As students transition from high school to college, they have to adjust to a new more independent life. Young adults need to balance classes, papers, exams, and projects while trying to maintain a social life and getting enough sleep to get them through the day. Being left with little to no parental supervision and support for the first time, it’s difficult for students to achieve a healthy balance. Busy schedules often mean that health is not being prioritized. College students opt for convenience when it comes to food; grabbing a slice of pizza or making ramen noodles seems faster and easier than preparing a healthy meal from scratch. It’s no wonder the dreaded “Freshman 15” is such a common phenomenon. But students’ waistlines are not the only thing affected by this type of diet – their teeth and gums suffer too.

Having straight teeth is important for many patients for aesthetic reasons – everyone wants a perfect Hollywood smile – but dental professionals know that there are more benefits to properly aligned teeth than just appearance. Straight teeth make it easier for patients to clean their teeth, help them chew more easily, prevent jaw pain, reduce wear and risk for dental injury, and much more. It’s no wonder many parents decide to proceed with orthodontic treatment for their tweens and teens as soon as it’s recommended by their doctor. It isn’t uncommon to see braces and aligners on adults too; however, with younger patients, it’s especially crucial to stress the importance of maintaining a proper diet and oral hygiene as their habits are still forming. Teens and tweens love sticky and sugary snacks and drinks, and it might be harder for them to say no when offered soda or popcorn by a friend than it would be for an adult. Grown patients will typically exhibit more proactive behavior but it is always a good idea to remind them that they need to keep good oral hygiene to prevent dental and gum disease while straightening their teeth (and beyond, of course!).

The new school year is just around the corner! In a few weeks, children’s schedules will start to fill with various school and after-school activities. Between rushed breakfasts to catch the school bus, vending machine snacks at lunch, and quick dinners between soccer practice and homework time, it’s easy for kids to forget about brushing and flossing their teeth. This leaves plenty of opportunities for dental bacteria to develop. It is well known that caries and premature tooth loss negatively affect the child’s learning, development, and self-esteem. As children go back to school, it is crucial for them to feel confident and ready to learn; healthy teeth and gums help young students achieve their full potential. The good news is that with the right prevention protocol, you can ensure your pediatric patients maintain a healthy smile not only now but throughout their lifetime!

Teething can begin as early as 3 months and by the time the child is about 3 years old, they should have all 20 baby teeth. The importance of baby teeth can sometimes be underappreciated by parents who assume they shouldn’t be too concerned since baby teeth ultimately will fall out. Dental professionals know this assumption can lead to inadequate dental care which, in turn, can cause various issues including decay, tooth loss, pain, difficulty chewing or speaking and even low self-esteem. No child should have to suffer due to preventable dental problems. We strongly encourage all dental professionals to participate in our Prevention for Life^® program which is designed to help get patients through each stage of life with a beautiful, healthy simile, and maintain oral health that will last throughout their lifetime!

Our Prevention for Life^® program is about getting patients through every stage of life with a healthy smile. To achieve this goal, we remind dental professionals that preventative procedures should start with the first baby tooth. Although many believe children don’t need to see a dentist until toddlerhood, the first dental visit should happen much sooner as even very young children can experience dental disease that, if left untreated, can cause major damage in childhood years and beyond. 1 of 5 children aged 5 to 11 years have at least one untreated, decayed tooth. The good news is that caries is preventable and can be managed with the help and care of a dental professional. Therefore, parents should be encouraged to visit the dentist with their babies as soon as they see the first baby tooth erupt.
 
Donna Brogan, RDH, BS, discusses the importance of first teeth and what impact first dental visits can have on the oral health of a child:

A true smile is a pure emotional reaction that we can’t control. It’s the first thing people see when you meet them, and it can make a lasting impression. Today, many researchers think that smiles can also show a person’s true nature. Read more in this interesting blog post by Robin Koontz.

During Oral Health Month, we would like to remind you that prevention is crucial to keeping your patients' smiles healthy throughout their lifetime. One of the ways to ensure your patients maintain optimal oral health are regular fluoride treatments. For many years, the only formulations available were gel or foam applied with trays, for a grueling application time of four minutes. The process was messy and even hazardous if gel was ingested by the patient in volume. One-minute fluoride gel application foam products appeared on the market; however, according to the ADA, they are not effective and should not be used. Thankfully, today there are better options available. Fluoride varnish is the latest approved standard of care from the ADA for fluoride treatments. Fluoride varnish is effective, efficient, and approved for patients of all ages, even as young as 6 months old.

Given the effectiveness of fluoride varnish, it isn’t particularly surprising that one of Centrix’s best-selling products is FluoroDose®! Our fluoride varnish has been ranked as the TOP in its category for 6 straight years by THE DENTAL ADVISOR. We’re proud to also announce that we’ve recently updated our packaging to an enclosed LolliTray™ with 4 patented features to make varnish applications easier for you and your patients. Learn more here!
 
Carly Cammarano, RDH, describes why she recommends fluoride varnish and FluoroDose in particular for her patients:

Every year, during Pride Month in June, the LGBTQIA community celebrates the work that has been done over decades to achieve justice and equal opportunities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and agender Americans. As our country becomes more accepting of diversity, it is important to remember and reflect upon the fact that this has not always been the case.

Centrix is thrilled to welcome Katherine Levinsky, Katy, to the sales team! Katy is jumping into the New England territory filling the role of Regional Account Manager. She joins the team armed with over 10 years of sales experience.

Our Lunch & Learns have always been very popular – they allow you to: