With the colder weather coming in, we will be implementing new check-in procedures at Wagner Pediatric Dentistry.  

The morning of your appointment you will receive a text from our automated system stating:

“When you arrive at our office please wait in your car. For the safety of you and others we are limiting patients in the waiting area. Please let us know you have arrived by responding to this text and we will respond when your chair is ready.”

When you park your car, please respond to this text or call our office at 414-939-3870 to let us know you have arrived.  When we are ready for you to walk into the office, we will reply with:

“Thank you for patiently waiting. We are now ready to see you. Please enter our office at your earliest convenience.”

Please try to arrive 5-10 minutes before your appointment to allow for extra time for you to walk to our office.  Also, please make sure all necessary forms have been filled out ahead of time.  We still require an updated COVID-19 Health Questionnaire to be filled out within 24 hours of your child’s dental appointment.  You should have this questionnaire available in your child’s online portal.  If you cannot complete them through our Patient Portal, please print and bring with your or we can complete them over the phone before you enter.

If someone else is bringing your child to the appointment, they need to call 414-939-3870 when they arrive as they will not receive text alerts.  

If you have opted out of text reminders, you need to call our office at 414-939-3870 when you arrive.  We will try to make the process as simple as possible.

Thank you for helping us implement these procedures to help us mitigate this virus and keep things running smoothly at the office.  There will be a learning curve with this, so thank you for your patience and understanding.

-Dr. CJ Wagner

5-19-2020

Dear Friends:

We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming some “normal” habits and routines. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to you and your child’s safety.

Infection control has always been a top priority for Wagner Pediatric Dentistry and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when your child receives care, it is both safe and comfortable.

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.

You will see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. We will be opening for limited patient care starting May 26th, 2020.

Here is what you can expect before your child’s next appointment:

• You will continue to receive appointment reminders via text/email.  Please be on the lookout for a login email to our online patient portal through Curve Connex so you can access our pre-appointment screening questionnaire.  You must create an account within 24 hours of receiving the email in order to access the new CDC recommended health questionnaire. 
• Each child will need an updated “COVID-19 Consent Questionnaire” 24 hours before each appointment.  Paper copies will be available but it is preferable to fill out this form before you arrive.  Please log in to your patient portal and complete the new Covid-19 Consent Questionnaire. Use the address provided below.

         Wagnerpediatricdentistry.curveconnex.com

• Once you have logged in, there will be an option to ‘Go to my forms’ which you can click on to complete and sign any required forms.​
• If this is your first time logging in to your patient portal, then upon login you will be prompted to contact our office. Please call us and we can send you an invitation email to the patient portal.

Here is what you can expect during your child’s next appointment:

• We will have a check-in desk outside of the office where you will arrive for your appointment.  There, we will review the health questionnaire and take you and your child’s temperature.
• We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed.  Parents/guardians will be required to wear face protection in our office.  
• Only 1 parent will be allowed at each appointment (unless approved by Dr. Wagner ahead of time).  Please do not bring siblings or other family members that do not have a scheduled appointment.  If you cannot follow this policy you will be asked to reschedule your appointment.  
• You may see that our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth to avoid unnecessary contact.
• Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.  We may also change your current appointment time to aid in spacing out the schedule.
• We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.
• Our staff will be following strict PPE guidelines throughout your child’s appointment.  We will be wearing a gown, surgical cap, mask and face shield.  Although we may look different on the outside, rest assured that we are the same fun loving staff underneath all the mandated PPE.

We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. We will be calling all of our patients that were cancelled in March, April and May.

We are currently working through 10 weeks of cancelled patients and are trying to get everyone back on our schedule as quickly yet safely as possible.  Please be patient as we navigate through this difficult task.  

Thank you for being a part of our family. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends. And we thank you for your patience as we implement these very important policies into our practice.

Sincerely,

Dr. CJ Wagner and Team

Let’s Talk Hydration

With Children’s Dentist Dr. CJ Wagner of Wagner Pediatric Dentistry in Whitefish Bay, WI

We know that staying hydrated is an important part of day to day health, but it can also have a big impact on your kids’ oral health. The amount of water your children are drinking can sometimes be difficult to determine; especially if they’re at school all day, or if they’re not old enough to communicate their thirst. In today’s post we’ll talk about why water is important for oral health, how to try and keep track of the amount of water your kids are drinking, and ways to encourage more water consumption.

Mouths are happiest when they are hydrated. Drinking water not only washes away harmful bacteria and pieces of food, but it also helps your body create saliva. Saliva is our body’s way of washing away all of the things that are harmful to our teeth and gums, and we need adequate water to make enough saliva! So not only does water lend a helping hand with doing saliva’s job, it gives your body a tool it needs to create it.

