Killing Brain Cells and Rotting Teeth!

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry:

A child's first visit to the dentist should be scheduled between the eruption of the first tooth and the first birthday. The infant's developing teeth are affected by many factors including: feeding habits, pacifiers, gum cleansing, and fluoride levels maintained in the mouth. Pediatric dentists have the special skills required to work with infants and young children, as well as extensive training in the most up-to-date and thorough treatments for a wide variety of children's dental problems. The following describes a typical first visit:

Child's teeth, jaw, and oral tissues will be examined and cleansing procedures demonstrated.
Parents will learn how to position the child for a thorough oral cleaning.
The pediatric dentist will look for potential problems and check overall oral growth and development.
Child's medical history will be carefully reviewed by the pediatric dentist and preventive measures for dental disease will be discussed.
Fluoride need will be evaluated -- supplements may be necessary.
At this time other concerns can be addressed such as teething, bottles, pacifiers, and thumb sucking. The earlier the visit, the better the opportunity for parents and the pediatric dentist to work together to prevent problems.



My question is this....why did everyone and their dog act like I was a nut for taking my one year old to the dentist....and a follow when she was two? I'm not CRAZY people....I just follow the guidelines. I am a responsible parent like that.

I did find it a bit amusing that in the "prize box" at the dentist's office they had lollipops. Sure....they were sugar free...but the kids don't understand that. The lesson seems to be....be good at the dentist...and you get candy! I say it might be job protection at it's finest. The more candy the kids eat, the more cavities, the more money the dentists make. Sounds like a conspiracy to me. In a few weeks, we will be going to Sugar's 3rd visit for a check-up and flouride varnish. We can't wait. tee hee



Okay...so we totally established that I am a responsible mother who simply follows the guidelines of the experts right? Why yes, we did.....so you may be wondering what exactly my darling Sugar Bear is doing so intently in these photos. Besides eating a lollipop, that is. What do you think she is doing? Any guesses? Any ideas as to what might be giving her that glassy eyed, dazed look. It isn't the sugar, as you remember that is a sugar free lollipop she has right there. So...any other great guesses as to what has my girl so entranced?



YUP...the good old TELEVISION. You know the one that the AAP says should be banned FOREVER! Well....actually the American Academy of Pediatrics had this to say about TV and Toddlers:


It may be tempting to put your infant or toddler in front of the television, especially to watch shows created just for children under age two. But the American Academy of Pediatrics says: Don't do it! These early years are crucial in a child's development. The Academy is concerned about the impact of television programming intended for children younger than age two and how it could affect your child's development. Pediatricians strongly oppose targeted programming, especially when it's used to market toys, games, dolls, unhealthy food and other products to toddlers. Any positive effect of television on infants and toddlers is still open to question, but the benefits of parent-child interactions are proven. Under age two, talking, singing, reading, listening to music or playing are far more important to a child's development than any TV show. For more information on your child's health, visit www.aap.org.

Well, that right there is one guideline I haven't followed. Sugar Bear was an avid Baby Einstein watcher. As a mother, I embraced these videos for two reasons:

1. Sometimes a mom just needs a moment to herself, and since Sugar Bear would sit quietly and watch a 20 minute educational video, then why the heck not?

2. I quickly realized that Sugar Bear is a Visual Learner.

Through watching educational videos such as Baby Einstein, Sugar picked up all sorts of information. She quickly learned her shapes, colors, animals, and so on. She absorbed it, and thrived on it. After viewing her Leap
Frog Video, The Letter Factory, a total of three times, she knew her entire alphabet, and the sounds each letter makes. This was when she was only 26 months old, and she has retained it all. In my mind, the time Sugar has spent in front of the TV has indeed done her some good. Certainly, she could have learned all these things without TV, but heck...while mama is taking a shower....why not learn the ABC's? right?



I don't know about you....but there are more than a few hours in each day. I certainly spend a great deal of time cuddling, reading, talking, singing, listening, dancing, eating, laughing, playing, discovering, teaching, loving, and learning. Keeping this in mind, I definitely let those silly old TV guidelines slip out the window a few times a day. I may be a guideline following freak mama, but some are just made for being ignored. wink wink.....

"Hey Sugar Bear! You want to turn off "SuperWhy", hand over the lollipop, and go help mama clean out the dryer lint?"



Sugar says, "ummm gag me with a lollipop MOM!"

"I didn't think so!"

I guess some days are just MADE for killing brain cells, and rotting teeth.

(These photos were taken last MAY, after our visit to the dentist. I JUST edited them. Yes...on a whole....I am THAT behind on my photo editing....ugh!)