21 November 2017

Happy Holidays from Kai Family Dentistry!


From all of us at Kai Family Dentistry, we wish you a wonderful holiday season. For the rest of 2017, we will be opened the following dates:
  • November 28th - Dec 1st
  • Dec 5th - 7th
  • Dec 14th - 17th 
We hope you have a wonderful rest of the year and we will see you in 2018!

Toast to another amazing year,
Dr. Lynda Tran

27 October 2017

Unique Floss Turns Ritual Into Luxury Treat

As Halloween looms around the corner, I'm excited to share that Dr. Chrystal Cu from San Mateo has developed a wonderful option to our oral hygiene routine. Cocofloss aims at sprucing up the flossing experience by using "500 loosely woven polyester filaments coated with microcyrstalline wax, coconut oil, essential oils, and aromas". Hopefully, this will add to the experience of flossing and get more of us to floss daily!
For the full story from Fast Company, click here

Happy Halloween,
Dr. Lynda Tran

15 October 2017

Tooth Cracker 5000 Helps Extract Stem Cells

As stem cells become further studied and used in medicine, researchers are discovering teeth as a great source of stem cells. It is possible that this new device that is jokingly called the "Tooth Cracker 5000" may allow researchers to quadruple the number of stem cells harvested. 
“Potential real-world application of this technology is to assist dental pulp stem cell researchers and companies that store dental stem cells with improving their yields,” Mah said. “At this time, we plan to improve upon the current design and conduct testing with a variety of tooth shapes, but we are open to collaborations with other researchers and industry.”
For the full story, click here
 
Happy October,
Dr. Lynda Tran

29 September 2017

World Heart Day - A Focus on Teeth


In an article by Dr. Luke Cronin, he discusses the important links between our oral health and our heart health. 
The link between oral health and a healthy heart is stronger than you might have realised, and this World Heart Day. People with poor oral health have an increased number of bad bacteria, which can travel through your bloodstream to your stomach and heart, and create serious health problems.
For the full article, please check it out here. If you have questions about other ways to protect your heart through oral care, please drop me a message. 

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy heart,
Dr. Lynda Tran

09 June 2017

360 Degree Toothbrush for Kids from Japanese Clinic

A real father from Fatherly weighs in on the difficulty of brushing his kids' teeth. Read his suggestion here. It's a tough battle moms and dads, but it's a battle definitely worth fighting for! :)

Wishing all the kids a great summer break,
Dr. Lynda Tran

26 May 2017

History of Dentistry in Photos


Major dental nerdom in this latest entry. It is amazing how far dentistry has come. Check out the photo history here...especially the old school ether inhaler...whoa. 

Happy Memorial Day weekend,
Dr. Lynda Tran

12 May 2017

Warning: Cuteness Ahead

What a wonderful May we're having. Here is a little video of Fiona the Hippo for your Friday cuteness. 
 
Happy Mother's Day to All the Amazing Moms!,
Dr. Lynda Tran
KaiDentistry.com

28 April 2017

"Tooth Fairy Study" and Autism


A study that will be taking place for the next seven years hopes to discover any links between baby teeth and autism. Check out the full article here

“The Tooth Fairy” study
Scientists have searched for the cause of autism for decades. They have found trends — such as children with older siblings with autism are at significantly higher risk — but have yet to discover its trigger.
Researchers at the University of Washington are part of a national study looking at the baby teeth of the siblings of children who have autism. The Fishers have been enlisted to take part.
Since the teeth are collected from young children, the research quickly earned a nickname, “The Tooth Fairy” study.
Scientists will analyze the teeth looking for signs of exposure to toxins, such as pesticides, flame retardants, chemicals that soften plastics, and heavy metals such as lead, which can affect the development of genes.
A scientific instrument is used to determine when a child was exposed to a contaminant.
Happy Friday,
Dr. Lynda Tran
KaiDentistry.com

03 March 2017

Teeth Helping Scientists Build Better Planes


As if you needed another reason why teeth are awesome, check out this article from Andrew Liszewski (from Gizmodo) about how studying enamel is helping scientists build better planes!
Artificial tooth enamel could one day lead to the development of materials that could be a better alternative to the metals currently used to build airplane fuselages and automobile chassis. The fake enamel is not only lighter, the researchers say it’s able to withstand the constant vibrations, pressures, plus expansions and compressions that metals experience during flights, which overtime lead to microscopic cracks and eventual structure failure—the last thing you want at 30,000 feet.
See you at Salamander Saturday,
Dr. Lynda Tran
KaiDentistry.com

17 February 2017

Smart Toothbrush Films Inside Your Mouth

 
Very neat new product from Onvi called Prophix is geared towards improving your brushing efficiency by showing you a live stream of your mouth. Check out the new product below!
 
