How do I look after my kids teeth?

Questions you may have about your Child's dental health...

Teaching the correct techniques and the importance of good dental hygiene are the key to ensure your kids carry on the good habits throughout their life. We believe in making dental fun and a positive experience for the parents and children as it instils trust and confidence between the child and dentist.

At what age should I start bringing my kids to the dentist?

There is no set age as it varies from child to child, however, our recommendation is to bring them in as soon as they become aware of their surroundings and have teeth. Even if we're not able to do much, it will build trust and create a positive experience. Depending on how cooperative your child is, we may be able to do a full check up or we may even just get them used to having fingers and a mirror in their mouth.

The dentist likes to count the teeth and give positive encouragement and make the experience fun for the child. This will make it not so dauting for you or the child as they get older.

It will also give the dentist an opportunity to detect any problems early and check on their development.

Please don't be discouraged at their first visit, we never know how it is going to go but as long as we keep it simple and fun, it will get easier.

What should we be doing at home?

For kids of all ages, it is important to teeth them the importance of good oral hygiene. Brushing twice a day (morning and night) for at least 2 minutes. Do whatever it takes to make it fun and make it part of morning and night routine, even if that means brushing as a family or having a timer.

Once your child starts developing teeth, you can grab a soft wash cloth and use that on your finger to brush the teeth gently. Also (under supervision) you can give the child a toothbrush and demonstrate what to do with it.

There are many kids toothpastes out there in all sorts of flavors. As long as it has an age appropriate fluoride level and is of a bigger brand, it is usually okay. If you're not sure, feel free to ask the dentist.

At 6 years of age, they can start using most adult toothpastes. Give a pea sized amount and encourage them to spit out the excess. If you need help on the technique, we can show you in their dental visit on a model.

It is never to early to floss, so you can introduce it as soon as you like as this will encourage good habits as they get older.

How often should I bring them to dentist?

Regular dental visits as they grow are important as it builds a good foundation that they can carry on. It also allows the dentist to check on their development and how teeth are emerging. Some problems need to be intervened during the eruption phase and if there are any abnormalities there is a better chance of correcting when caught early.

Everyone is different however we usually recommend every 6 months especially because a lot can happen in 6 months with child development.

If you have any more questions, give our practice a call on 7979 3246.