interview — MomStart

Should I be Red or Blond?

November 8, 2011 By Momstart 26 Comments

Last week I had the opportunity to work with Clairol and I interviewed Marie Robinson, Clairol Color Director who knows all about hair color and what looks best. I had a few questions about my hair color and using over the counter hair color. I’m Dye-ing to Know What my Hair Color Alter-Ego is are you?

So what is my hair color alter-ego?

Based on your alter-ego quiz results, you’re a fiery red head and I think you’d look great as one. We tested out your alter-ego on Clairol’s Try It On Studio, see below for a preview of your hair color makeover! It’s a really fun tool you can use just by accessing on the Clairol Facebook “Expert Advice” tab or via the iPhone/Android application. If you’re readers would like to take the quiz themselves, tell them to check out the Clairol Facebook page starting November 7^th!

What about red?

Anything from a lovely medium auburn or dark copper to strawberry would look great, like Nice ‘n Easy Natural Reddish Blonde, 108. You’d get really true results since that’s only two shades from your current color. Here’s what came up for you through TIOS.

I recommend going for a dark copper or light auburn, with your naturally fair skin you have some flexibility. I just wouldn’t advise going any darker.

I love being a light blonde, not a dirty dish washer blonde (is this a good look for me?)

I do like your blonde look as long as you keep your locks in the honey and gold family. Stay away from ash and cool tones as they could wash you out.

Why does my hair turn orange whenever I try to dye it red myself over the counter?

Are you selecting hair color options that say copper or gold on the box? The two Nice ‘n Easy shades I recommended for you have more red tones than orange tones which will help to counteract the orange tendency.

Will dying dry out my hair?

If you color your hair too frequently, whether at a salon or a home, it will dry out your hair. All Clairol boxes, as well as most at-home hair color brands, come with a weekly deep conditioner that helps to seal in the color, adding shine to your hair while conditioning your locks.

Filed Under: interview, personal Tagged With: Clairol, color director, interview, Marie Robinson, Nice 'n Easy, Try It On Studio

Behind the Movie The Muppets Interview with Jason Segel & Nick Stoller

November 7, 2011 By Momstart 6 Comments

I’m really excited about taking my kids to see The Muppets in a few weeks, especially since I had the chance to meet, Miss Piggy, Kermit, Walter and the writers Jason Segel and Nick Stoller.

Jason Segel as you all know is actually in the movie and he and his brother Walter (who is actually a Muppet) are the two biggest Muppet fans in the world. And Jason not only plays this character he IS this character. His love of The Muppets helped bring this new Muppet movie to life.

Nick Stroller says that The Muppets are perfect for the whole family, “Kids are just watching a goofy guy sing a song with a bunch of puppets and it’s fun. And adults are experiencing it on a whole different level and I think there’s something neat about the whole family walking away having enjoyed something together, having a shared experience.” and I completely agree. Adults get to laugh along with their kids and everyone may be laughing at a different meaning.

Q: Favorite Muppet Movie?

Nick’s Favorite Muppet Movie before this one: Muppets take Manhattan

Jason’s Favorite Muppet Movie before this one: The Great Muppet Caper. “It was just like, it was the video we had. The video you have, just watch it over. And I love the song Happiness Hotel. For some reason that song, I just love that song.”

Q Favorite Muppet?

Nick: Kermit first because that’s you know, he’s the best. But, but then Beeker is my favorite.

Jason: Also picks Kermit, saying that Beeker is awesome too.

Q: What is Walter like

Nick: Walter is like the eyes and the ears of where we hope our new audience will be. Just crazy Muppet fans with a wide-eyed naïveté who think anything is possible and they’re just super, super excited to meet the Muppets.

Jason: He reminds me of what Kermit would have been like before he became famous.