Keeping track of the amount of water your kiddo is drinking can be tricky, especially if they’re at school. We recommend having a designated water bottle for each of your kids that you fill before they go to school, and when they come home from school. Making them a part of picking out their reusable water bottle can be a fun way to involve them in the mission to drink more water. Choose one that is insulated, BPA free, and has a sturdy lid. Dr. Wagner likes the Camel Bak water bottle for his daily dose of hydration! He bought his at Fitzgerald’s Pharmacy.

A fun way to encourage kids to drink more water instead of sugary drinks is to add fruit! Adding fruit to your water is a great way to add flavor, without adding too much sugar. Take your family to the Whitefish Bay Farmers Market and let them choose their favorites! We recommend making a big batch of fruit flavored water, letting it sit for a bit (you can even mash the fruit a bit to get more flavor) and pouring the infused water (not the fruit) into your water bottles. Putting fruit directly into the water bottles can make it tricky to drink, as bits of fruit can block the openings we drink out of. Having a large glass drink dispenser on your counter can also be a pretty addition to your kitchen, and is a good visual reminder for everyone in the family to take sips more often.

Lastly, be sure to lead by example! Your kids will be much better water drinkers if they’re seeing it modeled by their parents. Put down the diet soda, and pick up your water bottle. Tell us, do you have a water bottle you love?

Let’s Talk Tooth Fairy

with Kids Dentist Dr. Cameron Wagner of Wagner Pediatric Dentistry in Whitefish Bay, WI

 

Our book review last month of, ‘Throw Your Tooth on the Roof,’ got us thinking about teeth traditions, and how they started. Here’s a bit of what we found;

The earliest Norse writing called, ‘The Eddas,’ contain record of a tradition called, ‘tand-fe,’ or tooth-fee. For the first baby tooth lost, a child was given payment in exchange for the tooth. It was then worn around the necks of warriors headed into battle to bring them luck. This is likely the origin of the tooth fairy tradition in the United States.

It seems that matter where in the world you go, there is a tradition associated with children losing their teeth. What a neat connection between different countries and cultures. So let’s take a little trip from our pediatric dental office in Whitefish Bay, to India where kids bury their teeth under a big tree in their neighborhood. Do you think the city of Whitefish Bay would mind all of our kids burying their teeth at Klode Park?

One of the most common myths across many cultures is that of either a rat or a mouse coming to collect your child’s tooth. This is probably because rodent teeth don’t stop growing, and we want adult teeth to grow? In some hispanic cultures, he’s called, ‘Ratoncito Perez.’ Kids leave their tooth under their pillow, and he brings them a gift.  In Italy, a tiny mouse called, ‘Topocino,’ does the job. In Scotland, France, and Belgium, a fairy mouse visits when a baby tooth is lost.  

In a 2013 survey conducted by Visa, it was found that $3.70 is the average payment per tooth in the United States. Is that more or less than what the tooth fairy is bringing to your house? Dr. Wagner wants to know! What are the kids in Whitefish Bay getting for their teeth?

The idea of the tooth fairy is a great way to encourage your littles to take more care when brushing and flossing. Knowing that the tooth fairy values healthy teeth more than those with cavities can persuade sleepy brushers into another minute of teeth cleaning.

One of our favorite things to listen to at Wagner Pediatric Dentistry is This American Life. The tooth fairy themed prologue to their kid logic episode is hilarious. A warning though, this episode could ruin the tooth fairy magic for your kids, so listen to it alone.

If you want to add a little more magic to your kids tooth fairy experience, try writing a note from the tooth fairy that praises your kiddos for their good tooth brushing skills (or, points out room for improvement). You could also sprinkle a little bit of glitter on the window sill where the tooth fairy came in and out of the room, or use some glitter glue on the money the tooth fairy left. Just make sure you let it dry completely before putting it under the pillow. Do you have any fun tooth fairy traditions? We’d love to hear about them!

 

Let’s talk toothpaste with Dr. CJ Wagner of Wagner Pediatric Dentistry in Milwaukee, WI.

Fun fact; people have been using material to clean their teeth since 500 B.C.. It started with crushed burnt hooves and egg shells. Thankfully, things have improved since then and we now have a wide assortment of toothpastes to choose from.

Ingredients in ‘natural’ and ‘conventional’ toothpastes are very similar. The choice comes down to your kids taste preference, and your preference with how they’re flavored and dyed. For this post we did a super scientific Wagner Pediatric Dentistry experiment (just kidding, we just walked a few doors down to Sendik’s and looked at the labels. Ha!) and compared Colgate’s Strawberry Smash Toothpaste, and Tom’s of Maine Silly Strawberry.