 
Happy President's Day weekend,
Dr. Lynda Tran

03 February 2017

Alzheimer's Drug May Grow Back Teeth


We are getting closer and closer to being able to move away from traditional "fillings" and being able to tap into the tooth's ability to regrow tooth structure. Check out this fascinating study here

Ready for 6 more weeks of winter,
Dr. Lynda Tran

20 January 2017

Top 10 Tips for Keeping Your Kids’ Teeth Healthy

For today's entry, I am so excited to share an entry prepared by a guest writer! Dolores Santos has put together a wonderful, concise article about keeping our kids' teeth healthy. Check it out below! 


Here's to the weekend,
Dr. Lynda Tran
KaiDentistry.com

Top 10 Tips for Keeping Your Kids’ Teeth Healthy

Every parent has heard the horror stories of kids who have daily tantrums about the task of brushing their teeth, but you also realize how important it is to instill healthy dental habits in your kids at a young age. Dental health is linked to overall health and well-being, and the steps taken while kids are young can have life-long impacts. 
Here are 10 helpful tips for keeping your kids’ teeth healthy (and maintaining your sanity as a parent).

1.Encourage healthy eating habits.
What you eat affects the health of your teeth as much as how well you care for them. Avoid sugary foods and sticky, gummy treats that may stick to teeth. Instead, encourage kids to eat healthy, fresh fruits and vegetables, drink plenty of water, and limit snacking between brushing.

2.Make brushing fun.
Not all kids enjoy brushing their teeth, let alone flossing. Buy kid-friendly floss picks, toothpaste, and toothbrushes to make brushing fun.

3.Make sure they brush twice per day.
Kids who don’t yet have their adult teeth should brush twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and water or kid-friendly toothpaste. If you have a baby who has not yet broken teeth, wipe her gums using an infant gum massager to promote healthy teeth and gums.

4.Help your kids brush their teeth.
Some kids are able to master the art of brushing their teeth thoroughly at a young age, while others will require help for several more years. Help your kids brush their teeth twice daily until you’re certain that they’re effectively brushing all areas.

5.Use fluoride toothpaste.
Experts suggest that parents begin using a fluoride toothpaste with children at age three. Use only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste and be sure that your child spits it out rather than swallowing it.

6.Visit a dentist regularly.
It’s a good idea to schedule your child’s first dental visit by the age of one, but all children should see a dentist by age three. The sooner you begin regular dentist visits, the more comfortable your child will feel with your dental provider.

7.Encourage your kids to drink water frequently.
When your kids begin to attend school, it’s not always possible to brush after every meal or snack. However, plain water can help to flush away food particles and debris from around the teeth between brushing, which can help to ward off potential decay. Encourage your children to rinse their mouths with plain water throughout the day.

8.Talk to your dentist about sealants.
If your children are prone to cavities, they may benefit from sealants, a coating applied by dentists that can help to protect cavity-prone areas. Kids with some hereditary conditions, such as amelogenesis imperfecta (a condition that causes porous enamel), may benefit from sealants.

9.Embrace flossing.
For kids who don’t like brushing, flossing is even more frightening, but flossing is one of the most important things you can do for healthy teeth and gums. Fortunately, kid-friendly floss picks make the task much simpler for children. Have your dentist or hygienist show your children how to floss properly and make sure you know the proper technique so that you can guide them at home.

10.Use both manual and electric toothbrushes.
Kids often get excited by fancy electric toothbrushes, especially those that play music or perform other interesting tricks. While electric toothbrushes are a good way to get your kids interested in brushing, you should alternate between these and regular, manual brushes to be sure that your children learn the proper brushing technique.

As a parent, you worry about many aspects of your children’s health. By implementing these 10 tips, you can have confidence that you’re doing everything possible to protect that bright, healthy smile that brings you so much joy.

Image via Pixabay by wjgomes

American Health Council Names Dr. Tran to Board


Sharing some exciting news to start the year!

Happy 2017,
Dr. Lynda Tran