Introducing Your Child To Oral Care
The greatest way for your child to develop healthy dental habits is to learn from a good example. If you have a positive attitude about dental health, so will your child.
Some suggestions for making tooth brushing less of a battle can include:
• Letting your child pick out a few toothbrushes with their favourite characters and giving them a choice of which one they want to use each time.
• Brush your own teeth while letting your child observe.
• Let your child brush their own teeth first and you brush after.
• Read some children’s books about tooth brushing.
• Continue to encourage healthy habits even if your child is resistant.
Why Is Children’s Dental Care So Important?
Believe it or not, some people ask why children’s dental care is so important because the primary teeth fall out anyway! Every child grows 20 primary teeth, usually by the age of 3. These teeth are gradually replaced by the age of 12 or so with a full set of 28 permanent teeth, and later on, four molars called “wisdom teeth”. Most children have all their adult teeth by their early teens. Children gain and lose their primary teeth during their fundamental years and the state of their dental health has many long-reaching consequences.
Poor dental health hurts
While many people believe periodontal disease is an adult problem, studies indicate
that gingivitis (the first stage of periodontal disease) is nearly a universal problem among children and adolescents. Chronic gingivitis is common in children and can cause gum tissue to swell, turn red and bleed easily. Gingivitis is preventable and treatable with a regular routine of brushing, flossing and professional dental care. If left untreated, it can eventually advance to more serious forms of periodontal disease.
Baby teeth set the stage for adult teeth
It is essential that a child’s primary teeth are healthy, because their development sets the stage for permanent teeth. If primary teeth become diseased or do not grow in properly, chances are greater that their permanent replacements will suffer the same fate. For example, poorly formed primary teeth that don’t erupt properly could crowd out spaces reserved for other teeth. Space maintainers can sometimes be used to correct this condition, if it is spotted early enough.
Injuries
You can help your child prevent oral injuries by closely supervising him during play and not allowing the child to put foreign objects in the mouth. For younger children involved in physical activities and sports, mouth guards are strongly encouraged, and can prevent a whole host of injuries to the teeth, gums, lips and other oral structures.
Your child’s first appointment
For patients of all ages, our ultimate goal is your health, your comfort and your satisfaction. In pediatric dentistry, special consideration is paid to the challenges that our youngest patients face when they sit in the chair. We’ll keep a close eye on children-specific oral health markers and milestones and we’ll talk to your child in a kid-friendly way that makes them feel safe and engaged.
Show and Tell
Some kids are adventurous explorers with a million questions. Others feel bashful and careful or even anxious about new experiences. We want all kids to feel safe and engaged and to feel positive about visiting the dentist. The best way to meet their emotional needs is to have a conversation in kid-friendly terms. We’d like to start each appointment by hearing their thoughts and concerns and we’d like to explain what we plan to do during the appointment and answer any questions they have.
Gentle Examination
With special attention paid to children-specific oral health markers, we will gently examine your child’s gums, tongue, teeth and overall health. During our exam, we’ll keep an eye on the progress of their primary teeth and adult teeth. Our exam will reveal areas of concern or tricky spots that may need some extra attention at home or at future appointments.
Keeping you in the loop
After an exam, we’ll have some advice for both the young patient and their parent or guardian. Sometimes we have extra tips and tricks to help with brushing those hard-to-reach spots at home. We’ll let you know if there are any problem areas that we plan to keep an eye on and what to look out for between appointments. Together, we make a great team!
Contact us today
to schedule an initial consultation & exam.
Your consultation will include an examination of everything from your teeth, gums and soft tissues to the shape and condition of your bite. Generally, we want to see how your whole mouth looks and functions. Before we plan your treatment we want to know everything about the health and aesthetic of your smile, and, most importantly, what you want to achieve so we can help you get there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. If you don’t get rid of the germs (bacteria) and sugars that cause cavities, they have all night to do their dirty work. Plus, when your child is asleep, he or she does not produce as much spit (or saliva). Saliva helps keep the mouth clean. So brushing at bedtime is very important.
Babies’ gums and teeth can be gently cleaned with special infant toothbrushes that fit over your finger. Water is suitable in lieu of toothpaste (because the baby may swallow the toothpaste). Parents are advised to avoid fluoride toothpastes on children under the age of 2.
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