How To Ensure Your Kids Enjoy Good Oral Health

Posted October 17, 2024

We know the health and happiness of your children is important, and we hope you don’t forget about their smiles! With routine care at home and in our office, kids can enjoy brighter, healthy, and cavity-free smiles. In today’s blog, your Dallas, TX, pediatric dentist talks about ensuring good health for little smiles with regular visits to our office for checkups and cleanings, and better homecare habits like proper brushing and flossing habits. We want to help your children enjoy optimal health and smiles that shine!

The First Visit

When should children see the dentist for the first time? We recommend a visit as young as age one, once the first baby tooth has erupted. This initial appointment is a wellness visit in which we conduct a simple knee-to-knee lap exam, and there is likely no treatment administered, as we want to make sure baby teeth are erupting as they should. But once your little one is two, then we may recommend a visit for a dental exam every six months.

Checkups and Cleanings Every Six Months

During the checkup visit, our team will examine the smile with digital x-rays and intraoral camera technology, so we can make a diagnosis with precision and catch possible problems in their earliest stages. We want to look for signs of tooth decay, and also make sure primary teeth erupt and fall out on time, and that permanent ones can arrive without complication. These visits can also help limit dental anxiety and instill good oral health habits!

In the same appointment, our team will also clean the teeth to remove all plaque and tartar, which helps brighten the smile and freshen breath, while also fighting the onset of tooth decay and gingivitis.

Preventive Treatments

Our team could also discuss preventive treatments to help safeguard the smile against tooth decay. During your little one’s checkup and cleaning visit, our team will administer fluoride in a varnish form, which coats the teeth and strengthens the meal to prevent erosion and tooth decay. For this reason, we also suggest kids use a small amount of fluoride toothpaste when they brush each day.

The rear teeth are also hard for little ones to reach when they brush and floss, meaning that particles of sugar and starch can remain caught between them to cause tooth decay. But with dental sealants, we will coat the rear teeth in a special acrylic layer that prevents food and drink from being stuck there, limiting the risk of cavities. These can stay in place for up to ten years too! With both fluoride treatments and dental sealants, the application only takes sounds and kids just need to avoid food and drink for about 30 minutes.

Brushing and Flossing

Care at home is also essential for keeping little smiles healthy and strong, and free of issues like tooth decay and gingivitis. Kids should brush twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Children three and younger should use a rice-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste, and kids over the age of three need to use a pea-sized amount. You can time them to ensure they brush for two minutes, using a timer or even a fun song or video. To make it fun, let them choose a toothbrush with their favorite superhero or cartoon character on it. Kids also need to floss once there are teeth sitting side by side, as food and drink particles could become trapped there, beyond the reach of a toothbrush. Kids can initially use a floss pick and as their dexterity improves, they can use tape or string. Try to also cut down on the sugar in their diet. These actions can help them understand the importance of caring for their smiles so they can continue this care as teens and adults. If you have any questions about how we protect little smiles from poor oral health at home and in the office, or if you would like to schedule a checkup and cleaning for them soon, then reach out to our team today. We want to help kids enjoy their best possible smiles!

Schedule a Visit for Your Little One

If you have questions about safeguarding your child’s smile, or if you would like to schedule an appointment with our team, call your Dallas, TX pediatric dentist, Dr. Marr, at (214) 321-4880. With Halloween and the holiday season around the corner, kids will be inundated with sugar, and limiting their intake and practicing good oral hygiene can help them enjoy better oral health and full smiles.