Frequently Asked Questions

Your child may have sore gums when teeth begin to erupt from six months to age 3. You may want to try a clean teething ring, cool spoon or cold wet washcloth.

As your child approaches their first birthday, encourage them to drink from a cup. Children should not fall asleep with a bottle and breast-feeding should be avoided after the first baby tooth begins to erupt. Avoid offering your child juice in a bottle, it is recommended that it be in a cup.

Children usually keep their baby teeth until the permanent teeth pushes it out from underneath and replaces the baby teeth. Some children may lose their baby teeth too soon by accident or from dental disease. When a tooth is lost too early, a space maintainer may be recommended in order to make room for permanent teeth that have yet to come in.

Thumb sucking is normal for infants as most stop by age two. Discourage your child after age four. With prolonged thumb sucking, your child is at risk of developing crowded, crooked teeth or bite problems. Your dentist can suggests ways to manage a prolonged thumb sucking habit.

At birth, you can use a soft infant toothbrush and water to clean your child's gums. Most young children have not yet developed the dexterity to brush their teeth effectively. Assist your child as they learn how to brush their teeth properly. It is recommended that you do not use fluoridated toothpaste until age 2-3 unless recommended by your dentist.

A substantial concern of dental problems found in young infants is Early Childhood Caries. This is also commonly known as baby bottle tooth decay. Your child is at risk of severe decay when using a bottle during naps or when they continuously nurse from the breast.

If you bring your child at a very early age, the better the chance of spotting and preventing dental problems. It is important to develop good dental habits in your child for healthy teeth that will allow them to chew food easily, learn to speak clearly and smile with confidence.

Kids Dental practices preventive dentistry for children which includes: brushing, flossing, oral habits, orthodontics, parent involvement, proper diet, sealants, dental development, fluorides, sports safety and other related topics.

Not only does preventive dentistry encourage a healthy smile for your child, it promotes proper chewing, speaking clearly and a better chance for good general health. Following good oral habits at an early age prevents less extensive treatments later.

Beginning with your child's first tooth, you should visit your dentist. Learning how to protect and care for you infant's dental health will help them develop a healthy cavity-free smile.

Your dentist will evaluate your child's dental health and design a program of care. This program includes proper brushing, flossing, healthy diet and if necessary, fluoride recommendations. Practicing early dental hygiene encourages a lifetime of good oral habits for your child.

Your child's prevention program will include tooth cleaning, polishing and fluoride treatments. Other treatments that could be recommended by your dentist include applying sealants, selecting a mouth guard to prevent sports injuries and early diagnosis of potential orthodontic problems.

Here are some tips to help your child keep a healthy smile and be cavity free.

• Brush effectively twice and day with fluoride toothpaste
• Floss your teeth once a day
• Eat a healthy diet and beware of frequent snacking of sticky sugary foods
• Visit your dentist regularly for check-ups
• Ensure your child is receiving the proper amount of fluoride through drinking water

Kids Dental offices are designed especially for children, and our staff receives special training to help calm anxious children during their dental appointments. Our dentists and staff enjoy working with children and ensure the child feels calm, secure and comfortable during dental treatment.

Dentists use different methods to help your child feel comfortable during dental treatment. They may utilize a “Tell-Show-Do” method in which the dentist names the dental instrument, shows how the instrument is used and then applies the instrument in treatment.

Praise is the most preferred technique; as your child does something right during a dental visit, dentists let them know that.

For older children, doctor-child communication is often enhanced if parents remain in the reception room. However, infants and younger children may feel more confident when parents are in the treatment room.

Regular visits to the dentist helps keep your child cavity free. Teeth cleanings remove buildup that is not easily removed by simple brushing and may irritate gums and cause decay. Fluoride treatments renew the content in the enamel and your child's teeth and helps strengthen your child's teeth. Proper dental hygiene improves your child's teeth and gums and overall health.

Visiting your dentist allows them to monitor and assess changed in your child's mouth. They may recommend additional fluoride, changes to their diet or identity potential orthodontic problems and properly address them as the teeth begin to develop in the mouth.

In addition to reviewing your child's medical and dental history, your dentist will examine your child's teeth, oral tissues, and jaw. Your child's teeth will be cleaned, polished and followed by the application of a fluoride.

In addition to keeping you informed and aware of the state of your child's mouth and teeth, your dentist will talk to your child about different ways to take care of their teeth and keep them motivated to take responsibility for a healthy smile.

X-rays are not taken at every appointment, they are taken as required to allow for accurate diagnosis and treatment. They are only recommended to protect your child's dental health. X-rays are used to diagnose tooth decay or abnormalities. X-rays may also be required when receiving orthodontic treatment. It is best to discuss the need for x-rays with your dentist before they are taken.

The Canadian Dental Association recommends visiting a dentist for a check-up at least twice a year for most children. Some children may require more frequent visits if they are at high risk of developing tooth decay, show unusual growth patterns or have poor oral hygiene. Your dentist will recommend the best appointment schedule for your child.