To start with, for the happiest smiles and happiest kids dentist in Milwaukee County, make sure there’s fluoride in your toothpaste. In fact, among the many shared ingredients between the two toothpastes we compared, the most important is fluoride. Fluoride helps prevent painful cavities and decay, and is so important for the health of your kids’ teeth. Most kids who have fluoride in their drinking water, and use a toothpaste that contains fluoride are getting a sufficient amount to prevent issues. You can see if it’s in your drinking water here;

https://nccd.cdc.gov/DOH_MWF/Default/Default.aspx  

In the past, some have said that fluoride toothpaste should only be used for kids old enough to know how to spit into the sink. However, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Wagner Pediatric Dentistry, and Dr. CJ Wagner recommend fluoride toothpaste be used from the start. The amount they recommend using varies depending on age. A tiny amount, the size of a grain of rice, should be used for kiddos two and under. This amount is safe if ingested. However, you should encourage your child to lean forward so that their spit and toothpaste fall out of their mouth. Once they get to the age of two, it’s easier to tell them to spit their toothpaste out and they can have a pea sized amount of toothpaste.

If your kids have a sensitive mouth, or you notice that they’re resistant to brushing their teeth, try switching things up. It could be that a more conventional brand has an abrasive or detergent that is too harsh for them. It could also be that they prefer one flavor over another. Take a trip to the store together the next time you’re ready to re-stock! Giving your kiddos say in their toothpaste decision can be empowering, and make them more willing to keep their twice daily tooth brushing schedule.

The toothpaste we use at Wagner Pediatric Dentistry is Crest Sparkle Fun. Dr. CJ Wagner likes it because it’s bubblegum flavored and his 4 kids love it.  

 

In honor of our 3 year anniversary, Wagner Pediatric Dentistry in Whitefish Bay, WI is sponsoring a FREE MOVIE Matinee at the world famous Fox Bay Cinema on November 4th, 2017 at 10 am.  All current patients are encouraged to come to our free showing of Despicable Me 3!  It doesn’t matter if you live in Mequon or Shorewood, Whitefish Bay or Glendale YOU ARE INVITED!

We are excited to offer Free Popcorn and a drink!  We will also be giving away some amazing prizes.  Don’t forget you can also take a picture with a Minion!

Please RSVP by calling our office at  414-939-3870 or clicking our event page on FACEBOOK.  When you RSVP, please tell us who will be attending (i.e. 2 adults and 2 kids).

Dr. CJ Wagner is a board certified pediatric dentist serving the North Shore of Milwaukee.  On September 8th- they celebrated their 3 year anniversary of serving the communities of Mequon, Whitefish Bay, Shorewood, Glendale, Fox Point and River Hills.

Dr. Wagner is committed to making the kids of Milwaukee smile as bigly and brightly as possible!  Call our office at 414-939-3870 to schedule your child today for the smile of a lifetime!

Whitefish Bay Children’s Dentist in Fourth of July Parade

Be sure to come to the Whitefish Bay 4th of July Parade on Monday!  The festivies kick off at 11:30am with the amazing parade.  The party continues at Klode Park for games, music and food!  We hope everyone has a great weekend!  Whether you are celebrating in Milwaukee, at your in-laws in Mequon, or at a park in Glendale, we hope you have a safe weekend!

Sarah Mischo, our lead dental assistant, designed this amazing flag for our front window.  Come to the office to check out our amazing display!

Dr. CJ Wagner is a board certified pediatric dentist serving the communities of Milwaukee, Whitefish Bay, Shorewood, Glendale, Fox Point, Bayside, Mequon, River Hills, Brown Deer and Wauwautosa.  If you are looking for a children’s dentist for your child, check us out!  We are minutes from Bayshore Mall.

Make sure to check your schedule before the summer gets away from us!  We are excited to schedule your child for their summer cleaning and examination appointments.  Be sure to call our office at 414-939-3870 and speak to one of our friendly staff members to check out the our state of the art pediatric dental facility.  Whether you are from Mequon, Milwaukee, West Allis or Franklin, we are conveniently location right off the Silver Spring exit in Whitefish Bay.

Wagner Pediatric Dentistry is one of the newest Pediatric Dental practices in the Milwaukee area.  Dr. Wagner is a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist, making him an expert in children’s oral health.

We look forward to meeting you at our Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin office soon.

 

TAKE THE PLEDGE with Milwaukee Pediatric Dentist- CJ Wagner DMD

All through the month of February we are encouraging families to TAKE THE PLEDGE and take JUICE BOXES and FRUIT SNACKS off of their grocery lists.

Childhood cavities are 5 times more common than asthma and 7 times more common than hay fever.

Dr. CJ Wagner, a Milwaukee Pediatric Dentist, has found that children who have access top Juice and fruit snacks will eat them.  It’s not rocket science.  Of course a child will choose a fruit snack over a fruit…snack  (get it?  a FRUIT snack).  So…TAKE THE PLEDGE and don’t buy juice boxes and fruit snacks in February.

#notonthelist #notinthecupboard