May 14th, 2020
Many parents come to the office asking, "when do I start brushing my child's teeth?" The answer is - the sooner the better! Starting at birth, you want to clean your child's gums (even before they have teeth) with a soft infant toothbrush or cloth and water. This helps keep your child's mouth clean and allows you to become comfortable with oral health for your child!
What type of toothbrush can you use? It is best to choose a soft,age-appropriate sized toothbrush. When you purchase a toothbrush, most will note at the top the softness of the toothbrush and will also give you an age range for the toothbrush size. The great part is, toothbrushes come in many fun designs and colors. You can have your child choose a color they like - it'll make brushing that much more fun!
As soon as teeth start to erupt, you can use toothpaste with your toothbrush! For children under 3 years old, you should use a tiny smear of fluoridated-toothpaste. The amount of toothpaste on the toothbrush should be about the size of a grain of rice. Once children are 3-6 years old, the amount should be increased to a pea-sized dollop. The toothpaste amount is really important because young children do not have the ability to spit out. By using the correct amount of toothpaste, your child will not swallow excess toothpaste after brushing. As always, we recommend parents to help their child brush - at least until age 7 years old! A great way to remember this is if your child can tie their shoelaces, then they can brush their teeth on their own! They have developed their hand skills at this time, but you should always check to make sure they brushed all of the hard to reach spots.
Remember to brush 2x/day! Create a routine - brush, book, bed! Brush your child's teeth, read a book together, and have them go to bed! By having a set routine every night, your child will learn that this is something they need to do every day! We will be talking later on on tips of how to make brushing fun!
May 8th, 2020
Have you always wondered when to bring your child to the dentist for their first visit? We have a great rule you can follow - it’s a rule of firsts: First tooth or First Birthday!
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends a child’s first dental visit to be as soon as they get their first tooth (as early as 6 months of age) and no later than their first birthday.
You may wonder, but my child barely has any teeth at this point, why do we need to go so early? Bringing your child to a dentist earlier on has many benefits:
- 54% of California children have tooth decay by kindergarten
- Visiting a dentist earlier on can help you learn ways to prevent your child from getting cavities
- By age one, your child may already have 8 teeth! This means they can already develop cavities!
- You and your dentist can work together as a team to come up with a healthy teeth plan that works best for your family, such as how to brush and what types of snacks to eat
- Your dentist can help you understand what teeth are expected next and how to take care of your teething child
But best of all, you’ll always have a friendly face to answer any question you may have. We understand that parenting can be difficult, and we want to be there as part of the process with you. We welcome everyone to be a part of our East Valley Smiles family!
May 8th, 2020
"Do we really need to take care of baby teeth? Don’t they fall out anyways?” Contrary to popular belief, children will not lose all of their baby teeth all at once. A child will start losing their first baby tooth around age 6 years, with the last one falling out of their mouth around age 12 years!
Because children will have the baby teeth in their mouth for many years of their life, it’s very important to make sure to prevent and treat any cavities that develop. Here are a few reasons why baby teeth are important:
- maintains function for proper chewing and eating
- prevents losing space in the mouth for the adult tooth to come in later on
- keeps the confidence of your child for smiling and speaking
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends that a child should go to the dentist no later than 12 months of age! Pediatric dentists are always available to help you and your family maintain good oral health.
May 8th, 2020
A common question we get is “What’s the difference between a pediatric dentist and a dentist that sees kids?” This is a great question!
Any licensed dentist is able to see and treat children in their office. The difference is, pediatric dentists receive specialty training in all aspects of oral health care specifically for infants, children, and adolescents. The main goal of a pediatric dentist is to create a comfortable and safe environment for every patient and their family. If a child grows up with happy experiences at the dentist, they will be more likely to have better oral health as adults! In addition, a large part of the pediatric dental residency is dedicated to treating patients with special health care needs.
So how does someone become a pediatric dentist? After college, you attend dental school (3-4 years) and then complete a residency program in pediatric dentistry (2-3 years). This can be an additional 7 years after college! In addition, to become a board-certified pediatric dentist, you have to pass both the written and oral exam from the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Pediatric dentists are the biggest advocate for the oral health of children - kids aren’t just little adults!
