Trick or Teeth - Dr Plotka Mouth Washers

Be honest how much Halloween candy do you eat?  It starts off with, let me inspect your candy bag..  Then, you end up saving some for your stash.  At least, that is how it works in my house.  I am guilty of having a sweet tooth.  Boy, do I love me some chocolate.

Disclosure-Sample product was received.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience.

I have a few tricks to share with you that will save your beautiful teeth and keep you smiling.  First, I lead by example.  Although going to trick or treating is a lot of fun.  Kids can get too much candy.  They cannot consume all that candy on their own.  Rather than you taking one for the team.  Share.

Sharing is Caring.

I let my kids pick out a handful of favorites.  Then we separate the candies that they definitely will not eat.  Those candies go in the give away pile.  I have a candy jar at my office that I place on my desk to share. 

Second, ration out the candy.  I use to keep the candy jar right at arms reach for everyone to grab and go at all times.  Now we keep it put away. 

Out of sight, out of mind.

Lastly, this is the most important time that we all need to remind each other to take extra time while brushing our teeth to get any extra candy stuck to our teeth and in between our gums.  This is where I recommend a good toothbrush with good bristles.

Dr. Plotka’s toothbrush with soft, long lasting bristles and antimicrobial technology!  A antimicrobial toothbrush with flossing bristles™ that are ultra-thin at the tip to properly reach and brush away food and plaque in normally missed areas.  Embedded with naturally antimicrobial silver to eliminate 99.9% of bacteria build-up within 6 hours after brushing, you can keep those germs away while showing off your healthy smile!

And you won't feel guilty if you have an extra candy or two.

Invisalign Straight Talk

Disclosure-This is a sponsored post. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is me and my mouth full of teeth.  Do you see what I see everyday I look at this smile?  My crooked teeth, and one tooth that did it all.  The one tooth I was scared to pull out myself, that I refused for my parents to pull out as a teen, and then came it's brother that grew behind it.  I have always been very bothered by this tooth.  I love to smile but am always aware of this tooth.  Growing up my parents could not afford braces and I of course did not want to be a metal mouth.  Now, I am a grown up and want to get my teeth fixed but am embarrassed to walk around with a mouth full of braces like a teenager.  So I have been thinking of Invisalign. 

Invisalign® takes a modern approach to straightening teeth, using a custom-made series of aligners created for you and only you. These aligner trays are made of smooth, comfortable and virtually invisible plastic that you simply wear over your teeth. Wearing the aligners will gradually and gently shift your teeth into place, based on the exact movements your dentist or orthodontist plans out for you. There are no metal brackets to attach and no wires to tighten. You simply pop in a new set of aligners approximately every two weeks, until your treatment is complete and you achieve the confident smile that you've always wanted. The best part about the whole process is that most people won't even know you're straightening your teeth.


So I can go about my daily life and no one has to know that I am wearing Invisalign while my teeth get fixed.  It is good to know that technology has helped with this advancement.  There are options other than wearing metal braces.  With these removable aligners, now every teen would easily volunteer to get their teeth fixed and won't have to be embarrassed to have a mouth full of metal.  The aligners also can be removed.  So you can eat, brush and floss like normal.  I know my teen, anything that will embarrassed him, he will not do.  And of course with teens, everything is embarrassing.  I am so glad there is this option for him, for all teens, and even for parents like me who never had the chance before and would like to fix them now.  I also like that this system usually requires fewer office visits, shorter appointments, and no "emergency" visits for broken wires or brackets.

•  Metal wires and brackets can cause irritation or even accident-related injuries, especially for teens involved in sports.

Oh no, that cannot happen.  I have a teen who plays Soccer and runs Cross Country for his school.  I already have to worry about sports injuries.  I do not need to worry about these kind of injuries too.

So for both of us my son and I, Invisalign is the option we would like to go with. 

If you are looking for more information or thinking about getting Invisalign yourself:

-Visit the Invisalign website for more information about the clear alternative to braces.

-Research.  Find an Invisalign provider and schedule a visit with the Invisalign Doctor Locator.

-Take the Invisalign Smile Assessment to find out if Invisalign is right for you or your child.

Have you been thinking of getting Invisalign?  Have you or someone you’ve known used Invisalign? And if so, what was their experience? 

Camilia Teething Relief Review and Giveaway***CLOSED

Signs of Teething


Mom and babySo how do you know if your little one is teething? Most babies experience increased drooling and crankiness. Here are six signs of a teething baby from Parenting.com:

The need to gnaw.

The pressure of an emerging tooth beneath the gums may be relieved by counter pressure, so teething babies often want to chomp on things. The chewing instinct may also be a response to the odd sensation that something’s going on in there.

Puffy gums.
Before a new tooth erupts, it can cause a red, swollen, bruised-looking area on a baby’s gums. Sometimes the gum bulges with the emerging tooth, which you can see faintly beneath the skin (if you can convince your baby to open his mouth for long enough).
Excessive drooling.
Increased spittle can herald a new tooth—but it’s also a normal developmental stage of infancy, so don’t assume that drooling means teething. There’s no way to tell whether your baby’s saliva is the result of teething or not, though it may be if you also see signs of drooling.
Fussiness, especially at night.
Tooth eruption—when the tooth moves through the bone and gum—tends to come in stages, with more activity at night than during the day, so your baby may be more irritable in the evening.
Ear pulling.

While it can also be a sign of an ear infection, tugging can be a symptom of teething: The pain from the jaw gets transferred to the ear canal.
A change in eating habits.
Babies who are eating solids may want to nurse or bottle-feed more because a spoon irritates their inflamed gums. Others may do the opposite, eating more than usual because the counter pressure feels good. And babies who are still on the bottle or breast may begin feeding eagerly but pull back because the activity of sucking puts uncomfortable pressure on the gums and ear canal.
Since some signs of teething may actually be signs of illness, please call your baby’s doctor if the above symptoms don’t ease after a few days or if they worsen.


Camilia is a safe, natural one-product solution for painful gums and irritability caused by teething. Its sterile, single-use doses are easy to administer and worry-free. There’s no risk of overmedicating or numbing your baby’s gag reflex. And Camilia does not contain benzocaine, dyes, sugar or preservatives.

More information can be found at www.camiliateething.com.

My thoughts-I love that this product is natural.  Who wants to drug their babies?  I like that it is premeasured in the single use doses.  Gia did not complain at all.  Gia has been drooling since month 1.  I was glad that Camilia can be used from 1 month old.  It is easy to use.

Do you have a teething baby?  Would you like to try Camilia?  Here is how to enter:

1)  Become a Facebook fan, Camilia (1 entry)
2)  Follow on Twitter, Camilia (1 entry)
3)  Tweet. (1 entry/per tweet, 1 per hr)

Enter to #win @CamiliaUSA teething relief for your #baby @independentmami #giveaway ends 5/24 http://tinyurl.com/7w7ta2v

This giveaway ends 5/24 @ 8 am.  1 winner will be randomly selected.  The winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize.  US only.  Please leave your email in the comment.  Good luck.

***Disclosure-No compensation was received.  Sample product provided for review.  This product has been Gia tested and Independentmami approved.