Something I’m really looking forward to in the movie is the improve. Jason said, and I agree after meeting them, they are SO SMART, The Muppets that is. This is what he said, “I didn’t realize how talented these puppeteers are. And I was saying, I said it a few times. I’m sorry if I’m repeating myself but their job is to be invisible basically, is to disappear. And it’s such a shame because they’re comedians and actors and hilarious improvers and they’re hiding under this table most of the time. You’ll never see their faces. That was what I walked away from most impressed by is how crazy talented guys are.” Plus Jason himself is pretty cool and fun to watch.

So get ready for some fantastic talent in The Muppets November 23rd.

Travel expenses, interview opportunity, and photos are courtesy of Disney/DreamWorks.

Filed Under: interview, Movie review, personal Tagged With: Disney, Jason Segel, movie, Muppet Mania, Nick Stoller, The Muppets

Inside The Help: A Conversation with Octavia Spencer

August 21, 2011 By Momstart 32 Comments

On Friday, I had the opportunity to interview Octavia Spencer who played Minny Jackson one of the main characters in The Help. Many of Minny’s characteristics were taken from Octavia and her personality. Octavia described herself as defiantly being feisty and someone that speaks up for herself and that Kathryn Stockett the author of The Help used her as character inspiration.

“Kathryn Stockett very loosely based well, the character of Minny on me and it’s basically my physicalities (being short and round) she met me on a day I would say I was not really feisty, but I was completely irritable.”

After watching The Help myself, I found Minny to be the spunk and humor the movie needed to lighten the subject matter. The Help made me cry my eyes out. I cried and cried as I watched the sets of women the movie portrayed and all of their different struggles. I cried in the beginning as they illustrated that Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis) had lost her own son. I cried when Celia lost her baby. I cried when I found out Minny was an abused wife and the cruelty she suffered at the hands of Hilly Holbrook (Bryce Dallas Howard). But it was Minny’s feistiness and that very special chocolate pie that brought some sunshine of revenge into laughter.

Most everyone I know that has seen The Help in theaters cried, so when it was my turn to ask a question I had to know if Octavia cried.

“I did cry when I watched the film…there’s so many scenes that made me cry but I have different reactions because they were evocative of other things. So just the last thing without giving anything away…definitely the scene were Minny finds Celia in the bathroom…um..yeah there were just other moments that nobody else knows would be emotionally moved by…I think it’s where ever you are emotionally that you’re response…that would honor a certain response.”

She’s exactly right, being a mother of very young children myself, any scene children were involved in made me get emotional in some way. As the subject matter was very serious Octavia was asked what she hopes people would take away from the film.

“I hope people will take away the sense of humanity and the strength of the bond that these women from culturally different backgrounds were able to come together and basically change their community..I find it remarkable…the triumphs of the young”

When people ask me about The Help, I tell them they will cry, they will get emotional. Almost everyone says, then I’m going to wait to go see it. No, don’t wait to go see it, you need to see this movie in the theater and take all your friends with you. Take your support group with you and you can all cry and laugh together. It’s a movie about hard times, but it’s also about how these women band together and build strength and stand up to the injustices that they live with. There is triumph at the end of the movie.

Photos and interview courtesy of DreamWorks Pictures The Help.

Filed Under: interview, Movie review Tagged With: interview, Octavia Spencer, The Help, The Help Movie

The Help With Stacey Snider Dreamworks CEO: It Takes a Village to Raise a Child.

August 7, 2011 By Momstart 18 Comments

“It takes a village to raise a child” says Stacey Snider CEO of Dreamworks movie studio. There is nothing wrong with having help while raising a child. Parents need time to recharge and should take a break. It’s ok to have a nanny care for your children. It’s ok to have a career. Stacey Snider wouldn’t be CEO of Dreamworks without the help she has had in raising her own children. Stacey talked a bit about the help she had with her children.

“Well, you know, I have two daughters. I have a 12 year old and a 14 year old. I first went to Universal after Katie had been born. She had just been born and then I had Natalie two and a half years later…….So I relied on women to help me raise the kids and I’m a pretty good hands on get home, get your butt home mom. But I’ve always felt like more love is good. More people that know them, that love them, you know, I know women who feel threatened by that. That feel that they don’t want — that’s a person that works for me. I feel like Jody, who’s the woman who’s been with us for 12 years, that Jody and my husband and I have raised the girls together.”

