Happy February from Teddy Bear Children's Dentistry! February is National Children’s Dental Health Month and a perfect time for our team to review some of the important steps in keeping your child’s smile healthy! Join us on today’s blog to discover dental health tips for the whole family.
Our office, as well as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Dental Association (ADA), and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) all recommend establishing a “Dental Home'' for your child by one year of age. Children who establish a dental home are more likely to receive appropriate preventive and routine oral health care. The purpose of establishing a “Dental Home'' is to provide a place other than the Emergency Room for parents and patients to receive dental care.
For your child’s oral hygiene routine, It's important to create a consistent routine of brushing twice a day and flossing every night so it becomes a habit at a very early stage of your child’s development. Creating this oral hygiene consistency will help your child maintain these habits as they grow up. Oral hygiene remains the same throughout your child's life, what changes is how the oral hygiene takes place and the amount of toothpaste used.
We recommend making the "OH'" routine consistent as far as the time of the day it happens, such as after breakfast and at bedtime, all the while making sure your child is having fun! The more fun the OH routine is for your child the more they will be willing to partake in it. Try singing brushing songs together, or adding brushing videos on your electronic device and playing during brushing times. Implementing these suggestions can help keep your child engaged. Please talk to your Pediatric Dentist Specialist about how you can make " brushing time" a fun time. We would love to help!
Lastly, please do not get discouraged if your child tests your limit at brushing times. It's important to stay consistent, have fun, and not give in to your child’s disagreeable behavior. We promise that after a while your child will get used to the OH routine. It’s even likely he or she will start reminding you of their brushing time schedule!
As for which toothpaste to use, It's always a good idea to use a toothpaste that fights against most of the intra-oral factors that contribute to tooth decay. Dr. Da Fonseca recommends a toothpaste that has xylitol and fluoride in it, like CTX4 Carifree Gel toothpaste or the Xlear Kids Spry toothpaste gel with xylitol. They are both great toothpaste options for your children.
In regards to toothbrushes, make sure you are using a soft-bristled toothbrush that is gentle to your child gums but still effective in removing dental biofilm.
The amount of toothpaste used at brushing time will change as your child grows older. For children under two-years-old, use a smear of fluoridated toothpaste. For those aged 2 to 5 years, a pea-sized amount is recommended. Please note that dental care begins before the first tooth erupts. You should start dental care before 12 months of age or within 6 months of when the first tooth appears.
Another crucial element to your child’s dental health is their diet. Eating and drinking sugar is one of the biggest factors in causing tooth decay. We recommend not allowing your child to snack or drink apple juice or orange juice all day. Stick to designated meal times with water in between and limit snacking to no more than three times a day. Talk to your Pediatric Dentist Specialist about all the healthy food options that are available for your child. Try your best to choose vegetables, fibrous, and nutritious snacks as opposed to empty calories ones.
The first step in getting your child ready for their first dental visit is to find a Pediatric Dentist for your child. Pediatric Dentists are different from regular dentists as they have two to three additional years of training after dental school during which they extensively study child development and behavior management of patients from infancy to adolescence. When you have decided on an office, call them to schedule a visit. Try scheduling the appointment in the morning as young children tend to do their best in the morning when they are fresh and full of energy! Avoid scheduling appointments late in the day or close to nap times when children can be groggy or cranky. You can inquire if it is possible for you and your child to come to the office for a tour and to meet the doctor before the actual day of the check-up. If your child has any special needs, discuss it with the staff member that schedules your appointment. The dentist will often want a little extra time scheduled for this.
Before their first check-up, mental preparation will really help your child to cope better with his or her first visit. Start preparing your child for the visit with engaging activities like practicing giving their stuffed animal a checkup with a toy mirror. Your child can bring that same stuffed animal to the dental visit to get a check-up by the dentist! There are also a lot of great children’s books about dentists you can read to them. It is essential that you put your child at ease as much as possible. Let them know that the dentist will show them all of the tools and explain all of the procedures before starting. You can also plan a treat (not candy or junk food) such as a trip to the park or toy store should they need a little extra motivation.
We want your experience with Teddy Bear Children's Dentistry to be a happy one, starting with your child's first visit. We understand that your family has a busy schedule, so when you’re preparing for a dental visit, please remember that an appointment can last between 40 and 60 minutes. We hope our office feels like a second home to you. We are committed to advancing the health of our patients through education and preventive care. We are dedicated to working alongside our families to address dental issues with a mind toward the patient’s best interests. We strive to make each visit a positive one to promote life-long good habits! Our vision is to create an everlasting impact, beyond oral care, that positively influences the lives of our patients and their families.
If you have any questions or concerns, our team is always happy to discuss them with you—any time of year! We can’t wait to see you and your family in our office again soon. We look forward to seeing you!