Ensuring Your Child’s Smile Stays Clean
We would like to help your children maintain their best possible smile, avoiding issues like tooth decay and even gingivitis. To help facilitate healthy smiles, we recommend having all harmful buildup removed every six months. In today’s blog, your Dallas, TX, pediatric dentist talks about our professional dental cleanings.
The Potential Danger of Plaque and Tartar Buildup
When possible, bacteria will break down and consume the particles left behind on and between your teeth from the foods and drinks you’ve consumed. This is especially true of sugar and starch particles. The process coats the teeth in plaque buildup, which hardens over time into tartar. These layers cannot be removed with brushing and flossing alone, and without removal, they could weaken and erode enamel to cause cavities. For older children, they could inflame gum tissues to cause gingivitis. Other complications include bad breath and stained teeth. However, a professional cleaning can completely remove these harmful layers!
Dental Cleanings
We suggest a dental cleaning every six months for kids starting at age two. The process is a simple one and only takes a short time to complete. Using an ultrasonic scaling device and a manual tool, our team can gently and thoroughly break up and remove all plaque and tartar. We then polish the teeth, which ensures a smoother finish and a brighter smile. In the same visit, we could also discuss placing a topical fluoride gel to keep the outer enamel strong and resistant to cavities. Dental sealants could be useful as well, coating the hard-to-reach molars and limiting the risk of future decay.
Keeping Smiles Clean at Home
At home, you can help your kids limit their risk of tooth decay. Make sure they’re brushing their teeth in the morning and at night, and that they use a fluoride toothpaste. Kids under the age of three need a rice sized amount, and a pea sized amount is good for everyone over the age of three. Kids also need to floss once there are teeth sitting next to one another. Cutting back on their consumption of foods and drinks high in sugar is beneficial too. These simple actions can help instill good oral health habits and keep teeth strong.
If you have any questions about how we help kids enjoy good oral health and avoid cavities, then contact our team soon. You can schedule their next checkup and cleaning visit today!
Your Dallas, TX, Dentist Offers a Bright and Healthy Smile
We’re ready to help children enjoy optimal oral health with regular preventive care. If you have any questions about keeping teeth clean at home and in our office, then contact your Dallas, TX pediatric dentist, Dr. Marr, by calling (214) 321-4880.
filed under: Preventive Treatments