If your child is too young to spit and swallows their toothpaste, a non-fluoridated toothpaste will likely be recommended. Once your child is able to spit, it is recommended that your child use toothpaste with fluoride. It is important that you teach your child not to swallow any toothpaste as this may cause excessive amounts of fluoride to remain in their bodies and exceed the recommended daily amount. Supervise your children while brushing their teeth and only use a small pea-sized amount on the brush. It is best to discuss this with your dentist.

Call your dentist and visit the office promptly. To ease your child of any pain, rinse the mouth with water and apply a cold compress or wrap some ice in a cloth. It is important not to apply heat of aspirin to the sore area.

Losing a baby tooth too soon may cause the teeth beside to tilt or drift into the empty space. Titled or drifted teeth reduce the space in the jaw for permanent teeth. As a result, the permanent teeth may result it crowding or be crooked. This may require extensive orthodontic treatment if not addressed early.

Discoloured teeth are characterized by many possible causes. Some of these include, trauma to a tooth, early infection, severe illness that may disrupt proper tooth development and poor oral hygiene all can result in discoloured teeth.

Enamel fluorosis is a condition in which your child receives too much fluoride during the years of tooth development. This can result in defects in tooth enamel.

In most mild cases, fluorosis appears as tiny white specks or streaks that are often unnoticeable. In severe cases, enamel fluorosis causes the teeth to discolour or appear brown. In this case, the enamel may be rough, pitted and hard to clean. Visit your dentist to assess this problem.

Discuss different methods with your dentist. They can advise you as to how much fluoride is present in your drinking water. In addition, monitor your child's use of fluoridated toothpaste. The recommended amount that is sufficient for fluoride protection is often a pea-sized amount. It is important to teach your child to spit out the toothpaste and not swallow after brushing.

The appearance of teeth with severe enamel flurorosis can be greatly improved by a variety of treatment in esthetic dentistry. Talk to your dentist about different options for your child.

The faster you act, the better your chance of saving the tooth. Do not touch the root of the tooth, hold it by the crown only. Using cool water, gently rinse the tooth, if possible replace the tooth in the socket and hold in place with a gauze or washcloth. If the tooth cannot be placed back in the socket, place in a clean container with milk. Go to the dental office immediately.

Contact your dentist as soon as possible. Do not replace the tooth in your child’s mouth. Locate the tooth and bring it with you to the dentist. Spacers may be required to maintain room in the mouth to guide the adult tooth into place.

Go immediately to the emergency room of you local hospital. These can be life threatening.

Contact your dentist immediately. Locate the fractured piece and bring to with you to the dental appointment.

Reduce your child's risk of oral injury during sports by wearing protective mouth guards. Always use a car seat for young children and make sure everyone else in the car has their seatbelts fastened. Prevent young children from choking on small objects and falls in your home. Protect your child from unnecessary toothaches with regular dental visits and preventative care.

Your teeth are shaped with grooves and pitted surfaces. Sealants help protect these surfaces especially when chewing. Sealants are made of clear or shaded plastic and generally applied to the back teeth where most cavities are prevalent.

Even with proper brushing and flossing, food and bacteria can build up inside tiny grooves and in the pits of some teeth resulting in decay. Sealants act by "sealing out" food and plaque buildup inside these tiny crevices thus reducing the risk of tooth decay.

Sealants tend to last for many years if cared for properly. If your child receives sealants, they are most likely protected during their cavity prone years. Sealants last longer if your child practices good oral hygiene and avoids biting hard objects. During routine dental visits, your dentist will check the sealants to see if they need to reapplied or repaired.

The tooth is first cleaned, condition and then dried. Following, the sealant is spread onto the grooves of the tooth and hardened with a special light. Sealant treatments are generally completed in one visit and fairly quick to apply.

Sealant treatments offer valuable decay protection and considered very affordable. Most dental insurance companies cover sealants however they may have some age or specific tooth limitations. It is recommended that you talk with your benefits provider about your coverage and your dentist about the exact cost for the sealant treatment.

The surfaces of your teeth are usually kept clean with the natural flow of saliva in your mouth however it does not wash the grooves and fissures. The teeth with the most prevalent risk of decay are the six-year and twelve-year molars. Permanent premolars and primary molars may also benefit from sealant coverage as they contain many grooves and pits. Every child is different, so your dentist will assess your child's mouth and recommend the proper sealant treatment if necessary.

Yes! Sealants are only a part of a whole regime of keeping your child cavity-free. It is important to follow proper brushing, flossing, eating a nutritious diet and regular dental visits in order to achieve a bright, healthy smile!

Fluoride is proven to be a safe and highly effective method of decreasing the rate of tooth decay. However, it is important to note that for maximum benefit, only small amounts of fluoride are necessary. Using the proper toothpaste amount and other forms of fluoride supplements must be carefully supervised in order to prevent exceeding the amount of fluoride that may cause spots on developing permanent teeth.

After your child's teeth have been cleaned, the dental hygienist applies topical fluoride. These come in a variety of forms such as gels and foams and placed on fluoride trays. One of the newer forms of topical fluoride is the fluoride varnish, which has proven to be a safe and effective in preventing dental decay. The fluoride varnish is especially useful in young patients that may not tolerate fluoride trays comfortably.

Children who are at high risk for dental decay benefit most from fluoride. Some risk factors include a history of decay, high sucrose carbohydrate diet, orthodontic appliances and some medical conditions.