Helping Kids Enjoy Better Oral Hygiene
We want to help kids maintain good oral health, and that means improving overall oral hygiene. With care at home and in our office, you can help your kids smile with confidence and boost their oral hygiene. In today’s blog, your Dallas, TX, pediatric dentist talks about boosting oral hygiene in little smiles so your kids can avoid issues like tooth decay and gingivitis.
The Dental Exam
We want to see your kids for their first dental exam at around age one the first baby tooth has arrived. This will be a simple knee-to-knee lap exam with no treatment, we want to make sure teeth are erupting properly. Starting at around age two, kids need to have an exam once every six months, just like you! With the exam, we will look at the smile with digital x-rays and intraoral cameras, allowing us to make a diagnosis with precision and accuracy.
We can watch as the smile grows and develops, and catch problems in the earliest stages, so we can treat them quickly. Our team looks for common issues like tooth decay, and we also want to make sure baby teeth erupt and fall out as they should, so permanent teeth can arrive unimpeded. We also talk about good oral hygiene habits and help your kids better understand their smiles, so they’re more likely to continue care as adults. These visits also lower the risk of dental anxiety!
Cleaning Your Child’s Teeth
During the checkup visit, we will also conduct a dental cleaning. With a cleaning, our team will use an ultrasonic scaling device and a manual tool to gently and thoroughly break up and remove plaque and tartar buildup. Doing so helps lower the risk of cavities and gingivitis, and also fights bad breath and teeth stains. The process only takes a few minutes. We then polish the teeth. The polishing not only offers a brighter smile, but can help limit the severity of plaque and tartar buildup before your child’s next visit.
Cavity Prevention
Our team also offers two treatments to help lower the risk of cavities. The first is a fluoride varnish we apply on the teeth during each exam visit. This mineral is naturally-occurring and has been shown to strengthen enamel to fight tooth decay. The application only takes a few seconds. We also have dental sealants. We know that kids have a hard time reaching the rear teeth when they brush and floss, which means food and drink particles can become trapped between the molars and increase the risk of cavities. But with dental sealants, we apply a special acrylic layer over these molars so food and drink particles cannot be trapped on or between them. Applying the sealants only takes a few seconds, and they can stay in place for up to ten ears. We don’t need to remove them as they wear away with time, and we can re-apply as needed. With both options, your child will need to avoid food and drink for about a half hour as the material cures.
Brushing and Flossing
Care at home is also vital, as this helps limit the risk of buildup, cavities, and more in between our six-month checkup and cleaning visits. Make sure your child brushes for two minutes in the morning and again at night. Be sure they use an age-appropriate toothbrush with soft bristles, and you can time them to ensure they clean their teeth for the recommended amount of time. Fluoride toothpaste is also good, as this helps strengthen the outer enamel. Kids three and under need a rice sized amount, and kids over the age of three need a pea sized amount. Children also need to floss before bed, as this removes what a toothbrush alone cannot. You can assist them with a floss pick, until their dexterity improves enough that they can use tape or string on their own.
If you have any questions about improving your child’s oral hygiene at home and with routine office visits, or if you would like to schedule their first checkup and cleaning of 2025, then contact our team today to learn more. We want to help your children enjoy optimal oral health!
Contact Our Team Today for Better Oral Hygiene
We want to help children of all ages enjoy better oral health and avoid issues like tooth decay and keep their smiles bright and beautiful for years to come. Contact Pediatric Dental Care at Casa Linda by calling (214) 321-4880 and speak to our team about safeguarding little smiles.
filed under: Good Hygiene