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Whether you’re defending the goal, shooting hoops, or practicing tricks on your skateboard, sports and exercise are a great way to keep fit and healthy. Let’s make sure you keep your smile fit and healthy, too, with a few easy ideas you can use whenever you work out.

• Eat Tooth-Friendly Snacks

Most activities use lots of energy. One simple way to keep up your energy when you’re on the go is with snacks.

And one simple way to protect your teeth from cavities when you’re working out? Cut down on snacks like dried fruits, granola bars, and chips that can have a lot of sugar and/or stick to your teeth. Sugary and sticky foods feed the bacteria in plaque, and plaque causes cavities.

There are lots of tooth-friendly choices when it comes to recharging your energy levels. Fresh fruit slices and vegetable sticks are an easy-to-carry, vitamin- and mineral-packed snack. Bring some peanut butter for dipping or add some plain nuts for protein and crunch. Whole grain crackers and hard cheeses are another tasty choice. And drink some water after snacking to rinse away food particles.

• Drink Water When You Exercise

And, speaking of water, our bodies can’t work without it! Healthy hydration means drinking the right amount of water every day—not too little, not too much—to help every cell in your body keep going strong.

But when you’re working out, breathing harder, and sweating, your body is losing water. That’s why athletes always keep a water bottle handy.

Of course, you can hydrate with other liquids besides water, and flavored sports drinks and energy drinks are popular with a lot of people—but not with dentists! If you look at their labels, you’ll often discover lots of sugar in these drinks. And they can also be very acidic, which can make your tooth enamel weaker.  

Bring your own water, and you’ll be hydrating, protecting your teeth, and helping to keep the planet healthy with your reusable bottle.

• Wear Your Mouthguard

You don’t play contact sports without protective gear—and part of that gear should be a mouthguard. Sports like hockey and football are obvious contact sports, but, if you think about it, baseball, soccer, biking, skateboarding, and many other activities can bring you into contact with another person, a piece of equipment, or the hard ground!

One way to make sure that any contact is easier on your teeth and mouth is to wear a mouthguard. You can get these ready-made, or in a kit which lets you mold the mouthguard around your teeth, or you can have one made at our Fairview Heights, IL office, which will fit your teeth perfectly and provide the best protection (especially if you wear braces).

Keep your smile strong and healthy while you keep fit with these simple additions to your work out routine. And for even more good ideas for taking care of your smile, ask an expert—Drs. Rottschalk, Acker, and Froidcoeur!

Did you know the actions leading to the beginnings of Valentine's Day were actually centered on the avoidance of war? A Catholic priest named Valentine defied the orders of the Emperor Claudius II and secretly married young men and their brides after the emperor had declared it illegal because only single, young men could be sent to war. Rather than lose potential soldiers to fight his war, Claudius attempted to hoard them by proclaiming marriage illegal.

Valentine continued to marry young couples anyway and, eventually, was put to death for it in 270 AD. Before his death, he sent a letter to a secret love and signed it “From your Valentine”. Nearly 1,800 years later, people are still signing letters and cards in this manner. This year, carry on the tradition started long ago, while adding your own twist. Here are a few suggestions.

Simple and Creative Valentine's Day Ideas

• Memorialize it with a Photo. Couples often have photos taken around Christmas, but Valentine's Day photos allow you to capitalize on romance. Famous couple Julia Child and her husband, Paul, had their picture taken together every Valentine's Day and included their sense of humor with silly props.
• Return to Your First Date Location. Even if your first date together was at a local hotdog stand, its sentimental value can make it a fun part of your Valentine's Day agenda. Be creative and make a treasure hunt with clues that lead your partner to the original date location, where you can express your love with flowers or a gift.
• “From Your Valentine” Messages. Deliver your message in a creative way to make this Valentine's Day stand out from the others. Bake your partner's favorite treat and write a message on it with a tube of icing, or draw a note on the steamed up mirror so it shows up when your partner takes a shower.

Although Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate love, it doesn't have to be a special day only for couples. If you're single, use this special day to shower yourself with love, because you're worth it! After all, the priest Valentine believed so strongly in the sanctity of love that he was willing to risk his life for it. Whether you're in a relationship or single, young or old, romantic or not, Valentine's Day is for you. Happy Valentine’s Day from the dental office of Drs. Rottschalk, Acker, and Froidcoeur.

It’s the littlest month of the year, so what better time to think about the dental health of our littlest family members? February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, and we’re here to suggest some of the best dental habits for healthy childhood smiles.

Babies 

• Even before your baby cuts her first adorable tooth, you can start proactive dental care by gently wiping little gums with a clean, moist gauze pad or soft cloth twice a day. This removes bacteria and food particles and helps prepare your baby for brushing.
• When that first tooth does appear, or by age one if it hasn’t yet erupted, it’s time to schedule a visit to the dentist. At this first visit, your child’s dentist will check jaw and tooth development and can give expert guidance on teething, brushing, how much and which kind of toothpaste to use, and topics like thumb-sucking and pacifier use.
• When baby teeth arrive, use a small soft-bristled toothbrush designed to fit comfortably in tiny mouths.
• Use toothpaste as recommended. Children under the age of three who use paste should use a very small amount, no larger than a grain of rice.
• Prevent “baby bottle tooth decay”—don’t put your baby to bed with a bottle. This allows the sugars in formula or, when your child is 12 months or older, milk, to bathe the teeth throughout the night. And babies and toddlers never need sugary juices or sodas in those bottles!

