Our Blog
Self-Esteem and Your Child, from Dr. DeCambre (Continued)
February 21st, 2012
A couple weeks ago, Dr. DeCambre discussed about how to help our children develop a healthy self-esteem. Today we will look at why it’s so important to start early and what makes up good self-esteem
The entire goal of building self-esteem in our kids is to help them reach that point where they trust what they think and they know that they are worthy of happiness. This all begins extremely early! In fact, several studies have shown that approximately 80-90% of a child’s character and mental development is significantly developed by age 5. Age 5!
We each parent differently and this is wonderful because each child is unique and has different needs. There seems though to be five conditions consistently associated with high self-esteem in children:
• Acceptance of thoughts, feelings and value of his or her person
• The child is not given unrestricted freedom but has clearly defined, fair boundaries.
• Violence, humiliation or ridicule is not used to control and manipulate.
• Parents uphold high standards in terms of behavior and performance. The child is challenged to be the best he or she can be.
• The parents themselves tend to enjoy a high level of self-esteem and set great examples for the child to follow
Dr. DeCambre and her wonderful staff are totally committed to nurturing the self-esteem of all the children they interact with. Stop by and visit with us any time!
What’s going on at Dr. DeCambre’s office?
February 13th, 2012
It’s time for an update of all the exciting things we have going on in the office and also some of the great things from the end of the year!
• We ran a parent/adult patient contest for the holiday season where all the patients/parents had to do was fill out a slip with their name to enter a drawing to win extra “Cash for Christmas”. Our winner was a wonderful patient by the name of Nicole M.
• We also do a quarterly compliance drawing where each time a patient comes in for an appointment, they get a ticket for each of the following (great brushing, nothing broken, and wearing the office t-shirt)—chance for 3 tickets total. The winner of our drawing this past quarter was Gage H., who won a $25 gift card to GameStop, one of his favorite stores.
• For the holiday season, we had a Salvation Army Angel Tree decorated with tags that were each designated for a needy child. Patients had the opportunity to take a tag and return a gift for their designated child. The toys were picked up by the Salvation Army and donated to the children for Christmas gifts!
Also….
• Our office charity for the year 2011 was C.A.S.T.L.E. (Child Abuse Services Training and Life Enrichment). We decided to have a raffle to support the charity. The prize of the raffle was a free treatment of braces worth up to $5,000. The drawing was held on Monday, Feb. 6, 2012 and the winner was Kara Ferraro. All proceeds are being donated to CASTLE.
Now, on to February….
o For the month of February, we have a parent contest. Our couples in the office (parents/adult patients) have a chance to win a free dinner for 2 for Valentine’s Day. All they have to do is tell us what they LOVE about our office and their name is entered in the drawing!
o We now have fresh Keurig coffee, cold bottled water, soda, and fresh baked Otis Spunkmeyer cookies every day for our patients.
At Braces for Us, our mission is to provide the highest quality orthodontic care with exceptional service by going the extra mile before, during, and after your treatment. Your journey to a beautiful smile starts with a complimentary exam at our office. You’ll learn about all the ways we can help you achieve a lasting smile you’ll be proud to show off. Contact our Port St. Lucie office today to schedule an appointment and let us welcome you into the Braces for Us family.
Self-Esteem and Your Child, from Dr. DeCambre
February 6th, 2012
As a creator of beautiful smiles, I am very interested in the growth and development of the face and jaws. As the mother of a toddler and a healthcare provider for hundreds of kids, I am very interested in growth and development in general. So, I took to the books and this whole topic of self-esteem seemed to be popping up again and again. Here goes the condensed version! I hope you find this as helpful as I did.
Confidence says “I CAN do this.” Self-esteem says “I am WORTH it” (Monica Wofford). This is the most concise clarification of self-esteem I have ever found.
How do we help our little ones feel as though they are worth it?
• By meeting our child’s basic needs of food, shelter and clothing
• Through good, safe touch
• Through verbal expressions of love
• By showing joy and pleasure at the mere existence of the child
• By accepting who they are
At Braces for Us, Dr. DeCambre and her staff make every child feel important by greeting them warmly by their name every time; creating self-esteem boosting smiles and having fun, fun, and more fun! It is never too late for us to commit to learning about the most important, most precious job we will ever have—giving our children roots to grow and wings to fly.
Start now!
February marks National Children’s Dental Health Month!
January 30th, 2012
February, which marks is National Children’s Dental Health Month, is almost upon us, and today Dr. DeCambre and our team thought we’d promote good oral hygiene among our patients with a few tips and tricks, courtesy of the American Dental Association.
• Teeth brushing techniques: It takes only two minutes to properly brush using short, gentle strokes and devoting extra attention to the gumline, areas around fillings and hard-to-reach areas such as the back teeth.
• Flossing: hold the floss snugly between thumbs and index finger and insert it between each of the teeth, making sure to go beneath the gumline and curving the floss around the base of each tooth.
• Snack wisely: choose healthy snacks such as cheese, fruits and vegetables and avoid crunchy, sticky, chewy candies that can stick to the teeth. If you eat these snacks, be sure to brush after doing so.
• Carbonated or sugary drinks: these drinks create acids that can damage the teeth when mixed with saliva, so they should be avoided altogether. If you’re going to drink one of these beverages, don’t sip on it throughout the day. Rather, drink it and then brush your teeth.
• Regular dental visits: in addition to seeing our team at Braces For Us during your orthodontic treatment, you should visit your dentist for professional check-ups and teeth cleaning appointments about every six months.
National Dental Health Month aims to increase awareness about the importance of our patients’ oral health. If you have any questions about keeping your mouth healthy, or about your treatment with Dr. DeCambre, please feel free to give us a call or ask us on Facebook!
