Children are more than welcome at ProDent Care. We offer preventive care, diet assessment, fillings and root fillings. All children should go to the dentist with their parents as soon as possible and as often as recommended. This will let them get used to the noises, smells and surroundings and prepare them for future visits. The earlier these visits start, the more relaxed the children will be.
FAQ’s
When should I take my child to the dentist?
At children should go to the dentist with their parents as soon as possible and as often as recommended. This will let them get used to the noises, smells and surroundings and prepare them for future visits. The earlier these visits start, the more relaxed the children will be.
When will my child’s teeth come through?
The first set of teeth usually develops before your child is born and will start to come through at around 6 months. All 20 teeth will show through at the age of 2.
The first permanent adult molars will appear at age 6, behind the baby teeth and before the first teeth start to fall out at about age 6 to 7. It is usually the lower front teeth which are lost first, followed by the upper front teeth shortly after. All adult teeth should be in place by age 13, except the wisdom teeth. These may erupt any time between age 18 and 25.
How should I care for my children’s teeth?
Our recommendations are the following:
- 1. Stand or sit behind your child, cradling their chin in your hand so you can reach their tom and bottom teeth more easily
- 2. When the first teeth start to come through, try using a children’s toothbrush with a small smear to toothpaste
- 3. It is important to supervise your child’s brushing until they are at least seven
- 4. Once all the teeth have come through, use a small-headed soft toothbrush in small circular movements and try to concentrate on one section at a time
- 5. Don’t forget to brush gently behind the teeth and onto the gums
- 6. If possible make tooth brushing a routine-preferably in the morning, and last thing before your child goes to bed.
- 7. Remember to encourage your child, as praise will often get results!
Should I use fluoride toothpaste?
Flouride comes from a number of different sources including toothpaste, specific fluoride applications and perhaps the drinking water. These can all help to prevent tooth decay. The current advice is to use a pea-sized smear of a toothpaste containing 1000ppm of fluoride. You can check the level of fluoride on the packaging of the toothpaste. Children should be supervised up to age 7, and you make sure that they spit out the toothpaste and don’t swallow any if possible.
What sort of brush should my children use?
Use a small-headed toothbrush with soft, nylon bristles, suitable for the age of your child.
What could cause my child to have toothache?
Toothache is painful and upsetting, especially in children, and the main cause is still tooth decay. This is due to too much sugar, too often, in the diet.
Teething is another problem which starts at around 6 months and can continue as all adult teeth start to come through. If your child needs pain relief, make sure you choose a sugar-free medicine and also remember to check with the doctor or pharmacist that you are being prescribed sugar-free medicine at all times. If the pain continues then contact us for an appointment.
How can I prevent tooth decay in my child?
The main cause of tooth decay is not the amount of sugar in the diet, but now often is eaten or drunk. The more often your child has sugary foods or drinks, the more likely they are to have decay. It is therefore important to keep sugary foods to mealtimes only. If you want to give you child a snack, try t stick to cheese, vegetables and fruit, but not dried fruit.
It is also worth remembering that some processed baby foods contain quite a lot of sugar. Try checking the list of ingredients: the higher up the list sugar is, the more there is in the product. Sometimes, these are shown as fructose, glucose, lactose or sucrose.
Thorough brushing twice daily, particularly last thing at night, will help to prevent tooth decay.
What if my child is very nervous about going to the dentist?
Children can sense fear in their parents, so it is important not to let you child feel that a visit to the dentist is something to worry about. Try to be supportive if you should needs to have any dental treatment. If you have any fears of your own about coming to the dentist, don’t discuss it in front of the children. Regular visits to the dentist are essential in helping your child get used to the surroundings and what goes on there. A child can be much more anxious if it is their first visit to a dental clinic. Pain and distress can happen at any time and it is important to prepare your child with regular visits.