“She’s the boss when I’m not there and our values are comparable and she’s leaving us this year. So, you know, it’s funny my big girl graduated from eight grade yesterday and they had that, you know, as only teenagers get. I’m never gonna see my friends again and, all the crying and then she got home and she saw Jody and she said, you’re leaving me too. How can you leave me?”

“You just want your kids to have that love and that wisdom and you’re grateful to the women the help. It takes a village. My mom passed away when I was 17 so I used to get in bed with the night nurse that helped me when the kids were young and I would sleep with her all night. My husband was in the other room. it would be me and her and the baby and, you know, she got me through such a scary time that I just was attached like a little, you know, a little kangaroo. I didn’t want to let her leave.”

For me, hearing Stacey Snider speak about having help was refreshing. Being a blogger sometimes feels like a full time job. Plus the kids are there in my lap and any mother knows that kids are a full time job two, so I have have two full time jobs. I’m terrified of asking for help and constantly worried about the guild I would feel for leaving them with someone else. I never once considered the love they would get from one other person in their life.

In the movie The Help, it was quite obvious how the help really cared for the children. It was so sad to see how the mother’s instead of being grateful for all the help they received were vicious and cruel just because the color of their skin was different. These women were even raised by the help they hired to take care of their own children. Yet, once they were a young adult they suddenly decided that their toilet paper was too good for their help.

Stacy said, “Tate Taylor, who wrote the adaptation The Help and directed it grew up with Kathryn (the author) in Jackson, Mississippi and it’s a kind of great story because they were best friends growing up both raised by single moms, both raised by African American women who were like their moms and both trying to make it in their respective careers” Together they brought a realism to the movie, and Tate wouldn’t let any studio tell him how the movie should be done. We all need help in our lives and I feel that even though The Help is more about how terrible these women were, and how Aibileen and Skeeter were able to rise above their issues, I still walked away from my experience knowing that it’s ok to have help. We should remember to love our help the same way they love and care for our children.

Thank you to Disney and Dreamworks for the hotel stay and transportation to Hollywood to watch The Help.

Filed Under: interview, review Tagged With: Dreamworks CEO, interview, review, Stacey Snider, Takes a villiage, The Help

Inside Cars 2 Owen Wilson & Eddie Izzard Spies, Hot Cars and Pixar

June 26, 2011 By Momstart 2 Comments

During my stay in LA with Disney discovering Cars 2 I had the opportunity to interview Owen Wilson and Eddie Izzard along with 21 other bloggers. I’ve always thought of Owen Wilson as being a very famous actor, but never really thought about what it would be like to meet him, and Eddie Izzard, well I’d never heard of him before. I feel like since we don’t have cable anymore, it’s like living under a rock. The only news stream I get is either from my husband or from twitter.

Having no expectations at all helped quite a bit. Many of the moms felt like Owen Wilson was showing signs that he had somewhere better to be. I thought he just looked tired and maybe he was a mommy blogger virgin you know. Of course he is a famous actor and should be used to all kinds of crazy out of this world media exploits right?

Cars 2 came out Friday and Owen Wilson (Lightening McQueen) took a smaller role this time allowing Mater most of the spotlight. Some of the moms wondered if Owen felt slightly jealous of having a smaller role and that’s why he had the shy laid back attitude during the interview. I can’t imagine living the life of a star, it’s just too much smiling for me. Anyways, you’re probably wondering what Owen had to say to us right?

He talked about working as a Parking Valet and a huge perk was getting to drive really fancy cars. He spoke about boarding school and I’m really not sure what the point of that was, and we also chatted about the grossest thing he’s ever eaten. You know, in Cars 2, Mater eats a HUGE helping of Wasabi. The worst thing he’s ever eaten was a Vegemite. He said, “Yeah it was the foulest tasting stuff ….. I couldn’t even swallow.”

