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Parents
FAQ FOR
When should I schedule my child’s first visit and what can I expect?
The first dental visit should be when your child’s first tooth erupts or by age one. Having cavities is not related to how old a child is, but rather if they have teeth or not. We will discuss if there are any developmental abnormalities, congenital dental defects, your child’s diet and if they have any dental habits such as thumb sucking or prolonged pacifier use. We will examine your child’s teeth and gums. X-rays will be taken when it is determined necessary to check for decay and to evaluate the progress of the permanent teeth under the gums. We may clean your child’s teeth and apply fluoride to help protect the teeth against decay. Most importantly, we will review with you how to clean and care for your child’s teeth.
We will use the Tell-Show-Do method during your child’s appointment. It is just as the name suggests, TELL your child what you are going to do, SHOW them what we are going to do or what instrument we will be using, and then DO it. This decreases your child’s anxiety and eliminates fear of the unknown as they know what will be used and what to expect next. Tell-Show-Do builds the trust between the provider and the patient and allows us to have a fun and successful appointment.
Our goal is to provide a safe and fun environment while building trust with our patients and their families. That is why we have a special “on deck” area in our hygiene bay for our parents to watch their children during their appointments. It allows your child to know you are there, while giving them the opportunity to build confidence in themselves, as well as showing you that they can do it “on their own”. They will receive a token at the end of the appointment so they can get a prize for being a great patient!
FIRST VISIT
NUTRITION
With so little time in the day for all the activities your children are doing, it can be tempting to stop and get fast food instead of making a well-balanced meal at home. Some of the most common foods that result in tooth decay for children are apple juice, sugary energy drinks, soft processed or sticky foods (such as crackers, cereal or fruit snacks) that linger on the teeth or sweetened coffee and tea drinks.
Every time someone eats, an acid reaction occurs inside their mouth as the bacteria digests the sugars. This reaction lasts approximately 20 minutes. During this time the acid environment can destroy the tooth structure, eventually leading to cavities.
Some tips for cavity prevention:
Limit frequency of meals and snacks. -
Encourage brushing, flossing and rinsing. -
Watch what you drink. -
Avoid sticky foods. -
Make treats a part of meals. -
Choose nutritious snacks. -
& CAVITY PREVENTION
Thumb and/or finger sucking and pacifier use are natural comforting actions for babies. Most infants stop the habit by age two, however, if your child does not stop, you should help to curb the habit as soon as possible. If your child continues past the age when permanent teeth start to erupt, they may develop crooked teeth and a malformed roof of their mouth. Prolonged thumb sucking can create crowded teeth, permanent bite problems or even speech impairment. We encourage parents to break the habit as early as possible by using positive reinforcement.
Suggestions to break the habit:
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Wait until the time is right (low stress)
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Motivate your child (show examples of what could happen to their teeth)
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Use a reward system, small incentives will encourage your child to stick to it!
Habit Appliances
Customized thumb/finger appliances can be placed in the child’s mouth to prevent/deter the child from causing a lasting effect to the developing dentition. They are very effective when left in place 3-6 months. They are inserted using dental cement and will be removed by our doctor once the habit has been broken.
THUMB & FINGER
SUCKING HABITS
STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
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After a Tooth ExtractionAfter a tooth extraction, have your child bite down on gauze for 30-45 minutes immediately after the appointment. If the bleeding or oozing persists, place another piece of gauze and have them bite firmly for another 30 minutes. They may have to do this several times to stop the bleeding. After the tooth is extracted, your child may feel some pain and/or have some swelling. An ice pack can be applied to the area to keep swelling to a minimum. The swelling usually subsides after 48 hours. Use over the counter pain medication as directed. Make sure your child drinks lots of fluids and eats nutritious, soft food on the day of the extraction. Your child can eat normally as soon as they are comfortable. Do not rinse vigorously, suck on straws or brush teeth next to the extraction site for 72 hours. These activities may slow the healing process. It is important to resume a normal dental routine after 24 hours. This should include brushing and flossing their teeth at least once a day. This will speed healing and help keep their mouth fresh and clean. After a day or two, your child should feel fine and can resume normal activities. If your child has heavy bleeding, severe pain, continued swelling for 2-3 days, call our office immediately.
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Space MaintainerYour child has received a Space Maintainer appliance to prevent teeth drifting into the space meant for a permanent tooth. These suggestions are important in caring for a space maintainer: The space maintainer must be kept clean. The band and wire tend to collect food particles. Special care must be taken to remove any collection of food material to prevent decay in that area. The space maintainer may become loose or even come off if extremely hard or sticky foods are chewed in that area. Your child should avoid hard, sticky candy and bubble gum. The teeth will drift and change position if the space maintainer becomes loose or comes off. To avoid complications, call the office for an appointment to receive it. A space maintainer should be kept in place until the permanent tooth is ready to erupt. At that time, our doctor will remove the space maintainer to allow the permanent tooth to come into the space reserved for it.
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Stainless Steel Crown CareThe cement which holds the crown on the tooth requires approximately twelve hours to fully set. Therefore, only soft foods should be allowed today. Regular diet may be resumed tomorrow. Stainless steel crowns may become loose or even come off eating hard or sticky foods. Hard, sticky candy and bubble gum should be avoided. It is not unusual for the gum tissue around the crown to be slightly irritated and inflamed for several days. Use warm salt water rinses or a Q-Tip dipped in warm salt water to rub around the crown several times a day. The area around the crown should be brushed gently for the next day or two. Regular brushing can resume when the area is less sensitive. The crowned tooth will come out on its own at the proper time when the permanent tooth is ready to erupt. Should a crown become loose or fall off, contact the office for an appointment to have it recemented.
Dental X-rays
Around age three and a half, or when teeth start to touch, your child will receive their first x-rays.
Click the video to learn more about what you and your child should expect!