one wants for your child to have to leave school because of a toothache! Please give us a call at 713.436.4080 to schedule an appointment!

We hope both you and your child have a happy and stress-free Get Ready for Kindergarten Month!

Access your account—any day, any time—at Pearland Pediatric Dentistry

Access to your account, whenever you want, wherever you want it. Sounds simple and convenient, doesn’t it?

At Pearland Pediatric Dentistry, our patients and their parents have access to their account 24 hours a day, seven days a week—all through our interactive and helpful website. You can look up your appointments and all of your account details at your convenience, from the comfort of your own home! And, because we know folks sometimes forget, you can even receive appointment reminders through email or text messages!

"Love being able to view appointments and dental benefits online." ~ Logan H.

"Convenient way of keeping track of appointments and receiving follow-ups by text message." ~ Cristina E.

"Able to check appointment date and time at 9:15pm, when it was convenient for me." ~ Kelly D.

"Keeps record of my insurance and how much is left; also helps me manage my appointments. Working full time and a mother of three I am very busy and this helps me stay on schedule." ~ Alyssa D.

You, too, can sign up for this convenient service on our website by clicking on the "Patient Login" button at the top of our homepage. Please give us a call if you have any questions about getting started!

Drs. Clark and Reddy present: 5 easy steps to sun safety

Let's face it, summer can get pretty darn hot, and with the heat wave sweeping through the U.S. during last two weeks, Dr. Pamela Clark and Dr. Suha Reddy want you to think more and more about sun safety when you’re out and about. There are many ways kids can protect themselves during the hot summer months, and Parents Magazine has kindly provided five tips to help you get started.

1. Limit outdoor playtime between 10 and 4. (These are usually the hottest hours of the day).

2. Apply sunscreen properly. (Choose a sunscreen with SPF (Sun Protection Factor) 15 or higher. Apply to nose, ears, hands, feet, shoulders and behind the neck; lips can also burn, so apply a lip balm with SPF protection.

3. Wearing protective clothing. This includes a hat with a brim, sunglasses and a large umbrella.

4. Watch those medications. Some medications increase the skin's sensitivity to the sun, so make sure to ask your doctor whether your child may be at risk.

5. You're the parent: Set the example. If your child sees you following sun-safety rules, he or she will follow suit.

Drs. Clark and Reddy encourage you to please give us a call if you have any questions, and always have a bottle of water handy when heading out! We hope you're all having a fantastic summer so far!

More happy smiles at Pearland Pediatric Dentistry!

Drs. Clark and Reddy love getting patient reviews from happy moms, dads and kids. And lately, Pearland Pediatric Dentistry, serving Shadow Creek Ranch, Pearland, Alvin and surrounding communities around Houston, has been getting some pretty great patient testimonials! We thought we'd share some with you today! Happy Monday!

"How safe Madeline feels when she's there. She loves all of the attention the staff offers her." ~ Maria N.

"She is warm and very friendly. Both of my children trusted her immediately." ~ Connie P.

"Knowledgeable ,skilled , approachable, willing to help my daughter." ~ Naomi O.

"The front office is very friendly and they understand my insurance needs and work effectively with the insurance company. Dr. Clark is good and takes time to answer questions and make the parents/patient feel relaxed." ~ Alyssa D.

"My child loves going there. They are so nice and encouraging to all the kids they see. The dentist can be a scary place for some, but they do the best they can to make the process as comfortable as possible." ~ Hailey O.

Please feel free to contribute your own thoughts about our office!

Is your local playground safe for your child?

Spring is here summer is rapidly approaching, and that means your kids will probably be spending lots of time outside. Playgrounds are everywhere from your backyard to the neighborhood park, and it's important to know what safety features to look for before your child hangs out parks here in Pearland, Alvin or Shadow Creek Ranch.

At Pearland Pediatric Dentistry, we found some important safety tips on the American Academy of Pediatrics' website that we'd thought we'd share them with you today. Here's to a happy and safe spring and summer, from Drs. Clark and Reddy and our entire team at Pearland Pediatric Dentistry!

* Carefully supervise young children using playground equipment. Keep children from shoving, pushing, or fighting.

* The surface under playground equipment should be energy absorbent. Use safety - tested mats or loose fill materials (shredded rubber, sand, wood chips, or bark) maintained to a depth of at least 9 inches.

* Install the protective surface at least 6 feet (more for swings and slides) in all directions from the equipment.

* Swing seats should be made of something soft, not wood or metal.

* Children should not twist swings, swing empty seats, or walk in front of moving swings.

* Put home playground equipment together correctly. It should sit on a level surface and be anchored firmly to the ground.

* Never attach ropes, jump ropes, clotheslines, or pet leashes to playground equipment because children can strangle on them.

* Cap all screws and bolts. Check periodically for loose nuts and bolts and broken, rusty, or sharp parts.

* Install playground equipment at least 6 feet from fences or walls.

* Check for hot metal surfaces on equipment such as those on slides, which could cause burns.