Dr. Clark wants to know: Are you wearing your mouth guard?

Let’s face it: sports-related injuries are common among kids, especially those who play sports. Wearing mouthguards is important when playing contact sports. They help prevent teeth and head injuries! If a permanent tooth is knocked out, try to place it back into the socket as soon as possible and do not scrub it; contact your dentist immediately to be seen.

If you are not able to place the tooth back into the socket, then place it into milk and call your dentist! During the hot summer days, cool down with a nice big glass of water instead of sugary sports drinks! If you do have any sugary drinks, remember to drink at one time and brush your teeth!

Please give us a call if you have any questions about mouth guards or ask us on Facebook!

What would Dr. Clark’s dream job be?

At Pearland Pediatric Dentistry, we are committed to providing your child with the highest quality of dental care. Our goal is to make every patient’s visit pleasant and educational. We strive to teach good oral care that will enable your child to have a beautiful smile that lasts a lifetime. Establishing lasting relationships with our patient families, based upon mutual trust and open communication, is very important to us.

But let’s say Dr. Clark's profession wasn’t in pediatric and general dentistry.

Dr. Clark was recently asked, “Is there a profession or a job you’ve always wanted? Which job would you like to experience, if only for a day? Why?”

Here is her response!

Of course I love what I do and I really enjoy taking care of my patients and their families with my wonderful team! However, if I was given the chance to work another job for a day it would be a zoo vet in a non-English speaking European country. It is still in the medical field, I would get to interact with some amazing animals, I would know another language and I would get to experience a different culture! Of course this is a dream! In the meantime, I will continue to have fun with the kids in our practice!

Cheese and your child's oral health

Did you know research shows cheese is one of the healthiest snacks for your child’s teeth? Not only does cheese provide large amounts of much-needed calcium, cheese also fights cavities. Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss and Mozzarella all do their part to stimulate our salivary glands to clear the mouth of debris …and protect them from acids that weaken them.

What does that mean? Cheese disrupts the development of cavities, especially when eaten as a snack or at the end of a meal. Calcium and phosphorous found in cheese reduce or prevent decreases in the plaque’s pH level and work to re-mineralize the enamel of your child’s teeth.

Hope this helps!

From Dr. Clark and the team at Pearland Pediatric Dentistry

What's on your child's reading list?

With the school year close to winding down for a lot of our patients at Pearland Pediatric Dentistry, we wanted to remind all our patients about the importance of reading. Sure, it’s easy to keep putting off reading this time of year, but reading is a vital step in brain development and literacy. And if you needed any more reason to read, May marks “Get Caught Reading Month.”

Today, we thought we’d ask: What’s on your child’s reading list? What are some of your all-time favorites? Out of ideas for great reads? Ask us for suggestions, and Drs. Clark and Reddy & team would be happy to provide a few suggestions. You may also ask a local librarian in the Pearland area for some ideas on what to read next!

Happy reading! Be sure to share with us your book picks or your all-time favorite novels or literature on our Facebook page!

What's the deal with cavities?

At Pearland Pediatric Dentistry, our professional team knows one word no child wants to hear when they visit Dr. Pamela Clark is "Cavity!" That’s right, the dreaded cavity; but what exactly is a cavity and how do you get one? A cavity is a hole that develops in a tooth when the tooth begins to decay. It’s important to get a cavity filled as soon as it’s detected by Dr. Clark or Dr. Suha Reddy so that it does not grow bigger.

So, what causes a cavity? A cavity is caused by plaque, a sticky substance that forms on the tooth as a result of germ and bacteria build-up. Plaque is acidic and as it clings to your teeth the acids eat away the outside of the tooth (also called the enamel) and a hole is formed.

Yes, cavities can be repaired by Drs. Clark or Reddy, but here are a few simple steps you can take to prevent cavities:

• Brush your teeth at least twice daily
• Gently brush your gums to keep them healthy (when choosing a toothbrush http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifit is recommended to use soft bristles)
• Floss your teeth at least once a day to remove plaque and food that may be caught between the teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach
• Limit the amount of soda and sugary treats you eat/drink
• Be sure to visit our convenient Pearland office every six months for a teeth cleaning and check-up

We hope that helps you and your child understand cavities a little better! If you have any questions, be sure to ask us here, on Facebook, or by giving us a call! We also invite you to schedule an appointment!

Pearland Pediatric Dentistry, taking steps to reduce our environmental impact

Yesterday marked the 41st anniversary of Earth Day, and our team at Pearland Pediatric Dentistry realize we are living in an age with a renewed commitment to conservation, and are frequently reminded to recycle, reduce and reuse. Today, we thought it would be a great time to discuss everything that we do at our Pearland office to conserve our natural resources and the environment.

In order not to use potentially toxic chemicals and to conserve developing paper, we use digital radiographs, and have been since we opened in 2005. We also recycle in our office and the company we use for shredding recycles all of the paper they shred!

In addition, did you know that we offer patients account access 24 hours a day, seven days a week? We offer convenient and secure online services with our patient login system. You can view all of your account information, and even receive appointment reminders through email or text messages. Since this information is submitted electronically, we eliminate the use of large amounts of paper and printing materials.

What about you? How did you spend Earth Day? What are you doing to "go green" or reduce your ecological footprint this year? We invite you to post here or on our Facebook page!

Play it safe this spring, from Drs. Clark & Reddy

With spring here, Dr. Pamela Clark our staff at Pearland Pediatric Dentistry would like to remind all our young athletes to take good care of your mouth while participating in contact sports (and non-contact sports). After all, we know this is a busy time of year sports-wise, whether you're playing light soccer at the local park or playing competitive high-school baseball.

Here are a few tips to remember when you're out on the field in the coming months:

• Wear mouth guards during contact sports

• Wear a helmet

• Stretch before and after a game or practice

• Wear protective eyewear

• Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin

• Be observant, even as a spectator

Remember, only by using a mouth guard can kids avoid serious mouth and facial injuries. We strongly encourage our patients to wear mouthguards when participating in sports for the protection of their teeth and their jaws! We do offer custom mouthguards, especially for our teenage patients.