To allow your child to adapt to dental surroundings, we recommend you begin their visits from 3 – 4 years of age. At their first visit, we will spend some time discussing interests and hobbies and can also enjoy a ride on our dental chair. At times they may open their mouth enough for us to see in, it is perfectly normal if they do not. Over time a relationship will form and a mutual trust is gained.
Children can be very scared if they have not been introduced to the idea of dental visits at an earlier age. Bringing your child in for regular visits not only allows them to become familiar with their surroundings but also can have a positive impact on future appointments with us as they grow older.
Throughout your child’s visits we can monitor the eruption of the teeth and also become aware of any problems if any at an early stage. We will monitor dental hygiene and as your child grows older we will be able to have educational discussions on how to brush and maintain their own teeth.
You should begin to brush your child’s teeth as soon as the first tooth comes through. As your child grows older they will want to brush their teeth by themselves, it is fine to allow this but remember to always brush your child’s teeth a second time to ensure they are done properly. You will need to supervise until they are able to follow the steps bellow by themselves. Most children need supervision up to 9 – 10 years of age.
As soon as two teeth touch one another flossing should begin once a day. Flossing removes food and plaque between teeth brushing alone will miss. You may use regular floss or try to use plastic floss holders, which ever you feel most comfortable using.
Like brushing, you will also need to supervise your child until they are able to do so by themselves. Most children need supervision up to 8 – 10 years of age.
What your child eats is important for their health and how often your child is eating is just as important as frequent snacking increases the risk of tooth decay.
Sugar-containing foods ultimately break down into acid. This is produced from the bacteria that are already found in our mouths. That bacteria and food reacts creating what we call an “acid attack”. It is important to remember that sugar-containing foods are not only found in soft drink, sweet treats and baked goods that in fact all food carbohydrate will ultimately break down into sugars in the mouth.
An acid attack can last up to 20 minutes after consuming a meal or a snack, therefore allowing your child to frequently eat or nibble in between meals puts your child at a higher risk of tooth decay as the acid attack will eat away the enamel of the tooth over time.
It is in your child’s best interest to minimise snacking in between meals. We also suggest after meals or snack to drink water; this will help remove the remaining foods in the mouth.
Looking after your child/children’s baby teeth with correct brushing, flossing and minimising snacks will not only look after their dental hygiene but also help them develop lifelong skills with maintaining good oral health right through into their adult years.
It is very important to bring your little ones in to see us when their teeth start to develop to not only familiarise them with the world of dental but for us to also monitor tooth development and decay. Baby teeth with decay if left untreated can become sore and at times infected which not only affects the health of your child but may at times cause problems to developing adult teeth.
Pain associated with dental causes a lot of stress and often develops into a fear of the dentists at an early age. Therefore allowing regular visit minimises the risk of your child having a bad experience which often leads to stress and fear associated with visiting the dentist.
Please call us on (07) 4953 1577 to begin your child’s dental journey with our friendly team here at Dazzling Dental.