Some people aren’t sure of when a dentist should become part of their child’s routine. Here are a few facts about children and the dentist.

• Even before your baby starts teething, run a clean, damp washcloth over the gums. This will help get rid of bacteria that can be harmful.
• · Once your baby gets teeth, brush them with an infant toothbrush. Use water and a tiny bit of fluoride toothpaste, about as small as a piece of rice. If you are using baby toothpaste without the fluoride, keep it to the same amount because you still want make sure that only a minimal amount is swallowed.

•  ·Once your baby’s teeth touch, you can begin flossing in the gaps between them.

•  · Around age 2, your child should learn to spit while brushing. Try not to give your child water to swish and spit because this might make swallowing toothpaste happen more.

•  · Kids ages 3 and up should use only a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.

• · Always supervise kids younger than 6 while brushing their teeth, because they are more likely to swallow toothpaste

Starting and keeping an oral hygiene routine is so important and something you can teach children early on so that they stick with it. Here are a few things to help them establish a routine:

• Brush more often. Just because your dentist says to brush twice a day doesn’t mean you have to stop there. One great way to prevent the formation of plaque that causes cavities is to brush after every meal or snack, but twice a day is great to start with!
• Limit your intake of sugary foods and drinks. It’s best to limit your consumption of these products because they supply sugars which the bacteria in your mouth feed upon creating acids.
• Floss daily. Flossing removes the food particles that get lodged in between your teeth and it helps prevent plaque build-up that can lead to cavities.

There are so many reasons that it is important to have your child visit the dentist at a young age. Did you know that the AAPD recommends your child make their first dentist appointment in their first year? Here is an article by Stephanie Anderson Witmer that talks about different dental health issues in kids, from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) website! 🙂

The Most Common Dental Health Issues in Kids

Do you know just how important dental care is; even right after your child is born!?

Baby teeth develop during the second trimester of pregnancy, and about 20 teeth are present in the jaw at birth. For cavity prevention before teeth appear, it is helpful to use a damp washcloth to wipe a baby’s gums after breast feeding or bottle feeding. Regular wiping of the gums can help prevent the buildup of bacteria, and it can help get your baby accustomed to regular oral care. Doing this, can help them see from such a young age, just how important it is to care for our teeth.

You should start flossing your child’s teeth as soon as two teeth touch each other. As they develop dexterity, you can help them learn to floss. Find ways to make this fun for them, and it will help them to want to floss.  Show and tell them how important it is for their dental health and floss for them regularly until they’re able to do it themselves. Use floss that doesn’t hurt their teeth and is comfortable on their gums.

Some people might not think about how often you should change toothbrushes, but there are different reasons as to why this is so important!

 
A lot of dentists agree you should change your toothbrush every three months. After three months of normal wear and tear, toothbrushes are much less effective at removing plaque from teeth and gums compared to new ones. The bristles break down and lose their effectiveness in getting to all those tricky corners around your teeth.

It is also important to change toothbrushes after you’ve had a cold, the flu, a mouth infection or a sore throat because germs can hide in toothbrush bristles and lead to reinfection. Even if you haven’t been sick, fungus and bacteria can develop in the bristles of your toothbrush and many people don’t realize this, which is why it is especially important to remember during flu season!

Not that everyone wasn’t already confused about Dental insurance, but now even more. Don’t feel like you are alone, because you are not.We are finding that the individual insurance plans are improving their web sites, for easier use and understanding. They are also being better about wait time on call in’s.  Remember they are there for you & your family; you have a contract with them.  That is why you will hear Dental & Health care providers say “ It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to know which benefits are covered or not covered by the insurance program in which they participate” Because we are the “Third Party”.  So don’t hesitate check out your coverage. How often can my children get cleanings? What is covered for treatment (crowns, fillings, sealants, spacer) be informed, know what is going on, it only takes a few minutes.  

Remember most insurance cover cleaning & check-up every 6 months and 1day some even more, so be informed. As a patient of “just for kids dentistry”, we keep track of that for you, we mail you a card 30 days before the due Date. We look forward to meeting your family.

The earlier children begin going to the dentist, the more comfortable they’ll be with exams throughout their life. Schedule their first appointment when they turn 1. Children can zero in on a parent’s fears, so if you’re afraid, the less you say the better. If you fuss or tell children how brave they are, they may think something scary will happen. Instead, share a book about going to the dentist. Mention that dentists and dental assistants like children and help them keep their teeth healthy.

Baby teeth are the very first teeth to pop up in the mouth, and they fall out after just a few years to be replaced with an adult permanent tooth. So if they are going to fall out and be replaced with a new tooth is it important to take good care of them?

Baby teeth are the predecessors of the permanent teeth and they make room in the mouth for the permanent tooth to grow in properly. If the baby tooth is in bad shape with cavities and rot then it is likely that the permanent tooth will also have cavities. The baby tooth paves the way for the permanent tooth to have room to come through the gum so it is important to take good care of baby teeth.

Keep them healthy by seeing just for kids dentistry every 6 months for a check-up and cleaning starting at the age of 1 year. Although if you see something sooner,  then make an appointment have it check out.

A crown is a cover placed over the entire tooth that is made to look like a tooth. It is used for teeth that are badly damaged or decayed. Many people call this a “cap.” In children, crowns are used several reasons.

It’s important to try to save primary teeth until they are ready to fall out on their own. Primary teeth are important for several reasons:

• Chewing food
• Allowing speech to develop normally
• Maintaining spaces for the permanent teeth
• Guiding the permanent teeth into position

A cap is one way to treat severe tooth decay. If decayed primary teeth are not treated, the infection can spread in the mouth. Pain and infection can lead to other health problems as well.

Molars
Molars are the teeth in the back of the mouth. They are used primarily for chewing. There are eight primary molars. Dentists will use a crown on children’s primary molars in several cases:

• When a primary or young permanent tooth has extensive decay, often on three or more surfaces
• When a filling would be very large, because large fillings can weaken the tooth and make it more likely to break
• When a primary tooth has not developed normally
• When a child with high levels of decay is also disabled or has poor oral hygiene habits. In this case, the crown will protect the tooth from further decay.