We then asked both Eddie Izzard and Owen Wilson What was your favorite scene in the movie. For Owen it was when Mater had the bomb on him. “when we were doing the stuff there is this scene where you know I’m telling uh you know uh– you know Mater is trying– we’re saying, “You’re the bomb.” Uh you know that, that– I thought that was a really funny sequence to do. Uh no, no you’re the bomb.”

Have you ever wondered what it’s like for an actor to be a voice verses being in a live action film?

For Owen, “I’d say for me it’s actually easier because you don’t have the distractions of wardrobe hair and makeup. And you know everybody is kind of around. And it’s a harder leap ta’ kind of get into your imagination than for me where it’s just– you’re just kind of in your head at the microphone and you just ….it’s more like a little kid when you’re just kind of playing you know make believe. Uh, uh so for me it’s, it’s, it’s easier actually.” he likes being a voice actor. Eddie on the other hand prefers the live action. He said, “I think it’s more difficult.…. There is a certain thing about the way you are, the movement. The, the attitude, what– even what you’re wearing. How, how you’re looking. I just shaved my head for a part. You know that certainly changes your feel. But if you haven’t got that you’ve just have the voice. It is harder. You have to give what you can and then they go and animate.

Eddie was quite excited to be working on a spy film. “I mean the spies, everyone wants to be a spy,” so he was a little disappointed to find out that his character didn’t get any action. Owen found it pretty exciting and noted that it should appeal to kids saying, “Yeah I think that there’s something about you know spying you know that really appeals to kids. I know like growing up you know we always wanted you know binoculars or you know these– there was something that supposedly you could do with like Dixie riddle cups where you could heat or could create like you know anything that was like kind of secret or you know spying on people.”

I was most curious on knowing what it’s like to work at Pixar. Both of them had different stories on how much they liked Pixar’s offices and both commented on John Lasseter’s clothing choices. We all know he likes to wear custom made Hawaiian shirts.

Just in case you’re like me and have no idea who Eddie Izzard is, he plays Sir Miles Axlerod in Cars 2, is well known for being a comedian earning a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for outstanding achievement and has received a British comedy Award for tip stand-up comedian.

Oh and his favorite car choice is “Aston Martin DB5.” He said, “If they made one like the Thunderbird…..A new Thunderbird that was based on the old 60’s model……But if they did the Aston Martin DB5 like the James Bond one”

Oh and did this post seem a little random, you should see the interview transcript. The whole conversation was RANDOM.

Photos and trip expenses were provided to me on behalf of Disney.

Filed Under: interview Tagged With: Cars 2, Eddie Izzard, Eddie Izzard Fan Club, fan club, interview, Owen Wilson, Owen Wilson Fan Club, Pixar

Inside Cars 2 Emily Mortimer is As Glamorous as Holley Shiftwell

June 24, 2011 By Momstart 3 Comments

Emily Mortimer was born in Finsbury Park, London studied at Lincoln College, Oxford where she performed in several plays before becoming an actress. When she read the role for Holley Shiftwell, she thought her time at Pixar would last a month, boy was she surprised when it ended up taking two years to finish the role Holley Shiftwell.

Emily Mortimer feels that her life is much less glamorous than Holly’s. “I normally do parts where I never get to wear Mascara or you know, or have a Blow dryer on my hair and um, and — and I just look far from glamorous. So I don’t think I will ever look as good as I do as Holley Shiftwell. And I’m not normally this sort of, you know, together empowered Spy Car type. In fact, my friends will make me run for a bus just to give themselves a good laugh so I’ll totally mal-coordinated really in real life.” Sitting across from Emily, I find that hard to believe. She is a beautiful woman with grace and humor.

