Introduction
Taking your child to the dentist for the first time can be a nerve-wracking experience for both of you. But it doesn’t have to be! By following these tips, you can help your child feel comfortable and excited about their first dental visit.
Start talking about the dentist early.
Don’t wait until the appointment day to start talking to your child about the dentist. Explain what the dentist does and why it’s important to see them regularly. You can even read books about going to the dentist together.
Make it a fun experience.
Try to make your child’s first dental visit as fun and positive as possible. Let them choose a special outfit to wear and bring their favorite toy along. You can even role-play going to the dentist at home to help them get used to the idea.
Be prepared.
When you arrive at the dentist’s office, take some time to explore the waiting room and let your child see the dentist’s tools. It will help them feel more comfortable with their surroundings.
Answer your child’s questions.
Be honest and answer all of your child’s questions about the dental visit. Don’t sugarcoat things or try to downplay the experience.
Be patient and supportive.
It’s important to be patient and supportive during your child’s dental visit. Let them know that you’re there for them and that everything will be okay.
Conclusion
Taking your child to the dentist for the first time is an important milestone in their oral health journey. By following the tips in this article, you can help your child have a positive and stress-free experience. Remember to start talking to your child about the dentist early, make the visit fun and positive, be prepared, answer their questions, and be patient and supportive. By following these tips, you can help your child develop a healthy smile and a lifetime of good oral health habits.
Don’t hesitate to contact our office. We are here to help you and your child have a positive experience.
Even if you had cavities when you were young, your child doesn’t have to develop them. Find out how to protect kids’ teeth from tooth decay. Practices like using fluoride to strengthen teeth and eating a balanced diet can set your child up for a healthy smile for life.
What Causes Cavities?
When plaque has the chance to build upon the surface of teeth, the germs in plaque mix with sugars and carbohydrates in the mouth. This dangerous cocktail of bacteria and sugars forms acids that can attack the outer surface of teeth. When this process, known as demineralization, goes unchecked, cavities form. Using fluoride can strengthen the outer enamel of teeth and help to prevent cavities. Brushing and regular dental visits can help to fight plaque. Eating a healthy diet can help to nourish young teeth and gums.
Fluoride and Kids’ Teeth
Brushing with fluoride toothpaste as soon as kids are old enough to spit, getting fluoride treatments at the dentist’s office and getting a small amount of this mineral through water and some foods can set your child up for cavity protection. Brush your child’s teeth twice a day with toothpaste. Little ones can look forward to brushing with a fun, fruit-flavored toothpaste like Colgate Dora the Explorer. Older kids may enjoy a toothpaste with cavity protection like Colgate Fresh ‘N Protect. Talk to your dentist about how much fluoride your child is exposed to. He or she may tell you to use fluoride water or supplements in addition to using a fluoride toothpaste.
Oral Care Essentials for Kids
To fight childhood cavities, use fluoride as part of a healthy oral care routine. When kids are still young, they need help brushing their teeth. For those independent spirits, let them brush first and then you can brush a second time. Floss your child’s teeth for her to remove plaque from the gum line and between teeth. Children should start seeing a dentist two times a year around the age of one.
Healthy Eating Habits
Another way to protect your child’s teeth from cavities is to make a healthy diet a part of your family’s lifestyle. Cut back on sugary snacks and starchy foods. Crunchy foods like apples, carrots, almonds, and celery make wonderful snacks for developing teeth. Serve whole grains and plenty of low-fat dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt. Encourage brushing after meals. With good oral hygiene and healthy habits, you can ensure that your kids will be less likely to have to deal with cavities.
source:
colgate.com
We love our patients and love to help them form healthy dental life that will last them a lifetime. For more information call us today to answer all of your questions so get an appointment today.
No parent ever wants to see their child in pain. However, pediatric dental emergencies can sometimes occur. Here are some of the most common, as well as steps to follow to resolve the issue and have the best possible outcome.
