February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, So Here are Some Tips From Our Dentist For Kids In Brandon About Giving Your Child a Lifetime of Smiles!

Great oral health can last a lifetime, so make sure your child is on the right track by doing your part. Every stage in a child’s life comes with different dental needs and responsibilities. So finding a dentist for kids in Brandon is a good start, but here are some other tips for children of all ages.

When to start dental visits for infants?

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends bringing your child to a pediatric dentist near you before his or her first birthday. At this initial visit, our dentist for kids in Brandon will:

• check your child’s teeth for decay and signs of early developmental problems
• explain how to care for your child’s teeth
• answer any questions or concerns you might have

Children should see a dentist for kids near you every six months. To help your child develop a positive attitude about the dentist:

• Avoid using negative words such as “hurt”
• “Play dentist” to familiarize your child with what takes place during a visit
• Ask our dentist for kids in Brandon how we explain procedures to children
• Answer your child’s questions honestly and sensitively.

How to Care for an infant’s teeth

Cleaning a child’s teeth should begin when the first tooth is visible, because teeth are susceptible to decay as soon as they appear in the mouth.

Wipe the baby’s teeth and gums clean after every feeding with a soft, damp washcloth or gauze pad. A leading cause of tooth decay among young children is known as “baby bottle syndrome.” When an infant is allowed to drink from a nursing bottle containing milk, formula or fruit juice during nap time or at night, the baby often falls asleep with the bottle in his or her mouth. Exposure to the sugars and acids in these liquids that pool around the teeth can cause discoloration and decay.

Since breast milk contains sugar, decay also can occur when a baby falls asleep while breast-feeding. To prevent damage to the teeth, clean your child’s teeth after each feeding and, if necessary, give him or her a bottle filled only with water at bedtime or during a nap.

Eating and drinking habits are key to healthy teeth

Studies have shown that children who drink fluoridated water from birth have up to 65 percent fewer cavities, and by the time they become teenagers, many of them still have no tooth decay.

If you live in a community without a fluoridated water supply, you can make sure your kids get their fluoride by using tablets, drops or gel and by having topical fluoride treatments applied at the dental office (to check whether your drinking water contains fluoride, call your local water company or health department). Using a fluoride toothpaste and mouth rinse is also effective.

A balanced diet is also an important contributor to healthy teeth and gums. Children especially need calcium, which helps build strong teeth. Good sources of calcium are milk, cheese and yogurt. Research shows that eating cheese after meals seems to inhibit the effects of decay-causing acids. Avoid snacks containing sugar or starch.

By age 3

Children should be brushing their own teeth with adult supervision. Because toddlers tend to swallow more toothpaste than adults, only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste is necessary. Start flossing your child’s teeth daily when all the primary teeth are in or when teeth are touching each other.

By age 8

Children should be able to brush and floss by themselves, with occasional checks. Turn brushing and flossing into a daily routine — after a visit to our dentist for kids in Brandon we provide colorful toothbrushes to help make oral care more fun.

With a parent’s guidance and proper personal and visits to our dentist for kids in Brandon, your children will have a good foundation for maintaining healthy teeth.

With a parent’s guidance and proper personal and visits to our dentist for kids in Brandon, your children will have a good foundation for maintaining healthy teeth.

Dentist for Kids In Brandon Tips For Teens

Dental decay is the most common chronic disease in young people between the ages of 5 and 17, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Follow these tips to stop cavities before they start.

Dentist for Kids In Brandon Gives Tips To Teens About Protecting Your Teeth!

Contact sports can cause oral injuries, but teens can prevent injuries by wearing a mouth guard while playing sports. More than 200,000 injuries to the mouth and jaw occur each year, and our dentist for kids in Brandon regularly recommends the use of mouth guards in a variety of sports activities. Whether a mouth guard is custom-fitted by our dentist for kids in Brandon or bought at a store, teens should keep it clean by rinsing it often and storing it in a ventilated container.

Avoid piercings.

People with tongue or other mouth piercings can easily chip their teeth while eating, sleeping, talking and chewing. The fracture can be confined to tooth enamel and require a filling, or it may go deeper, which can lead to a visit to our dentist for kids in Brandon for a root canal or tooth extraction.

Infections are also common with oral piercings. The tongue can swell after being punctured, and in some cases can become infected and swell to such a degree that it interferes with breathing. Unclean piercing equipment can cause other infections, such as blood-borne hepatitis.

Most Importantly Make Time To Develop Healthy Habits.

Teens eat quick meals in the form of “nutrition” bars and fast food to stay alert and on schedule between school, extracurricular activities and part-time jobs. However, these habits can permanently damage oral and overall health. Teens should have access to healthy snacks such as apples, carrot sticks and cheese and should seek low or no-sugar drinks like organic tea and coconut water. Keeping a travel-size toothbrush in a locker or backpack can help teens keep up good teeth-cleaning habits by brushing after meals and snacks.

“I just didn’t realise how important good oral hygiene was until I thought it was too late. Dr. Hunt reassured me and set me on a road to strong, healthy teeth and complete peace of mind.”

Steve Smith   •   Patient

Just like adults, teens should visit our dentist for kids in Brandon at least twice a year. Regular dentist for kids in Brandon visits and cleanings not only help keep teeth bright and shiny (a boost to any teens self-esteem), they can also help catch minor problems before they become worse.