Playing a strong role like Holley Shiftwell has changed her view on future roles. Emily said her son, “thinks of me as this sort of hopeless sort of dappy thing and I play that part a little bit” and now she is thinking about playing stronger female characters because Emily isn’t dappy at all. She also has a 1 year old daughter now and will be considering how she wants to be looked up to by her daughter. “I think it is more important to me to think, kind of think about that more, you know, and what it is I’m doing every time I’m sort of pretending to be a hopeless dippy Female and — and of course I’m not.”

Emily truly showed me how strong she is when she was discussing how as an actor you really have to put yourself out there. “We’ve been talking a lot about that being, putting — putting yourself in unfamiliar situations being such a part of our lives as performers, and we spend half our lives feeling that way, as most people do. I mean, I think anyone that’s kind of trying to live a life and — and experience things and do things and challenge themselves as — is often feeling inadequate and like they don’t quite know what they’re doing. And — and um, and that’s a very familiar feelings as an Actor. You know, Performer.”

The best part of Cars 2 for Emily Mortimer was when her son was watching it and saw Holley get wings and fly off to help Mater. “he turned to me and he went, Mom, you’re amazing! And I, and that was just like, Oh my God, you can’t! That’s the, you know, it was just so great. And he’s not usually that impressed by me. So it was really cool.” Be sure to watch Cars 2 and see how Emily Mortimer made Holley Shiftwell so glamorous.

Disney provided the photos and paid for my travel and expenses.

Filed Under: interview Tagged With: Cars 2, Emily Mortimer, Emily Mortimer Fan Club, Holly Shiftwell, interview, Pixar, Pixar fan club

Inside Cars 2 Who’s Mater & Larry The Cable Guy

June 24, 2011 By Momstart 6 Comments

I had no idea what to expect when meeting Mater the undeniable star of Cars 2, Larry the Cable Guy met and exceeded all of my expectations. I was surprised to find that Larry the Cable Guy doesn’t change his voice at all, he is Mater. Listening to him, I could picture Mater driving around and getting into trouble. Also, Larry the Cable Guy is true to himself. He dresses like he wants to, he’s comfortable, and arrives on the Red Carpet in shorts and a button up shirt. So I decided the best way to discover who Mater really is, go to the source, Larry The Cable Guy.

When Larry the Cable Guy was asked, What do you think it is about Mater that is so endearing to children, that is so iconic? He said, “Aw, he’s just a good guy. He’s just a fun little animated character. He’s nice, he’s funny, you know. Uh, everybody wants to hang around with him. He’s a faithful friend. You know, plus he’s funny. He says funny things and he does fun things. Kids like that. Well, Adults like it too. So I think that’s pretty much what it is.”

We’ve all known from the very first movie that Mater has a lot of heart. He cares about his friends and we discover just how far he’ll go for his friends in Cars 2. Mater even puts his own life on the line to save Lightening McQueen. The bad guys put a bomb inside Mater, and once Mater realizes it he does everything he can to get away. But that’s not all he does to show his huge heart. He develops feelings for Holly too! Even Larry was quite impressed with how Cars 2 kept Mater true to his character from Cars 1, “they kept the relationship, the friendship factor in it. They kept everything in it. They just added a ton of action.” Mater is the star of Cars 2 and he managed to not let it get to his head. He is all the action behind Cars 2, he and Holly both were thrown into being spies.

What was Larry’s favorite scene in the movie Cars 2 you might ask?

“Uh, in the, I like the part were Mater, uh, eats the Wasabi [UNINTELLIGIBLE UNDER LAUGHTER] More of that Ice Cream! Boy, come on, it’s free, ain’t it? I get some. I do. Let’s go, it’s free. Move on there! Get her done. That’s, I like that part, you know.” He later said that was something he would do himself. Like I said, Larry the Cable Guy is Mater.

Photos by Disney used with permission. My Trip and expenses were provided by Disney.