Toothaches are common in children of all ages and rarely occur without cause. If pain persists, contact Growing Smiles Dental for the next steps. Some common causes of toothache include tooth fractures, tooth decay, tooth trauma, and wisdom teeth eruption (adolescence).
How you can help:
If a tooth has been knocked-out of the child’s mouth completely, it is important to contact Growing Smiles Dental immediately because time is an important factor in saving and reimplantation of a tooth. In general, dentists do not attempt to reimplant avulsed primary (baby) teeth, because the reimplantation procedure itself can cause damage to the tooth bud, and thereby damage the emerging permanent tooth.
Your child’s dentist will always try to reimplant an adult tooth that has been knocked out, unless the trauma has caused irreparable damage. The reimplantation procedure is almost always more successful if it is performed within one hour of the avulsion.
How you can help:
Sometimes, dental trauma forces a tooth (or several teeth) upwards into the jawbone. Oftentimes, the force of the trauma is great enough to injure the tooth’s ligament and fracture its socket.
If you suspect or observe that dental intrusion has occurred, it is important to contact Growing Smiles Dental as soon as possible. Depending on the nature and depth of the intrusion, your child’s dentist will either wait for the tooth to descend naturally, or perform root canal therapy to preserve the structure of the tooth.
How you can help:
Tooth displacement is generally classified as “luxation,” “extrusion,” or “lateral displacement,” depending on how the tooth is angled after the trauma. A luxated tooth remains in the socket with the pulp intact some of the time. However, the tooth protrudes at an unnatural angle and the underlying jawbone is oftentimes fractured.
The term “extrusion” refers to a tooth that has become partly removed from its socket. In young children, primary tooth extrusions tend to heal themselves without medical treatment. However, dental treatment should be sought for permanent teeth that have been displaced in any manner to save the tooth and prevent infection. It is important to contact the pediatric dentist if displacement is suspected.
How you can help:
The crown is the largest, most visible part of the tooth. In most cases, the crown is the part of the tooth that sustains trauma.
Your child’s dentist at Growing Smiles Dental can readily assess the severity of the fracture using dental X-rays, but any change in tooth color (for example, pinkish or yellowish tinges inside the tooth) is an emergency warning sign. Minor crown fractures may require the application of dental sealant, whereas more severe crown fractures sometimes require pulp treatments. Jagged enamel can irritate and inflame soft oral tissues, causing infection.
How you can help:
A root fracture is caused by direct trauma, and isn’t noticeable to the naked eye. If a root fracture is suspected, dental x-rays need to be taken. Depending on the exact positioning of the fracture and the child’s level of discomfort, the tooth can be monitored, treated, or extracted as a worst-case scenario.
How you can help:
A tooth that has not been dislodged from its socket or fractured, but has received a bang or knock, can be described as “concussed.” Typically occurring in toddlers, dental concussion can cause a tooth to discolor permanently or temporarily. Unless the tooth turns black or dark (indicating that the tooth is dying and may require root canal therapy), dental concussion does not require emergency treatment.
source:
1stfamilydental.com
We love our patients and love to help them form healthy dental life that will last them a lifetime. For more information call us today to answer all of your questions so get an appointment.
When should I schedule my child’s first trip to the dentist? Should my 3-year-old be flossing? How do I know if my child needs braces?
Many parents have a tough time judging how much dental care their kids need. They know they want to prevent cavities, but they don’t always know the best way to do so. Here are some tips and guidelines.
Good dental care begins before a baby’s first tooth appears. Just because you can’t see the teeth doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Teeth begin to form in the second trimester of pregnancy. At birth, your baby has 20 primary teeth, some of which are fully developed in the jaw.
Here’s when and how to care for those little choppers:
Even babies can develop tooth decay if good feeding habits aren’t practiced. Putting a baby to sleep with a bottle might be convenient, but can harm the baby’s teeth. When the sugars from juice or milk remain on a baby’s teeth for hours, they can eat away at the enamel, creating a condition known as bottle mouth. Pocked, pitted, or discolored front teeth are signs of bottle mouth. Kids with severe cases might develop cavities and need all of their front teeth pulled (permanent teeth will grow in later).
