Pediatric Dentistry
A child’s first visit to the dentist should be enjoyable. Children are not born with a natural fear of the dentist, but they can fear the unknown. Our office makes a special effort to use pleasant, non-frightening, simple words to describe each treatment. We want you and your child to feel at ease from the moment your family arrives at our office. The more you and your child know about the first visit, the better you will feel.
I have always recommended that you begin your child’s visits to the dentist on their third birthday. When your child is less than 12 months old, any teeth that have erupted can easily be cleaned with a wet washcloth. There are also fingertip-fitting cloths for this purpose that can be purchased. When the back teeth begin to erupt, a children’s toothbrush can be used by you. You as their parents are their primary caretaker. If you notice anything during your daily cleaning of their teeth that looks concerning, please bring your child in as soon as possible for evaluation.
I don’t recommend that you child brush their own teeth unsupervised until age 6. Children can fall with a toothbrush in their mouth causing sever injuries. Letting your child get familiar with the toothbrush under your supervision to begin brushing their teeth is great!
When New Teeth Arrive
Your child’s first primary or baby teeth will begin to erupt between the ages of six and 12 months, and will continue to erupt until about age three. During this time, your child’s gums may feel tender and sore. To help alleviate this discomfort, we recommend that you soothe the gums by rubbing a clean finger or a cool, wet cloth across them. You may also choose to make use of a teething ring. When your child has finished teething, you can expect a total of 20 primary teeth.
Adopting Healthy Oral Hygeine Habits
As your child’s teeth erupt, be sure to examine them every time you brush their teeth. Look for lines and discoloration that may be caused by tooth decay. Sugary foods and liquids begin attacking a new tooth the day it begins to erupt. Brushing after meals is optimal. On particularly hectic days, at least make sure teeth are brushed at bedtime. Using a children’s fluoridated toothpaste is recommended as instructed on the package. You may begin flossing your child’s teeth once they have their back teeth coming in. It helps remove any food lodged in between that may not be removed during brushing.
Preventing Tooth Decay with Regular Check-Ups
Tooth decay is caused by acid. It dissolves and weakens the enamel layer of the teeth. Acid comes from a few sources. One is acidic foods and drinks. Sour gummy candies are very acidic as are many fruit juices. Another source is acid reflux. Children and even infants can suffer from this. The bacteria living in our mouths make acid after metabolizing the sugars and carbohydrates in our food and drink. Whenever a food or drink containing these things gets ingested, oral bacteria make acid out of it for 30 minutes before saliva neutralizes them. EVERY SIP OR MOUTHFUL OF A SNACK RESTARTS THE 30 MINUTE CLOCK. It’s important never to put a sugary liquid in a sip cup that a child may walk around with sipping on, or risk their mouth being in acip ph the whole time. NEVER put a child to bed with a baby bottle containing anything other than water.
Keeping on a 6-month dental checkup schedule will help prevent mino dental problems from becoming a more advanced one. This is a great time to receive education and review on proper brushing, and other oral healthcare habits.
