Blog & Events

Building Good Dental Habits: Brush Twice a Day and Floss Once

Do you know that it takes each of us approximately 66 days to create a habit? That is almost 2 months to make an action automatic. One of the best ways to help the time fly—especially for kids—is to start with fun, achievable goals. Since all kids are different, here are some suggestions for how you can set up your kiddos for success.

For the Flavor-Finder

Does your child love trying new foods? Do they have an adventurous palette? To get them excited about brushing their teeth, have your child set a goal to try a new flavor toothpaste every time they run out. They’ll look forward to trying something new and you can make sure to keep them brushing at least twice a day looking forward to a new flavor.

For the Hydration-Hopeful

Drinks like soda, coffee, or energy drinks are often packed with sugar, chemicals, or dyes that can lead to built-up stains or cavity risk over time. A simple way to help your child start a positive habit for their teeth and overall health is by challenging them (and yourself, perhaps!) to drink more water. Milk can also be an easier segway into water that also aids in calcium development and bone strength. A fun new water bottle can do the trick, too!

For the Outcome-Oriented

Maybe you and your kids are focused on the goal. You like to see the hard work you’ve put in turn into great results. A fun way to stay on track with habits is by documenting progress. You can do this in a number of crafty ways, including:

A themed calendar (color, animal, favorite character, etc.) that marks brushing twice a day and flossing.
Taking a picture of your child’s smile every day to show change over time (whitening or using orthodontics, for example); you can even use props and dress up to make the photos silly, with the smile as the star!
Every day your child makes progress in building their habit (like brushing or flossing every day), have them add a few pieces to a puzzle or a couple sections of a paint-by-number. Then, your child will have two outcomes to look forward to – the fun-filled activity and better dental health!

For the Retainer-Reluctant

Remembering to put in a retainer at night or even doing it regularly by choice can be one of the more difficult dental battles for kids. While the outcome is great, your child may have a tough time with the feeling of wearing it, being embarrassed, or just forgetting. It’s hard to see the outcome when it can be a long way away! For some kids, focusing on a goal or reward can be more effective. Creating an incentive system with your child can help them keep up a more difficult habit by having something exciting on the horizon.

Additionally, making sure your child has a specific place to keep their retainer and case can decrease the likelihood of it being lost. Help your child create a home for their retainer where it can be kept safe and everyone knows where it should be. Have your child practice putting it in the same place so it becomes second nature.

For the Nervous-Nellie

Some kids are just really uncomfortable with anything that has to do with dental health – brushing, flossing, or the weird taste of toothpaste. That’s okay! It may take longer for some kids to get used to having different textures, tools, or flavors in their mouths, especially when they are younger. To help build normalcy and reduce nerves, try creating a dental routine. When you brush your teeth, have them brush theirs. Older siblings can also be great examples. Healthy tooth habits are for everyone!

We know that there are lots of ways to build habits. No matter what works best, we encourage you to make bright, healthy smiles a goal because a lifetime of good oral health is the foundation of physical and mental well-being, affecting your ability to eat, speak, and smile. We are always available to answer your questions or provide alternative suggestions.

Designed for Kids, by Kids (and a few adults, too)

At Bullard Children’s Dentistry, you may hear us say we’re a dentist office “for kids, by kids” – but what does that actually mean?

We’re not just any other dentist office. In developing our design, we’ve taken into account not only what is kid-friendly, but also what is kid-approved. It’s our way of making our patients of all ages feel comfortable, welcome, and inspired. Going to the dentist doesn’t have to be just another appointment. It can be an adventure, too!

What’s With the Colors?

The first thing you’ll notice about our office is that we’ve taken a new approach to the use of color. You probably haven’t seen a whole lot of purple buildings! On the outside (literally), the use of a non-conventional color provides a sense of whimsy. We take whimsy very seriously! But there’s so much more to it than that.

Inside our office, the reign of purple continues. It’s on our walls, the color of our scrubs, chairs, decorations, and tools. There’s purple everywhere! As our signature color, it’s fun, whimsical nature is a nod to the playfulness of our young patients. It’s more engaging, exciting, and interesting. And that’s not all – the color purple is also a historical symbol of royalty, luxury, and creativity. While most of our patients may not know that, they’ll feel it! We want our patients to feel like their royalty by the way they’re treated with kindness, care, and professionalism. When your child sits in one of our exam chairs, it’s sure to feel luxurious (especially with the TV on the ceiling). And at BCD, creativity is part of the experience – just by walking in the door!

Everything’s Cool

When you walk into our office, you may feel awash with a sense of calm. And even if you don’t right away, that’s okay! We’ve taken that into account by supplementing our primary purple color with blues, greens, and silvers – a cool color palette. Cool colors like this evoke emotions like comfort, serenity, and relaxation while also being fun to look at. These colors were chosen because of their properties, so that your child feels playful and creative. We do everything we can to create a relaxing environment, knowing that the dentist might not be everyone’s favorite place. And as a parent, we hope you can feel “cool”, too!

What’s with All the Art?

Our office is unique in a lot of ways. Aside from the unconventional, eye-catching color of our building, our lobbies and exam space are chock-full of decorations. When we designed our office, we wanted pieces of art that highlighted our patients and gave a new perspective to dentistry. The pop-art in our lobby puts baby teeth on display in an array of colors. The chandeliers above our sinks are made of toothbrushes! Even our favorite dentist, Dr. George, is depicted in an artistic way in the office. While many of these impressive works are made by Dr. George’s wife, Shannon, many of them are also made by kids!