Parents and childcare providers should help young kids set specific times for drinking each day because sucking on a bottle throughout the day can be equally damaging to young teeth. Babies as young as 6 months are encouraged to switch from a bottle to a sippy cup (with a straw or hard spout). By 12 months of age, they’ll have the motor skills and coordination to use the cup on their own.
The ADA recommends that children see a dentist by their first birthday. At this first visit, the dentist will explain proper brushing and flossing techniques and do a modified exam while your baby sits on your lap.
These visits can help find problems early and help kids get used to visiting the dentist so they’ll have less fear about going as they get older. Consider taking your child to a dentist who specializes in treating kids. Pediatric dentists are trained to handle a wide range of issues associated with kids’ dental health. They also know when to refer you to a different type of specialist, such as an orthodontist to correct an overbite or an oral surgeon for jaw realignment.
If a child seems to be at risk for cavities or other problems, the dentist may start applying topical fluoride even before all teeth come in (this also can be done in the pediatrician’s office). Fluoride hardens the tooth enamel, helping to ward off the most common childhood oral disease — dental cavities (also called dental caries).
Cavities happen when bacteria and food left on the teeth after eating are not brushed away. Acid collects on a tooth, softening its enamel until a hole — or cavity — forms.
Here’s how to keep cavities away:
As your child’s permanent teeth grow in, the dentist can help prevent decay by applying a thin wash of resin (called a sealant) to the back teeth, where most chewing is done. This protective coating keeps bacteria from settling in the hard-to-reach crevices of the molars. But make sure that kids know that sealants aren’t a replacement for good brushing and regular flossing.
If you are prone to tooth decay or gum disease, your kids might be at higher risk as well. So sometimes even the best brushing and flossing habits can’t prevent a cavity. Be sure to call your dentist if your child complains of tooth pain, which could be a sign of a cavity that needs treatment.
New materials mean pediatric dentists have more filling and repair options than ever. A silver-colored material called amalgam (a special mix of metals) was once the substance of choice for most fillings in permanent teeth. But now, other materials like composite resins are becoming popular. Resins bond to the teeth so the filling won’t pop out, and also can be used to rebuild teeth damaged through injury or conditions like a cleft palate. Because resins are often tooth-colored, they’re considered more attractive.
But in cases of fracture, extensive decay, or malformation of baby teeth, dentists often opt for stainless steel or ceramic crowns. Crowns maintain the tooth while preventing the decay from spreading.
In some rare instances, usually when a more complicated dental procedure is to be done, a dentist will recommend using general anesthesia. Parents should make sure that the professional who gives the medicine is a trained anesthesiologist or oral surgeon before agreeing to the procedure. Don’t be afraid to ask your dentist questions.
Regular checkups and good dental hygiene can help prevent the need for this kind of extensive dental work. Also, encourage your kids to use a mouthguard during sports, which can prevent serious dental injuries.
As kids get older, their bite and the straightness of their teeth can become an issue. Orthodontic treatment begins earlier now than it used to, and braces have changed too. The embarrassing old gear — a mouth filled with metal wires and braces — is in the past. Kids as young as age 7 now wear corrective appliances, and plastic-based (sometimes clear) materials have replaced metal.
Orthodontists know that manipulation of teeth at a younger age can be easier and more effective in the long run. Younger children’s teeth can be positioned with fairly minor orthodontic devices, preventing major treatment later on.
As kids grow, plan on routine dental checkups anywhere from once every 3 months to once a year, depending on your dentist’s recommendations. Keeping sugary foods in check, encouraging regular brushing and flossing, and working with your dentist will lead to good dental health.
source:
kidshealth.org
We love our patients and love to help them form healthy dental life that will last them a lifetime. For more information call us today to answer all of your questions so get an appointment.