Toddlers 

• Help your child develop a positive relationship with his dental team. Read books or watch videos to help your child learn what to expect. Practice with him by having him open his mouth while you count his teeth. Plan visits when your child isn’t hungry or tired. Be positive yourself—your child will take his cues from you!
• Schedule regular appointments for exams and cleanings. Drs. Rottschalk, Acker, and Froidcoeur will check tooth and jaw development, look for any signs of decay, and evaluate potential problems such as prolonged thumb sucking or pacifier use. 
• By age three, children have most or all of their baby teeth. Use a soft bristled brush to clean your child’s teeth twice each day. As she grows, demonstrate how to brush properly. The dental team at Dr. John Rottschalk Dental Group will have some great ideas on technique!
• Daily flossing should begin as soon as your child has two teeth which touch. 
• Around age six, your child may be transitioning to solo brushing and flossing—but your oversight is still needed. Make sure all the surfaces of the teeth, including the tops of new molars, are brushed thoroughly. You might provide a timer or a two-minute song or video to make sure your child spends enough time brushing. Flossing can be tricky for young hands, so you’ll need to help with that task for a few years more.

School-Aged Children

• Dentists and orthodontists recommend a first visit to the orthodontist by age seven, or earlier if you notice your child has trouble chewing or biting, if the teeth don’t seem to fit together properly, or if you have any concerns about bite and alignment. When potential problems are discovered right away, early intervention can prevent more serious orthodontic issues from developing later. The team at Dr. John Rottschalk Dental Group in Fairview Heights, IL is happy to answer any questions you might have about early interventions!
• Talk to Drs. Rottschalk, Acker, and Froidcoeur about sealants. Permanent molars usually erupt between the ages of 6 and 12. Sealants are thin coatings which protect the chewing surfaces of these molars from food particles and cavity-causing bacteria which would otherwise collect inside grooves in the enamel.
• Children who play sports and engage in activities with a chance of physical contact should have a well-fitted mouthguard to protect their teeth. Be ready to replace it as often as recommended by Drs. Rottschalk, Acker, and Froidcoeur or if it’s damaged.
• Increases in hormones during puberty can lead to puberty gingivitis, and swollen, red, and bleeding gums can be the result. Proactive dental hygiene will prevent gum disease from developing. Make sure your child brushes two minutes, twice a day, and flosses once per day. If symptoms persist, it’s time to see the dentist.
• If your child is beginning orthodontic treatment, you can help make the journey easier. Keep up with appointments and adjustments, look for toothbrushes and floss designed for braces, and provide braces-friendly foods. If your child wears bands or aligners, you may need to remind her to wear them for the recommended number of hours each day. 
• A nutritious diet is essential for healthy teeth and gums. Give your child solid nutritional building blocks with a diet rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals. 

Help your child enjoy a future of healthy, confident smiles by working in partnership with your child’s dental team. They are ready every month of the year with advice and expertise to make that healthy dental future a reality!

Grind, grind, grind… if your little one happens to be a teeth grinder, you may be familiar with this unpleasant sound. Teeth grinding, or what Drs. Rottschalk, Acker, and Froidcoeur and our team at Dr. John Rottschalk Dental Group also call bruxism, is common in children. In fact, three out of ten kids grind or clench their teeth, usually in response to stress, jaw growth, malocclusion, losing teeth, or other discomforts, such as allergies. Kids typically outgrow teeth grinding by the time they reach their teenage years.

Many kids who grind their teeth in their sleep have no idea they’re doing it. In fact, when they wake up in the morning they feel no jaw, facial, neck, or shoulder pain. In most cases, if it hadn’t been for a parent or sibling telling them about it, the teeth grinding would have gone unnoticed.

There are children, however, who wake up with jaw pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, and headaches. Teeth grinding can cause a host of dental complications, from cracked teeth and receding gums to a misaligned jaw. Drs. Rottschalk, Acker, and Froidcoeur will tell you that teeth grinding is not something to take lightly. Teeth grinding can have serious consequences that, if left untreated, can lead to tooth fractures and damage to the temporomandibular joint, also known as TMJ.

The first step in helping your child recover from teeth grinding is noticing and diagnosing the problem. Symptoms of teeth grinding typically include:

• Grinding noises when your child is sleeping
• Complaints of tightness or pain in the jaw
• Complaints of headaches, earaches, or facial pain
• Complaints of pain when chewing
• Tooth sensitivity
• Chipped, worn down, or loose teeth

If you suspect your child is a teeth grinder, Drs. Rottschalk, Acker, and Froidcoeur and our team will be able to help. Please give us a call at our convenient Fairview Heights, IL office! We look forward to treating your child!