Some pieces include actual works of art by our patients and community members, while other works were voted on or requested by them. Each of Dr. George’s kids (and their teeth!) are also featured in the artwork. These one-of-a-kind projects give our office a unique feel and add to the whimsy we love. Next time you’re at the office, take a closer look at the art – you never know what you’ll find!

Where Art and Color Combine

Sometimes, kids have to come to the dentist for more serious procedures. Or maybe your child needs special accommodations for their visit, or is particularly nervous or sensitive to new sights, sounds, and feelings. Whatever the case, we’ve used the psychology of cool colors and the beauty of original art to design our private exam rooms. In these special rooms, the primary color is blue – emanating feelings of positivity, calming, stability, and trust. Additionally, we’ve chosen art specifically with water or nature scenes that deepen these feelings. While being in the care of Dr. George and our staff already helps calm patients, we know some kids just need a little extra love from the environment, too.

Leading with Whismy

“Whimsy” is an idea we take very seriously. So, what is whimsy? It’s how things are described when they are playful and imaginative – and who better to direct those characteristics than kids? Every year, we appoint a Board of Directors, made entirely of kids. Their main objective is to contribute new ideas for creativity and design in the office. During their meetings, they may vote on paint colors, patterns for carpets, movies to have in stock, and attractions to have in the waiting room. We know the toys, games, reading material, and furniture in our waiting room are engaging for kids because they were chosen by them. Since the beginning, the bulk of our design choices have been made by kids, so we know it’s a place kids will love to come back to again and again.

In an office designed by kids, for kids, your child is sure to be excited by our unique sense of style and artistic creativity. Everything has intention. What they don’t see in our design, they’ll feel because of it – relaxation, comfortability, and calming alongside playfulness, engagement, and yes, whimsy.

Feeling intrigued? Take our virtual office tour.

Fighting Fear with Fun: How We Tackle Appointment Anxiety

At Bullard Children’s Dentistry, we know visits to the dentist can be scary – especially when it’s for the first time. New noises, strange tools, and funny sensations may make your child feel vulnerable or afraid. That’s okay! It’s exactly the reason we’ve taken diligent and deliberate steps to ensure our patients and their parents feel comfortable, safe, and understood.

So how exactly do we fight the fear of coming to the dentist? We’re a business that is made for kids, by kids – so we’ve heard firsthand what hurts and what helps.

Crazy with Color

We’ve decided – drab, square office buildings are out. Wonky purple buildings with silver stars are in! Building excitement that stamps out fear starts when you drive into our lot. Inside, your child will find a world of soothing, cool colors, interesting shapes, and tons of sparkles (like their teeth will have!). We’re no ordinary pediatric dentistry; we want our patients to know the world they’ve stepped into is bright and playful, just for them.

Enrich and Engage

While you’re waiting for your appointment, we don’t want to just distract your child from anticipation or anxiety. We want to enrich and engage their minds with creativity and imagination. Our lobby was designed to foster play and increase joy without the mind-numbing screen-scrolling. The technology we’ve implemented is interactive and collaborative, so you and your child can prepare for your appointment by having fun. Maybe you have a quieter, more shy child – no problem! We always have a family-friendly movie playing and comfy couches to lounge on.

Friendly Faces

One of the first things you’ll notice about our office is our marvelous staff. Friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable, each member of our team is family, and it’s their job to help make YOU feel like family. Most of our team, from receptionists to dental hygienists, are parents themselves. They all have different tips and tricks to help make your child feel safe, comfortable and cared for every step of the way.

Tactics for Tone and Talking

In the world of pediatric dentistry, much of the fear patients have comes from the unfamiliarity with tools and procedures, as well as the anticipation of physical discomfort. Maybe your child just doesn’t like the sound of their teeth being cleaned or doesn’t like the taste of toothpaste. Our team is trained to mitigate these fears to the best of their ability – including how they talk to your child about what is happening in their appointment.

When answering questions or explaining a procedure, our team gives an age-appropriate description of what they can expect. To avoid sparking fear, for example, there are certain words we don’t use; instead of saying they’ll “pull” a tooth, we say we’ll be “wiggling” a tooth. We also keep tones lighthearted and gentle, to ensure children of any age feel calm and collected.

Your child also has the opportunity to direct aspects of their visit – including the color of their toothbrush and the flavor of their toothpaste – because even the technical part should be fun too!

Delightful Dr. George

When Dr. George comes by, he’ll make an introduction to get to know you and your child personally. With his history in the business and four kids of his own, Dr. George understands how best to assure both you and his patients of their health and safety. Through direct and consistent communication, you can feel secure knowing what the next steps are for the wellbeing of your child’s teeth. With an expert eye, extensive knowledge, and a confident, calming presence, Dr. George is the kind of dentist who can make your kids laugh while checking for cavities (or lack thereof!).

Take-home Treasures

As you and your child leave your appointment, you’ll be taking home more than just a new toothbrush and a sparkling smile. As a parent, you’ll be leaving with the security of knowing exactly how your child is cared for from beginning to end, and how you can continue those dental health habits at home. As a patient, your child will leave with a positive experience where they remember the color, warmth, comfortability, and fun. When you come back, friendly faces will become familiar faces, and you’ll start to feel like family – because you are a part of our family. Our mission is to make Bullard Children’s Dentistry a place where kids are excited about their next appointment “in that funny purple building!”