Filed Under: interview Tagged With: Cars 2, Cars 2 Fan Club, fan club, Larry The Cable Guy, Larry the Cable Guy Fan Club, Mater, Pixar

Meet the Man Behind Cars 2 John Lasseter

June 24, 2011 By Momstart 2 Comments

John Lasseter has my dream job. Honestly, the intern that works as the bottom tier of Pixar has my dream job. Yes since Pixar released their very first movie all I could dream about was working at Pixar as a computer animator. John Lasseter is a family man with five boys and a very sweet wife. I briefly met her before the Hollywood premiere and she doted on my dress, which was so very kind of her.

When we interviewed John he wasn’t sporting his usual Hawaiian shirt, he was wearing a custom made Hawaiian Cars 2 shirt. From everything I learned about John Lasseter, I learned that he’s very passionate about his work. As a team they research every detail for their movies. Take for instance the cities, they spent time in each city making sure they were quite accurate. The cars well here’s what John had to say about researching and naming the cars:

“we go to the car company to ask their permission. But there’s a lot of things were people’s kind of names and if there’s a big advert on the — advertisement on the side of one of the double-decker buses in London that’s Callahan’s and that’s Sharon Callahan, our lighting lead.”

And the cities that he found most glamorous, “I kept going to Japan and the UK and Italy and France and Germany and all these places that have their own car cultures and great cars and amazing roads and very different than here. and I thought it be really fun to take our characters to these places so kind of those ideas and spy movies, you know, travel around the world, you know, in these glamorous places. And I thought this is gonna be really fun and it satisfied me for wanting to do something that’s really different than the original movie.”

I’ve seen the movie twice and the second time I noticed much more than I did the first. For instance, the second time I watched the movie I noticed how accurate Paris was to my memory. John noted that there are so many details in Cars 2 that every time you watch it you’ll notice something else. “You’re going to have to single frame some of this stuff but it’s hilarious.”

When making a movie, it’s the story that’s most important. It’s important to John Lasseter that every character is appealing and tells a story. “You have to tell a compelling story that keeps people on the edge of their seat where they can’t wait to see what happens next and it works for adults as well as kids. You populate that story with really memorable characters, uh, and appealing characters. That’s really the important thing for me. Even the bad guy should be appealing that you enjoy watching and you put those characters in that story in a believable world. Not realistic but believable for the story you’re telling.”

Cars 2 is a great family film with action suspense and lots of heart. I found all of the characters, even the bad guys believable and realistic. Cars 2 transports you into the middle of their lives and you’ll be on the edge of your seat wondering what’s going to happen next.

My Trip and all expenses were provided by Disney

Filed Under: interview Tagged With: Cars 2, Cars 2 Fan Club, John Lasseter, John Lasseter Fan club, Pixar, Pixar fan club

Why Use Natural Dental Products? My Interview with local dentist Dr. Shimanovsky

December 14, 2009 By Momstart 8 Comments

1. Why should someone consider using natural dental products?

Many people have started eating organic food and using natural house cleaning products to cut out the unwanted chemicals and pesticides in their lives, but they don’t realize they are putting chemicals into their mouths two times a day by using regular toothpastes and mouth rinses. Many mainstream products contain alcohol and other harmful chemicals like the foaming agent sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a common ingredient found in toothpastes, shampoos and detergents. Natural products contain effective ingredients like grapefruit seed extract, menthol and xylitol that cleanse the mouth, while peppermint and sage oils help prevent gingivitis and reduce/prevent plaque.

In our society people like to have white teeth. The hottest trend in natural oral care is undoubtedly the emergence of natural toothpaste that also whitens teeth. These products are sold in stores and online by many natural oral care companies, although The Natural Dentist is what I tend to recommend to my patients. A majority of mainstream teeth whitening products, including toothpastes, mouth rinses and professionally-applied whitening gels, contain hydrogen peroxide. Many patients have reported discomfort in using those products. Hydrogen peroxide can be very harsh on gums, and also cause tooth sensitivity, which is why natural oral care suppliers manufacture their natural toothpaste and natural oral care products without bleach and other harsh ingredients.

