Ideas That Worked

• When I was little, my dad used to pay me a dollar for every day, starting at the beginning of the month, that I didn’t eat sweets. As soon as I did eat a sweet, I wouldn’t get a dollar a day for the rest of the month. If you have many kids, maybe just a quarter a day or so would be good. It’s a healthy way to give your children allowances.
• You can also make eating healthy a family affair. If you set the example and the expectation for maintaining a healthy diet, your children will have a model to emulate. Keeping candies around the house can make it difficult for your kids to eat healthy. Also, making healthy meals can improve your family members’ health.
• Keep non-sugary cereals in your home. Instead of using sugar to sweeten their breakfasts, use strawberries or other fruits. Because many snacks include a lot of added sugar, encourage your children to eat nuts and fruits instead of reaching for a fruit roll-up or something of the like.

With the obesity rates climbing in America, you want to be sure that your children learn healthy eating habits early on in life. That way, your children can stay away from poor dental health as well. For more dental health questions, contact the most experienced pediatric dentist in Utah!

Stumped as to how to reward your kid without candy? Here are just a few ideas:

1. Bouncy balls
2. Water tattoos
3. Colorful pencils
4. Stickers
5. A trip to the park
6. Make ‘em laugh: promise your child you’ll do something silly – stand on your head, for example – whenever they obey.
7. Playtime with friends
8. Let them listen to the music of their choice.
9. Quality time: reward them with a special afternoon or evening out with mom or dad.
10. Physical touch: embrace your child often and especially when they’ve behaved appropriately.
11. Verbal validation: “Wow! Great work!”
12. Write a note to your child to put in his or her lunch, telling them how much you appreciate his or her good behavior.
13. Recognize their good behavior in front of other adults. Brag about your child in public.

To help preserve your child’s dental health, visit your Sandy, UT pediatric dentist, where there’s a special reward waiting for every child at the end of every visit.

This isn’t the first time that physical characteristics have been related to earning potential. Other studies have shown that taller people tend to be more successful, that good looking men are likely to make 5% more over their lifetimes than the average American, and that a similar effect is found in women. Naturally, we can assume that the quality of a person’s teeth play into their general perception as either ugly or beautiful.

However, this study indicates something quite different than these previous studies. Whereas there is little that a person can do to change their height or perceived beauty, there is a great deal you can do to change the condition of your teeth.

Give your child a leg up in life: make sure that she brushes her teeth 2-3 times per day, flosses once daily, and visits a Utah pediatric dentist twice a year for x-rays and cleaning. She’ll thank you when she’s making a mint on Wall Street one day.

How is Gingivitis Caused?

Plaque is a part of all of our lives. Plaque will build up on your teeth to a small extent even if you brush your teeth and avoid sugary foods. Plaque is a favorite hiding-place for many kinds of bacteria. If plaque is allowed to run rampant on your teeth, more and more malicious kinds of bacteria will move in. When these bacteria begin their mass exodus into your child’s gums, the gums will become irritated and inflamed.

What Are the Signs of Gingivitis?

1. Inflammation of the gums
2. Redness or swelling in the gums
3. Easily bleeding gums
4. A gumline that recedes from your teeth, giving your teeth an elongated appearance
5. Recurring bad breath
6. A constant bad taste in the mouth

How Can I Prevent Gingivitis?

Plaque may be inevitable, but if you make sure to knock the plaque out every day it won’t build up enough to pose a threat to your gums. Be sure that your child brushes his or her teeth 2-3 times daily and flosses once every day. Carefully monitor your child’s diet to limit their intake of sugary foods as these can cause the bacteria in the mouth to produce acid that will irritate the mouth and gums. Also ensure that your child comes into Sandy, UT pediatric dentist for a checkup and cleaning at least once every six months.

• Strong, spicy foods. When we eat smelly foods, the nutrients are absorbed in our bloodstream and the odor is expelled from our lungs. That’s why you can brush your teeth repeatedly after eating an oniony or garlicky meal but still suffer from the bad smell; the problem isn’t your teeth: it’s your lungs! Cutting back on these kinds of foods will help your child maintain the minty-fresh breath they want.
• Poor oral hygiene. See that your child brushes their teeth and tongue at least twice a day and flosses at least once a day. Abstaining from tobacco products, sticking to a nutritious diet, and regular dental checkups also make a significant difference in the freshness of your child’s breath. Bad breath is often caused by bacteria on the tongue – make sure your child doesn’t neglect to brush their tongue.
• A dental condition. Studies show that 85% of people with bad breath have a dental condition that is to blame, including gingivitis and cavities. If your child is brushing and flossing regularly but still suffers from persistent bad breath, visit a Sandy, Utah dentist today to ensure it’s not caused by some dental issue.

If you weren’t thinking that, you were probably having way too much fun enjoying the wildness with us! But – just so you know – here are a few reasons why we have crazy dress-up days throughout the month:

1. Help kids feel at ease. Lab coats and scrubs can be a little intimidating from time to time, but superhero costumes and hippo masks aren’t so much! How can you feel scared when you’re in the capable hands of a hygienist with mismatched socks?
2. Have fun! Surprisingly, even dentists and dental assistants like to have a good time in the office. After all, we’re in the business of making beautiful smiles – might as well do it with a smile on our faces!
3. Make your visit to the dentist a rewarding experience. We believe in always going the extra mile for the kids we help. Kids should look forward to a visit to the dentist with delight, not dread!

