Tag Archives: The Smile Shop

By Melissa McCool, DDS With the holidays comes an endless array of treats and sweets, and you know what? It’s okay to indulge! That is what goodies are for. As a dentist, I don’t think it is fair to tell patients they can never have something. The key is to …

Research tells us very few people consistently floss their teeth; my personal hope for my own kids and my patients is that they use dental floss as often as they perform the floss dance! There are many products on the market now for cleaning in between your teeth. Your toothbrush …

Teaching children to have healthy habits when it comes to dental health is important to keeping those chompers for their entire lifetime. Dr. Whitney Garol of the Smile Shop reminds us of everyday things that are bad for kids’ teeth: Sugar – An obvious choice for something that is bad …

  I wrote a blog post a few months ago about the parent’s role in preparing their children for an upcoming dental visit. Today I will talk about the philosophy in our office about the role parents play during their child’s dental visit. We do not have a policy in our …

There are endless options of toothbrushes these days and when you go to the store, the choices can be overwhelming. When it comes to manual vs. electric, there is no right or wrong answer. Studies have shown that when brushing with an electric toothbrush, people tend to brush longer, but …

I am asked regularly by my patient’s parents about the many mouthwashes on the market today and if children should be using them. There are many different types of mouthwashes with different benefits, such as, preventing tooth decay, freshening breath, reducing plaque, and preventing gingivitis. It can be overwhelming to …

Activated charcoal toothpaste has been somewhat glamorized online as the latest trendy way to whiten your teeth, prompting some of our teen patients and their parents to ask about it during their checkups and whether or not it is safe to use. According to the Journal of the American Dental …

As a pediatric dentist and a mother, I spend a lot of time talking about the “sugar bugs” and encourage my patients and kids to avoid and limit sugar when possible. The reason being, sugar is the fuel for the harmful bacteria on our teeth. Cavities are formed when bacteria …

Around this time last year, I wrote a post about mouth guards, and afterward, I thought I would put some to the test by trying different brands on my own child. As I mentioned in my last post on this topic, mouth guards may not be required for all sports, …

Did you know the mouth is one of the most common sites for injury in children? If a child is injured in the face or mouth, a quick general assessment is needed to rule out more serious medical problems. Was there any loss of consciousness, vomiting, trouble breathing, or bleeding …