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Having cavities filled is no fun for kids. But routine oral hygiene is essential to keeping your child’s teeth healthy and preventing potential future cavities. If you install good practices early on in life, those habits will continue as they grow up.

Protecting your child’s teeth is essential and can be accomplished by following these 5 easy tips!

1)  Install a daily routine.

The easiest and most obvious good practice is to maintain a strict daily routine. Kids should brush their teeth at least twice a day and floss once a day.

2)  Avoid snacking

Consistent snacking especially on sweet foods, creates opportunities for cavities. Limit snacking to only healthy foods and try to brush or rinse with water or mouthwash afterward.

3)  Make healthy choices

Choosing fruits that are full of water keeps the mouth hydrated and helps prevent cavities. Also, try to get kids to drink lots of water and avoid soda and sugary juices. Choose juices that are 100 percent fruit because too much acid and sugar are bad for teeth.

Nuts and cheeses are great options because they have ingredients that work to remineralize teeth. Avoid sticky foods like cookies, candy and fruit leather, which can be extremely harmful to teeth.

4)  Don’t share food or drinks

Bacteria that cause cavities can be passed between people. So avoid sharing food and encourage your kids not to share their food with friends.

5)  Visit the pediatric dentist

Bringing your kids to the dentist on a regular basis for teeth cleaning is essential to catching smaller issues before they become cavities. It’s important to find a dental home before their first birthday. Then, try to visit your dentist twice a year.

Also, ask your dentist about dental sealants that can be placed on a child's teeth to prevent decay. The process is simple and can help prohibit future cavities.

Think about choosing Dentistry for Children and Adolescents for your child’s dental home. We will work with your family’s unique needs to ensure every child has the best dental health.

One of the most discussed issues for parents of young children is whether to let their child use a pacifier or their thumb.

Babies have a natural reflex called non-nutritive sucking, which means they will suck on a thumb or pacifier for pleasure, security and comfort and not just when they are hungry.

So which one is the better choice? Here are some helpful facts and tips to assist parents in making this decision!

Pacifier

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends the use of pacifiers over thumbs when comforting new babies because the pacifier habit is easier to break at an earlier age. The longer the sucking habit continues the greater the chance for future orthodontic issues.

Tips for Safe Use

• The pacifier’s shield should be wider than the child’s mouth. Stop using the pacifier if the entire thing can fit into a child’s mouth.
• Don’t dip the pacifier into anything sweet before giving it to a baby.
• Inspect pacifiers routinely for signs of deterioration and discard if the bulb becomes sticky, swollen or cracked.
• Don’t attach a pacifier to a crib or their body with a string, ribbon or cord.
• Don’t leave a baby unattended with a pacifier in his or her mouth, including sleeping.

Thumb

In general, thumb or pacifier sucking can affect teeth essentially in the same way. An argument for thumb or finger sucking over pacifier use is it can teach children to sooth themselves.

It might depend on which option an individual child prefers. Both sucking on a thumb or pacifier are typically stopped by the child but should be discouraged after age 3 to avoid future problems.
Possible Effects

If a child repeatedly sucks on a finger or other object for a long period of time, the upper front teeth may jut out or not come in properly. Prolonged sucking can create crooked teeth, bite problems and other changes in their tooth position and jaw alignment.

Your pediatric dentist can assist you with methods and ideas to help your child stop sucking on a thumb or pacifier. The professionals will encourage a child to stop the sucking habit, discuss what can happen to teeth and recommend behavior modification techniques.

At Dentistry for Children and Adolescents, we will work with your family’s unique dental needs to ensure every child is happy and healthy.

Taking your kids to the pediatric dentist is a vital part of keeping their teeth healthy and installing good dental hygiene practices from a young age. But oftentimes for younger children, the dentist can be a new and scary place.

Here are some essential practices to help ease your child and overcome their fear of the dentist and help prepare them for future appointments.

1)  Start Young

It’s important to introduce your child to the dentist and find a dental home as soon as possible. Their first visit should fall before or at their one year birthday or when the first tooth is visible.

2)  Keep it Simple

When talking about the dentist with your child, keep your language simple and don’t go into too many details about what could happen. Keep an upbeat and positive attitude.

Try to avoid language such as shot, pain, cavity, etc. that could make your child fearful before the appointment. Instead use words like clean, healthy and sparkling.

3) Prepare Well

Before the appointment there are several things you can do to ease your child’s concerns.

Take a trip to the office so both of you are familiar with the location and staff members. You could also have a run through with a doll or stuffed animal. There are also children’s books that can help give your child an idea of what to expect.

4)  Plan for Tantrums

Especially if your child is in the baby or toddler stage, you should prepare for some crying, whining and fussing. Pediatric dentists and their employees are prepared for this reaction, so listen to their advice about how to comfort your child.

After the visit, praise your child especially if it was a tantrum-free appointment.

5)  Emphasize the Importance

It’s essential for your child to understand the importance of good oral hygiene as early as possible. Explain that visits to the dentist are a necessity and will keep their smile sparkling, white and healthy. Use colorful toothbrushes and good tasting toothpaste, so brushing their teeth is also fun at home.

At Dentistry for Children and Adolescents, we work hard to ensure children feel safe and the overall experience is a pleasant one with toys, games and friendly faces.