2. What are the chemical’s/ingredients that whiten teeth?

The most common chemical used to whiten teeth is hydrogen peroxide. Natural teeth whitening toothpastes use abrasives such as silica to gently remove stains. In addition, The Natural Dentist Pre-Brush Whitening Antigingivitis Rinse uses bamboo powder, a natural silica, to help remove stains and keep teeth white when used before brushing. The bamboo powder sticks to teeth and helps remove stains when brushing. These products effectively clean and whiten teeth often better than other teeth whitening solutions.

3. Are Natural Whiteners safer to use?

Removing surface stains from the teeth is the real key to keeping them white and healthy looking. Most whitening products contain hydrogen peroxide and the concentration of this ingredient determines the efficiency as well as the safety. Natural whiteners are safer to use because they don’t contain any harsh chemicals yet give the consumer wanted results.

My favorite product from The Natural Dentist is the Healthy Teeth and Gums Whitening Toothpaste. In addition to whitening, this toothpaste also contains aloe vera gel and grapefruit seed extract to naturally clean and moisturize my mouth!

4. Are there safe methods to whitening your teeth? I feel like using a UV light is a pretty dangerous way to whiten your teeth, is that true?

Many people have a misconception regarding UV light whitening systems like the Zoom2 Whitening System. Information from the manufacturer indicates the wavelength of the light emitted from the bleaching unit is in the visible, violet light portion of the spectrum, with a small overlap into UVA (which is considered to be the safest type of UV). The company believes that light of this specific wavelength is completely safe for the patient, although in my opinion it really is not very healthy for the teeth.

If you want to bleach your teeth permanently you shouldn’t do it on your own. I recommend you speak with your dentist first so they can suggest something that is best for you. Be careful when blindly choosing products at a drug store because there are many side effects that you may not be aware of.

5. When it comes to children, what is the most important way we can be caring for their teeth?

It’s a good idea to get in the habit of cleaning your baby’s gums even before teeth emerge; there are special baby brushes available at most stores. This way your baby gets used to the procedure and it becomes routine — this might help prevent children from rebelling against brushing their teeth in the future. Once teeth start erupting it is very important to start using a toothbrush with toothpaste. Once they are old enough to spit, they should brush with fluoride toothpaste twice a day to strengthen teeth and protect against acid erosion.

Also, once teeth start erupting do not let your child fall asleep while sucking on a bottle. The fluid from the bottle tends to stay in contact with the teeth, and sugars present in milk, juice and most other drinks will cause cavities.

6. What changes do we need to be looking for as they get older when it comes to dental care?

As children get older parents need to teach them how to use dental floss, which is important for healthy teeth and gums. This establishes good oral hygiene habits that will ensure your child’s dental health for many years to come. Mouthwash is also an important addition to oral care, and kids can use it as soon as they get mature enough not to swallow it.

Adults can lead by their example and make brushing their teeth into a family event where all members thoroughly brush, floss and use mouth rinse. When children grow up caring for their teeth and gums, they will most likely continue to be conscientious into their adult years.

About Inna V. Shimanovsky, DMD

Dr. Shimanovsky graduated from the highly regarded Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry in 2000. Since becoming a dentist Dr. Shimanovsky has continuously attended advanced education seminars and hands-on classes to keep abreast of latest developments and techniques in various aspects of dentistry, including a course with the prestigious Aesthetic Advantage Institute of New York. She is currently an active member of American Dental Association, Oregon Dental Association, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT). Dr Shimanovsky offers all phases of dental care with special emphasis on cosmetic and reconstructive dentistry; she takes great pride in providing quality oral healthcare in a supportive and pain-free environment. In her spare time, Dr. Shimanovsky enjoys spending time with her husband and two children.

This interview was provided by Mom Start, Aadvanced Dental and The Natural Dentist. We are very thankful that Dr. Shimanovsky took the time to work with us.

Filed Under: interview Tagged With: dental interview, Dr. Shimanovsky, interview, The Natural Dentist