Ask the Dentist with Dr. Mark Burhenne

Episode #72: Effective strategies to help our children begin a lifetime of good oral habits with Natasha Beck

Nov 3, 2022

56:12

Dr. B sits down with Natasha Beck. The mother of four is the face behind Dr. Organic Mommy, a platform created to help every family make healthy decisions for themselves, drawing on her experience as a mom and her expertise in psychology, neuroscience, and public health. She is also a board member of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping you live your healthiest life.

When working at LA County + USC Medical Center, Natasha saw firsthand how diet and lifestyle affected children’s behavior, exacerbating conditions like Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism. As a result, she became keenly focused on her patient’s diets and lifestyles and worked to help their families make healthy choices.

Her parenting method combines a number of philosophies, including RIE Parenting, the Pikler approach, Waldorf and Montessori education, as well as cognitive behavioral therapy and play therapy.

Listen in as Natasha dives into her best practices around raising children, good oral habits, and improving one’s overall health while considering environment and epigenetics.

Natasha also talks about the often-overlooked value of teaching your child how to regulate emotions. She encourages parents not to be afraid of tantrums because these are probably the best teachable moments in childhood. In other words: “Making your child happy is not your job. Your job is making your child comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

Through utilizing tried-and-true strategies such as modeling, previewing, storytelling, and demonstrating predictability—whether to wean a child off of pacifiers, minimize fear at the dentist, or instill good eating habits—parents will be able to provide an educational foundation for their children that sets them up to make their own decisions as they grow.

Key Points::

● Introducing today’s topic: How Natasha’s academic and clinical background helped her to be a better mom [04:15]

● Making your child comfortable with being uncomfortable [07:21]

● Weaning your child off of pacifiers [09:20]

● Dealing with a nervous child at the dentist [16:58]

● Modeling oral hygiene to your kids before bed [24:03]

● Instilling good eating habits in your kids [31:43]

● Make sure you do not shame your child as you educate them on healthy eating [37:48]

● Being purposeful and mindful of your parenting style [43:58]

About Natasha:

Dr. Organic Mommy

Environmental Working Group (EWG)