PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY
First Visit
Your child’s first visit to the dentist should be right around the time after their third birthday or within 6 months of the first tooth coming in, or by 12 months at the latest.
Prepare your child
It’s best for your children to know what to expect and to explain to them why it is important to go to the dentist. As a way to ease your child into going to the dentist, feel free to bring them to the office for a quick preview to know where they will be going. There are numerous books about going to the dentist, as well. And lastly, explain to your child any positive experiences you’ve had going to the dentist.
Cavities
Most often, cavities are a result of sugary foods and a lack of brushing. The best way to prevent cavities is to limit your child’s sugar intake and brush regularly.
Encourage brushing, flossing, and finishing teeth.
Limit sugary drinks and food.
Limit sticky foods.
Make nutritious choices for snacks.
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings that are ‘painted’ onto the chewing surfaces of children’s back teeth. Naturally, their teeth have relatively small pits and grooves that make the surface rougher than we’d like it to be. It’s common for food and germs to collect in these areas, as a toothbrush bristle isn’t able to get in these small areas. Dental sealants fill in these groovers and assist in keeping any food or germs out of these patches, resulting in less cavities.
