Our Blog

Eating healthy has a ton of benefits. As dentists, we love food options that keep your kid's smile bright. If your kid eats more junk food than you would like, you can cut back a little by offering these healthy alternatives:

• Drink water or milk instead of soda and juice.  Soda and juice contain a lot of sugars that can damage teeth over time.  Try to limit your child's soda or juice intake to no more than 4-6 ounces a day.
• Snack on dried fruit instead of candy.  It's fun to chew on fruit-flavored candy, but try a piece of dried fruit instead.   You'll get the same flavor, but with less damage to your teeth.
• Chew on sugar-free gum instead of gum with sugar additives.  Cavities are a leading dental problem for kids, so cutting back on sugary gum will limit your child's exposure to the sugars that cause them.
• Bite into an apple instead of crackers.  Apples do have some sugars, but coupled with the fibers of the fresh fruit, they wash away pretty quickly in your mouth.  
• Incorporate as many veggies into your kid's diet as possible.  Veggies are great at maintaining healthy teeth.  The more you can offer your children, the more smiles you'll get out of their teeth.

As your child's pediatric dentist in Tucson, we want to keep your child's smile healthy.  If you have any questions for our office, feel free to call us at (520) 544-8522.

About Northwest Children's Pediatric Dentists

Dr. Norman Bunch and Dr. Jennifer Marshall are doctor spouses who have been working as kids dentists in Tucson for years.  They have deep ties to Tucson, as well as the surrounding Oro Valley, Marana, Oracle, and other areas. Northwest Children's Dentistry provides top-notch care for toddlers, children, teens, and special needs children. If you’re looking for a general dentist for kids in Tucson, contact us today at (520) 544-8522.

Many infants and toddlers use thumb sucking or pacifiers to self-soothe.  While this is normal behavior at younger ages, as your child gets into their preschool years, these habits can cause damage to your child's teeth.  Below are some ideas to get your child to stop needing to suck their thumb or use a pacifier:

• Try limiting behavior first.  It may be hard to stop the habit cold turkey, but you might be able to convince a child to stop it during daytime hours or nap time.  Reward charts and other positive rewards can help you encourage them to snuggle with a plush animal instead of sticking something in their mouth.
• Start a reward chart.  Some children love the sense of accomplishment they feel using a reward chard.  You can give your child a special treat for earning 10 or more stickers per chart.
• Allow the child to take a special toy to bed.  Sometimes allowing a kid to take a special toy to bed helps them transition away from the thumb sucking or pacifier use.  This could be something you buy for them, but it could also be a favorite harder toy you might not normally allow them to take to bed.
• Deploy the pacifier fairy.  Some parents use this spin on the "tooth fairy" to get them to give up their pacifiers.  The pacifier fairies give their old pacifiers to a baby, and in return, they get some prize waking up the next day.

As your child's pediatric dentist in Tucson, we want to keep your child's smile healthy.  If you have any questions for our office, feel free to call us at (520) 544-8522.

About Northwest Children's Pediatric Dentists

Dr. Norman Bunch and Dr. Jennifer Marshall are doctor spouses who have been working as kids dentists in Tucson for years.  They have deep ties to Tucson, as well as the surrounding Oro Valley, Marana, Oracle, and other areas. Northwest Children's Dentistry provides top-notch care for toddlers, children, teens, and special needs children. If you’re looking for a general dentist for kids in Tucson, contact us today at (520) 544-8522.

Halloween is just around the corner, and for many children, that means lots of candy. Although we agree it's okay to indulge in some sweets for the season, we also like to promote other fun, non-sugary treats that will still make even the littlest ghost smile.

Here's our recommend list of things you can hand out to trick or treaters:

• Little jars of clay: Big box stores now sell these fun bits of fun that kids can mold long after Halloween is over.
• Stickers: You can buy these in bulk and hand 'em out by the handful.
• Patterned bandages: Stores now sell all sorts of fun bandages with colorful characters that kids love wearing.
• Temporary Tattoos: Give them some ink to show off to their folks.
• Bouncy Balls: Pretty much every kid loves to bounce these off sidewalks and see how far they will fly.
• Coins: Get rid of your loose change and give them something they can save for a rainy day.
• Glow Sticks: They can snap one of these for safety as they walk from house to house.
• Pencils: Useful for art, school, or just about any occasions, pencils are the cheap treat that keeps on giving.

Whatever you decide to give out at your door, we hope you have a safe and fun Halloween!

As your child's pediatric dentist in Tucson, we want to keep your child's smile healthy.  If you have any questions for our office, feel free to call us at (520) 544-8522.

About Northwest Children's Pediatric Dentists

Dr. Norman Bunch and Dr. Jennifer Marshall are doctor spouses who have been working as kids dentists in Tucson for years.  They have deep ties to Tucson, as well as the surrounding Oro Valley, Marana, Oracle, and other areas. Northwest Children's Dentistry provides top-notch care for toddlers, children, teens, and special needs children. If you’re looking for a general dentist for kids in Tucson, contact us today at (520) 544-8522.

You may think a dentist is just a dentist, but pediatric dentists are specially trained to look after a child's growing teeth. After graduating from general dental school, pediatric dentists go on to earn an additional degree on dental care for children. Pediatric dentists also have a lot of techniques to make kids feel comfortable and welcome in the dentists’ chair.  Read on to find out what kind of services pediatric dentists like the ones at Northwest Children's Dentistry have to offer:

• Routine Check-Ups: We examine your child's teeth every six months to make sure they are growing properly. Routine care and preventative measures will lessen the amount of procedures we need to do to keep your kid healthy.
• Sealants: A dental sealant is a thin, plastic coating secured to the chewing surface of the tooth.  Many permanent molars erupt with deep pits and grooves. The sealant fills these areas to create a barrier to keep food and bacteria out.  This simple procedure can reduce the risk of tooth decay by up to 50%.
• Fluoride Treatments: Fluoride is a pediatric dentist’s top disease prevention technique.   Regular fluoride treatments can help reduce cavities.
• Cavity Fillings: If your child has significant tooth decay or damaged teeth, we can provide fillings to protect them.   We can also provide metal-free fillings that blend in with your child's natural smile.
• Mouth or Sports Guards: If your child is involved in a high-impact sport, you may want to consider a custom mouth guard for your child.  Custom mouth guards protect your child’s teeth in case of injury and are more comfortable to wear than store bought ones.
• And many more! We provide a variety of individualized services and will do everything possible to help answer all your questions about your child's dental health.

As your child's pediatric dentist in Tucson, we want to keep your child's smile healthy.  If you have any questions for our office, feel free to call us at (520) 544-8522.

About Northwest Children's Pediatric Dentists

Dr. Norman Bunch and Dr. Jennifer Marshall are doctor spouses who have been working as kids dentists in Tucson for years.  They have deep ties to Tucson, as well as the surrounding Oro Valley, Marana, Oracle, and other areas. Northwest Children's Dentistry provides top-notch care for toddlers, children, teens, and special needs children. If you’re looking for a general dentist for kids in Tucson, contact us today at (520) 544-8522.