Caring for your children’s teeth from an early age is vital if you want to help them achieve healthy mouths and confident smiles for life.
From the moment they start appearing, your children’s teeth are just as susceptible to decay and other dental problems as your own adult teeth. Even though these ‘baby’ teeth are later replaced, they can have an impact on your child’s future smile if not well looked after.
At The Dentist Gallery, we recommend bringing your children for regular check-ups, as early as their first tooth appears! This will enable us to give you the appropriate advice early on and give them the best possible start to maintain good oral health.
These appointments are fairly informal and relaxed, getting them used to the sights, smells and sounds of the practice but also helping us to keep a close eye on your child’s teeth as they are developing. Prevention is the key as it is best to avoid rather than treat problems.
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Prevention
Based on the guidelines given in “Delivering Better Oral Health” issued by Public Health England 2014, the recommended advice is:
0-3 years of age
- As soon as teeth erupt, they should be brushed twice a day
- Parents are to brush or supervise toothbrushing
- Use a smear amount of toothpaste containing no less than 1,000ppm of fluoride
At the dentist, dietary advice and brushing techniques may be given to help maintain good oral health
3-6 years of age
- Brushing should be supervised by an adult
- Brush twice daily, last thing at night and on one other occasion
- Use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste containing 1,350-1,500ppm fluoride
- Spit out after and do not rinse
At the dentist, dietary advice and brushing techniques reinforced. Application of fluoride varnish twice yearly.
7+ years of age
- Brush twice daily, last thing at night and on one other occasion
- Use toothpaste containing 1,350-1,500ppm fluoride
- Spit out after brushing and do not rinse
At the dentist, dietary advice and brushing techniques reinforced. Application of fluoride varnish twice yearly.
The regular dental check-ups are important to identify issues before they arise and different approaches to the above exists for higher risks patients.
This could involve more frequent dental checks, fluoride mouthwashes, prescription only toothpaste and fissure sealants.
Fluoride Varnish provides extra protection against tooth decay in addition to daily toothbrushing with a fluoride toothpaste. It is in a gel form, applied on susceptible teeth (baby and adult teeth) and dries into a thin film. It is allowed to stay for a few hours to act by strengthening teeth. It can come in different flavours and applied with a soft brush. It is recommended to apply this twice yearly as a preventive measure.
Fissure Sealants are used, if appropriate, to help protect and strengthen teeth. It is a clear plastic which is applied on the bite surfaces of back teeth such as molars and premolars. It is then set hard by a special light and dries in seconds. It will act as a barrier, helping to prevent decay. The procedure is quick and painless. It can last for many years although regular checks are advised to ensure its integrity.
Interceptive Orthodontics
Orthodontic treatment is usually carried out when all baby teeth are lost and the adult teeth have come through, around 12-14 years of age. However, in some situations, early assessment and detection can prevent lengthy and more complex corrections at a later date.
As part of your child’s examination, for age group 8-10 years old, early orthodontic assessment will help identify any potential risks and interception at this point could help lessen issues later. Examples of situations that can benefit from this are correction of crossbites, overcrowding or protruded front teeth.
Trauma
Trauma to teeth can have both physical and psychological impacts to the child.
Children of different ages are prone, from the very young learning to walk to teenagers in various sporting activities.
It is important to manage this effectively and in certain circumstances rapidly.
Assessment and early intervention are needed to give the best possible outcome in a very unfortunate situation.
Anxiety Management
It is normal to be anxious of the unknown. Children requiring treatment for whatever reason may feel apprehensive with this prospect. It is therefore important to spend time and communicate well with your child. It is important to use the appropriate approach and language albeit body language at times, for their age. This will help them understand and better accept treatment.
However, in some instances, sedation may be more suited. There are different forms of sedation and it is dependent on the extend of the anxiety and type of work needed.