Pediatric Care
If you are a parent of a young child the following has certainly crossed your mind “how do I care for my child’s teeth and how do I prepare them mentally to be prepared for their first dental visit?” We have several suggestions.
1. Limit your child’s intake of juice and sugary snacks and especially soda. Preventing any dental problems is the best thing you can do for your child’s teeth.
2. Follow the instructions provided below in regards to how to care for your child’s teeth. Brush your child’s teeth on a regular basis, even if it’s just for 5 seconds with a wet toothbrush.
3. Do not make a big deal about going to see the dentist. So many parents pass their anxiety on to their children by acting like it’s going to be a major ordeal. NEVER EVER say anything like “Don’t worry they won’t hurt you.” All they will hear and wonder is why would you need to be warning them about being hurt. You’ve already set them up for failure.
4. For their first visit brush their teeth shortly before they come and tell them you are going to the doctor to have them look at their smile and teeth and a nice lady is going to brush their teeth just like mommy and daddy do. No need to say anything more. Saying much more than that and they will start to get nervous that something is going on and they will be fearful.
Our philosophy
Our philosophy for treating young children is to get them psychologically prepared for a lifetime of great dental care. The main objective of this is to not push them farther than they are mentally ready to go. We work on the “tell, show, do” method. We tell and show them almost everything we are going to do. We do not want to scare or hurt them and make them scared of the dentist for life. There is not a week that goes by that an adult that is anxious doesn’t tell us how it all started with “this one mean dentist when I was a kid.” We don’t want anyone to be able to say that about us in 20, 30, 40 or 50 years.
First Visit
The first visit we may clean their teeth or just let them sit in the dental chair and see the cleaning instruments and ask them to smile for us. It all depends on their willingness to work with us. Some do great, some are still too shy and we just try again later when they get older. We never push the children, this always backfires and causes more serious dental phobia and anxiety in future visits. Unless you feel there is an issue, somewhere around 2 is fine for the first visit. For a child that is more shy or scared of trying new things 3 may be more appropriate. The really outgoing independent child will usually be fine by 2.
Dental Work
Well you’ve done your best but let’s face it decay is a part of life for almost everyone and now your child has a cavity. Relax it’s not a big deal and is almost always easily taken care of without any tears. We personally enjoy working on young children and have set up an excellent system when they need dental work. When fillings or extractions are needed we work quickly and talk the whole time. Distraction and speed we feel are the keys to treating kids. Most of the dental steps can be completed in 5-10 second steps so we are constantly counting to 5 or 10 and then doing something else. We have very effective topical anesthetics that make it impossible to feel the injection; but the anesthetic itself, which is acidic, still burns slightly. To alleviate this we use a two step injection technique in which we inject a very small amount of anesthetic, while the dentist says “You may feel a little pinch for 1 second. I will count to 1 or 2 and then be done.” We then let that small amount set for 2 minutes and then can inject the rest of the anesthetic without any feeling whatsoever. We also use this injection technique, without the audible counting, on adults for their upper teeth. Sorry this unfortunately does not work for most lower teeth on adults!
The following information is provided by the American Academy of Family Physicians:
How can I best care for my child’s teeth?
When teeth appear, start using a soft children’s toothbrush twice a day.
Once your child is preschool-age, start using fluoride toothpaste. Don’t cover the brush with toothpaste; a pea-sized amount is just right (see picture above). Young children tend to swallow most of the toothpaste, and swallowing too much fluoride toothpaste can cause permanent stains on their teeth.
Is my child at risk for cavities?
Your child might be at risk for cavities if he or she eats a lot of sugary foods (such as raisins, cookies and candy) and drinks a lot of sweet liquids (such as fruit juice and punch, soda and sweetened drinks). Your child also might be at risk if he or she has any of the following risk factors:
- Was born early (prematurely) or weighed very little at birth (low birth weight)
- Has ongoing special health care needs
- Has white spots or brown areas on any teeth
- Does not go to the dentist very often
Does diet affect my child’s teeth?
Yes!!! Avoiding sweets, sticky foods and between-meal snacks is good advice. To avoid cavities, limit sweet snacks and drinks between meals. Have meals and snacks at regular times. Teeth-friendly snacks include fresh fruits and vegetables, and cheese and crackers.
Baby bottles can create additional problems with your child’s dental health. When liquid from a bottle–like milk and juice–stays in contact with the teeth for a long time, the sugars cause tooth decay. This can create a condition called bottle mouth. Your baby’s teeth can develop cavities and become pitted or discolored. Never put a baby to bed with a bottle. Don’t let your child walk around during the day with a bottle, and teach your child to use a drinking cup around his or her first birthday.
Is thumb-sucking bad for my child?
It’s normal for children to suck their thumbs, their fingers or a pacifier. Most children give up this habit on their own by age 4, with no harm done to their teeth. If your child still has a sucking habit after age 4, tell your dentist. Your dentist can watch carefully for any problems as the teeth develop. In most children there is no reason to worry about a sucking habit until around age 6, when the permanent front teeth come in.
When should I start taking my child to the dentist?
The American Dental Association recommends that parents take their child to a dentist no later than his or her first birthday, (we think 1-4 is more appropriate). This gives the dentist a chance to look for early problems with your child’s teeth. Pediatric dentists specialize in treating children’s dental health. You and your child’s dentist should review important information about diet, bottles, tooth brushing and fluoride use. Visiting the dentist from a young age will help your child become comfortable with his or her dentist. It also establishes the good habit of regular dental check-ups.