Here are just a few things moms and dads have said about taking their kids to Burg:

“My 5 year old LOVES to go to the dentist because of you guys!” –Natasha Gwynn

“Their staff is THE BEST!!!!!!! I will only be bringing her here now!!!” –Michelle Alley

“We’ve been to LOTS of different dentists over the years and your office in Cottonwood Heights is the best! My kids keep begging to go back!” –Robyn Taylor-Granda

To get in on the costume craziness, just visit one of our offices for Pediatric Dentistry in Sandy, UT!

• Close proximity: Americans tend to distance themselves physically from everyone except those with whom they’re very close. Naturally, your child feels uncomfortable having a stranger place their hands inside her mouth! Simply acknowledge that there will be some closeness – it will help your child feel more at ease.
• Pain: your tongue is among your body’s most sensitive spots, and your dentin is densely packed with nerves. This means that touching your child’s dentin under the wrong conditions can cause intense pain. Fortunately, your dentist will never touch her dentin layer without proper anesthetic. At Burg Pediatric Dentistry, we specialize in painless dental hygiene for children’s sensitive mouths. Knowing this should eliminate any fear of pain that your child may experience.
• The unknown: this is an especially big fear on your child’s first dentist visit, so turn her trip into an adventure: the dentist is actually a superhero, there to protect her teeth, helping her feel happier and healthier every day! If your child still fears her dental experience, try walking her through the entire process, from being greeted by the friendly staff to being sent home with a prize for fighting cavity crime.

As your Sandy pediatric dentist, we ensure that every child feels like a superhero for coming to have his or her teeth cleaned that day! Providing your child with a favorite toy and reminding them of their bravery and valor will help the process become easier.

My child’s tooth fell out!

If your child is still losing her baby teeth, this is, of course, a normal part of growing up. But if one of your child’s adult teeth is knocked out, the procedure is simple:

1. First, take the tooth by the crown and rinse the root with water. Don’t scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments!
2. Place the tooth back in its socket. If that simply hurts too much, place the tooth in a cup of milk.
3. Head immediately to the dentist.

My child’s tooth broke!

This is an emergency no matter how old your child may be. Here’s how to deal with it:

1. Rinse her mouth with warm water to cleanse the area.
2. Apply a cold compress to your child’s mouth. A cold compress can easily be made by taking an ice pack and wrapping it in a washcloth. This helps reduce swelling and eases the pain.
3. Get to the dentist’s office right away.

My child bit her lip/tongue!

1. If the area is bleeding, clean it out gently with a soft cloth.
2. Apply a cold compress to the injured area. This will prevent swelling and resultant “fat lip” problem.
3. Most often, the bleeding won’t last long. However, if bleeding is severe or doesn’t stop after a few minutes, head to the emergency room.

But maybe your child is the skeptical type. Well, here’s the proof that her dentist is a real caped crusader:

1. He fights evil plaque! Without the dentist’s help, the brutish bacteria in plaque can cause caries – black marks on your child’s beautiful smile.
2. He protects the innocent from the dangers of gingivitis and bad breath! Your child will be glad to have the dentist on her side to prevent painful swelling and social exclusion.
3. He’s faster than a speeding bullet: in one appointment of less than an hour, he can turn ordinary teeth into the gleaming white teeth of justice!
4. He has superpowers, including super-shine and x-ray vision! The dentist has the ability to see inside your child’s teeth themselves and see any criminal cavities.
5. To boot, Molar Man can teach your child how to be a superhero so she too can fight dental crime! The next time she goes to the dentist, he’ll not only teach her the tricks of the justice trade, he’ll personally provide her with the tools to wield against the enemy, including the toothbrush of truth and the floss of fortitude. In this way, you and your child can fight crime in the comfort of your own home, making dental care a twice-daily adventure.

So next time your child refuses to enter the lair of the devious Dr. Dentin, present the facts: she has merely been called to take her place in the Justice League of Good Health. After one short trip to Utah Pediatric Dentistry, the dentist will equip her with the brilliant white smile and self-confidence she needs to face down the difficulties of everyday life. She’ll be bolder in embracing the challenges and opportunities of each day. With her beautiful smile, she’ll be ready to make new friends. She’ll be ready to lift up the weary and downtrodden. And, with the power of minty-fresh breath, she’ll be prepared to strike down childhood injustice wherever it rears its ugly head.

A Dentist, Just For Kids

“Make taking your children to the dentist easier for you and your kids by taking them to a dentist just for kids– Like Burg Pediatric Dentistry. They specialize in serving children, and have multiple locations in Utah.

Before coming to the dentist Dr. Jeff Burg suggests parents “practice” with their kids, by having the child lay down and mom or dad counts all of their teeth. Practices like this help children be more at ease for their appointment.

Burg Pediatric Dentistry also inspires kids to have good oral health with Molar Man, a real Dentist that dresses up as a cavity fighting superhero. Molar Man goes to schools and educates kids about oral health for FREE!”

Disneyland Contest Announcement

Oops! Dr. Burg and Molar Man ran out of time unexpectedly and were unable to announce the details of our new contest. However, there’s no need to worry because you can find all the details right here: WIN A TRIP FOR 4 TO DISNEYLAND. Good luck, from all of us at Burg Pediatric Dentistry!

Dr. Burg and Molar Man with the lovely ladies of Good Things Utah.

Dr. Burg rented out the entire audience for his staff and clientele.

Dr. Burg and Molar Man stole the show!