Our Halloween Candy Buyback was a huge success. We collected about 100 pounds of candy which we will be shipping to the troops via Operation Gratitude.  Thanks to everyone that made this event a success! Check out our video below.

So what do you do with all the extra candy after Beggar’s night?  The kids had fun walking door to door in Grandview or some other part of Columbus but now it’s time to give some of the loot to somebody else.

And we have the answer and it’s a great cause!

We are having a Candy Buyback on November 2nd.  You can drop off your excess candy from 5:30 – 7:30 at our office.(Get directions)  For each pound of  excess candy your kids donate we will give them a crisp $1 bill along with a goodie bag with items from  local retailers.  Have them dress up in their costumes to add to the fun!

We will also have cards available so kids can write a special note to the troops.

We will be shipping the candy and notes to Operation Gratitude who will distribute the candy to our troops overseas.  The troops may enjoy a treat or two but a lot of the candy will be given to children the troops come in contact with to spread a little cheer.  How fun is that?  From your child to another child in a country far away. 

Not in the Columbus Ohio area?  Find a dentist near you that is participating in the Halloween Candy Buyback for 2009.

Watch the Operation Gratitude Halloween Candy Buyback Video to learn more!

My daughter Paige just turned six and is always asking when she’s going to lose a tooth.  She will wiggle teeth and want me to look at them to determine if her tooth really is loose.  She’s all excited about getting the $$$ from the tooth fairy.  Some tips that I have found to make her tooth fairy experience magical are

• Use glitter as “fairy dust” to sprinkle on their pillow
• have your little one write the tooth fairy a note to put on their bed so the tooth fairy remembers to pick up the tooth
• Leave gold coins instead of dollars to make it different
• have fun decorating a little box with markers and stickers to put their teeth in
• leave a nice note from the tooth fairy in a tiny scroll with made up symbols and you translate to your child about being a good girl/boy who was taking great care of their teeth
• you don’t always have to leave $ you can leave pencils, stickers, especially once they start losing more teeth. Keep It Simple!

Hopefully this will give you some tips on making the tooth fairy experience special!

I have been asked by several family members, “when should I take my child to the dentist?” I was kind of surprised because I assumed everyone knew.

Being a mother of two daughters, they both reacted differently in the chair.  Paige is my oldest and she had her visit at 2 years old. She did great and even let us do fluoride. Morgan my high maintenance child, she would only allow her teeth to be counted. When we came back at 2 1/2 she did great and every time she comes to the office for anything, she wants her teeth cleaned.

Every child reacts differently in the chair.  As parents we need to have certain expectations for the first visit too. The technique that we use is show, tell, do. So we show them what we’re going to do, then tell them, and then actually do.  That way they can see what’s going on before we even touch their teeth.

Kay one of our hygienists that has worked in pediatric dentistry, suggests age 3 is usually the best age. A couple tips that she suggests are to

• schedule morning appointments.
• Don’t schedule anything around nap time.
• If they can sit for a haircut they are ready
• When they get their baby teeth start brushing with fluoridated toothpaste. Use just smaller than a pea size amount. It’s OK if they swallow some. It takes a lot to cause any harm.

So the rule of thumb is 3 years old is the best age for a first visit, but if you concerns bring them in so that they can be addressed.

Kids today are consuming too much juice.  Often they drink juice instead of water, fruits, or vegetables.  Children that drink too much juice may not be hungry when mealtime arrives and will miss out on other important nutrients they would get from food.  For children ages 1 to 3, try to limit juice to one cup a day.

How much sugar is in an 8 oz cup of juice?

• Grape Juice = 8 teaspoons of sugar
• Apple Juice = 6 teaspoons of sugar
• Orange Juice = 6 teaspoons of sugar
• Juicy Juice = 5 teaspoons of sugar

The sugar in juice can significantly contribute to dental decay.  Small children can get cavities when liquids that contain sugar are left on teeth for extended periods of time.  This can happen when the child drinks juice from a sippy cup or bottle for prolonged periods during the day or is put to bed with juice in a cup or bottle.  Never put your child to bed with a bottle or sippy cup of juice.

Here are some tips to limit the amount of juice your child drinks

• Offer Juices less often and/or dilute it with water
• Give water in place of juice in a special cup or bottle
• Serve fruit as a snack in place of juice
• Serve milk and juice at mealtime only…water in-between meals

Stay tuned for tommorrow’s post… Stop the Pop!  Acid + Sugar = Trouble

Ok, summer is finally here!  The kids are out of school….. now what?  Some of my friends will find this post amusing because I don’t have kids.  I have grand kids (which always gets a chuckle) and I myself am still a kid at heart.  I have more toys at my house than some parents… ok maybe not but I have a lot of toys for kids.  My philosophy is… if I can keep the kids entertained then the parents will come over to visit more often.  Also, I admit it, I love toys.

So, I have many friends with kids so I hear about the challenge to find fun, inexpensive things to do with kids in Columbus. 

I also have included a few things below I heard on the golf course last nice during my Shady Ladies golf league.  Feel free to add comments with your own ideas.

Activities at Wellington School in Upper Arlington

Upper Arlington Parks and Rec Summer Program for kids and teens

I came also across this tweet today from Columbus Underground that I wanted to share with patients and friends.  Kids Summer Class and Camp RoundUp

Grandview Parks and Rec Summer Program

And another good website to check out is Kidslinked.com the source for local kids activities and events and Kidslinked Columbus Summer Fun Guide