Children’s Dentistry

To encourage good oral hygiene, you should start brushing your child’s teeth as soon as the first one appears, so they associate this as a normal part of everyday life. Gentle brushing with a soft bristled baby toothbrush with or without toothpaste is all that is needed.

It’s important to note that prevention of childhood tooth decay is very important for long-term oral health. Although your child’s baby teeth will of course fall out naturally, if they lose a tooth too soon it can cause their permanent adult teeth to come through crooked and gum and jaw misalignment problems to develop. This may require extensive corrective treatment such as orthodontic braces.

We recommend that your child attend regular check-up appointments every six to twelve months, to enable us to monitor your child’s oral health and detect any abnormalities in their early stages. Early intervention allows us to prescribe the best treatment to prevent a small problem from becoming a large one.

Your children’s diet is every bit as important to the health of their teeth and gums as it is for their overall health. Foods and drinks with high levels of starch and sugar produce acid in the mouth, attacking tooth enamel and causing decay and tooth loss.

Reducing your children’s intake of sugary and starchy drinks and snacks is an important first step towards the best oral health. Instead, encourage them to snack on foods such as cheese, nuts and fresh fruit and vegetables in preference to sweet treats and to drink fluoridated tap water instead of soft drinks and sports drinks. Rinsing with water after eating can also help dilute harmful acid.

An early visit to The Dental Touch can help familiarise your children with the dentist and help build their confidence. This first appointment of around 15-30 minutes includes an assessment of your child’s teeth, gums, jaw and bite.

At The Dental Touch we can also help you and your family implement an at-home preventive program. Monitoring the health of your children’s teeth in the early stages of their life is vitally important to prevent, detect and treat problems as they occur.

What are fissure sealants? Does my child need them?

Sealants are a very effective preventive therapy against tooth decay. On the chewing surface of the baby and adult molars are pits and fissures, which are normal imperfections of these teeth. Sealants fill in these areas to protect them from decay.

The depth and width of the pits and fissures varies from person to person. There can be pits and fissures on the cheek surfaces of the lower molars and on the tongue surface of the upper molars. Food and germs often become trapped in these areas. A cavity can easily happen because brushing and fluoride are not effective protection against cavities of the pits and fissures. Only sealants are effective protection against decay of these surfaces because they fill in these areas.

The sealant is a liquid that becomes hard like plastic after it is applied to the tooth. Sealant therapy, which was introduced over twenty years ago, is non-invasive (no drilling) and doesn’t require a local anaesthetic.

We may recommend sealant therapy after examining the baby molars, taking into consideration your child’s dental history and other factors.

An effective at-home oral hygiene routine is the vital first step in maintaining healthy teeth and gums. Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and flossing at least once a day, together with attending regular professional cleaning appointments at The Dental Touch, will ensure your child’s teeth and gums are healthy and their breath is fresh.