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• It’s okay to eat candy and treats ... in moderation.  It's important to teach our kids that sweets are ok SOMETIMES.
• Frequency is more important than Quantity... Any time you eat a treat (or any food), your mouth becomes coated in sugars for about 20-30 mins.  The bacteria in your mouth eat those sugars and release an acid that lowers the pH in your mouth and damages your tooth.  This is called acid attack, and it happens whether you eat 1 candy or 20 candies in that 20 minute period.  Eat treats once then brush your teeth and don't have any more until next week!
• Be picky when candy is sticky! If it’s hard to get off of your teeth, skip it.
• Hard candies can break your teeth and take longer to eat. They bathe your teeth in sugar for a prolonged period of time. This lowers the pH of your saliva and the sugar fuels the bacteria that causes cavities – a perfect storm for decay!
• Sour candies are acidic. They can actually burn your tongue. They also decrease the pH in your mouth putting your teeth at risk for extra cavities.
• Chocolates, especially dark chocolate, are one of the better candies for your teeth because they wash off easily!  They’re also delicious and one of our favorite treats all year round!
• If you want to indulge, do so right after meals! (Like a dessert.) You are less likely to binge and eat too many sweets. And the increased amount of saliva from your meal will help rinse the candy sugars off of your teeth.
• Snacking often on candy during the day increases your risk for cavities, and it’s not great for your diet.  Remember... frequency is important!
• Pick your favorites and donate the rest! Senior centers, churches, and many other community centers would probably love to take unopened treats!  You can also mail them to military members.  (Or just throw them away.... Shhhh, the kids don't have to know!)
• Drink more water.
• Stay away from beverages with added sugar like juice, soda pop, or sports drinks.  The candy treats already has enough sugar in it!
• Enjoy the treats and make them something special!

New Carseat Guidelines from the AAP!

Since the leading cause of death for children over 4 years of age is motor vehicle crashes, we decided to take a closer look at car seats and safety. The American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) just came out with an update for their "Recommendations for Car Seats for Children" on August 30, 2018. Here are some of the highlights of the new recommendations:

• All infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible - up to age 4 if your car seat can accommodate your child appropriately!!
  • Most can safely handle children up to 35-50 lbs and many can go up to 75+ lbs!
• All children who have outgrown (weight or height) a rear-facing car seat should use a forward-facing car seat with a harness for as long as possible.
• All children whose weight or height is above the forward facing limit for their car seat should use a belt positioned booster seat until the vehicle lap and shoulder belt fit properly (at 4’9” in height and around 8-12 years in age).
• Older children should always wear the lap and shoulder seat belts.
• All children younger than 13 years should sit in the rear seats of vehicles.

If you prefer to see a flow chart, click here.

There are several excellent resources to help out parents as they try to decide what car seat is right for their child. Below we have listed of some of our favorite resources.·

• Find a child passenger safety technician at a formal inspection station. You can type in your zip code and it will show you a list of places you can go. https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/car-seats-and-booster-seats#install-inspection
• The National Child Passenger Safety Certification Website: http://cert.safekids.org
  • They also have the Ultimate Car Seat Guide.
• Best Car Seat Hub
• Consumer Reports

You can also stop by the Cedar Rapids Fire Department to have your car seat checked for proper installation!  Be safe friends!

Hello all!  This month, we'd like you to explore foods and nutrition with us!

Taking care of your teeth from the inside is just as important as taking care of them on the outside. Brushing, flossing, and dentist visits are so important, but so is eating nutritious food. This month, we'll be Eating the Rainbow, and hope you'll join us! See below for an "Eat the Rainbow"; tally sheet for you and your family to keep track of all of the colorful fruit and vegetables you eat this month. We'll be sharing our favorites too.

cedar rapids eat the rainbow

We've also included a March tooth brushing calendar!  Use it to keep track of your family's good brushing habits and to help encourage our little ones to work hard and brush and floss every day!

crpd march chart