A child’s first visit to the dentist should be enjoyable. Children are not born with a natural fear of the dentist, but they can fear the unknown. Our office makes a special effort to use pleasant, non-frightening, simple words to describe each treatment. We want you and your child to feel at ease from the moment your family arrives at our office.

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends…

Children should visit the dentist by their first birthday. It is important that your child’s newly erupted teeth (erupting at six to 12 months of age) receive proper dental care and benefit from proper oral hygiene habits right from the beginning.

When new teeth arrive

Your child’s first primary, or “baby,” teeth will begin to erupt between the ages of six to 12 months, and will continue to erupt until about age three. During this time, your child’s gums may feel tender and sore. To help alleviate this discomfort, we recommend that you soothe the gums by rubbing a clean finger or a cool, wet cloth across them. You may also choose to make use of a teething ring.

Your child’s primary teeth are shed at various times throughout childhood. Permanent teeth begin erupting at age six, and continue until age 21. Adults have 28 permanent teeth (32, teeth including wisdom teeth).

Adopting healthy oral hygiene habits

As your child’s teeth erupt, be sure to examine them every two weeks, looking for lines and discoloration that may be caused by decay. Remember that sugary foods and liquids can attack a new tooth, so take care that your child brushes his or her teeth after feeding or eating. We recommend brushing two times a day for optimal oral hygiene.

Brushing can be fun, and your child should brush as soon as the first tooth arrives. When a baby’s tooth erupts, parents should brush the tooth with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. For children younger than two, do not use fluoride toothpaste unless advised to do so by your dentist or other healthcare professional. We suggest reviewing proper tooth brushing procedures with your child.

Flossing is also a part of good oral hygiene habits, and your dentist will discuss with you the right time to start flossing your child’s teeth. If you notice signs of decay, contact your dentist immediately.

Preventing tooth decay with regular checkups

Tooth decay is caused by sugars left in your mouth that turn into an acid, which can break down your teeth. Children are at high risk for tooth decay for a simple reason: many children and adolescents do not practice regular, good oral hygiene habits. Proper brushing and flossing routines combined with regular dental visits help keep tooth decay away.

Your child should visit the dentist every six months for regular dental cleanings and checkups. We recommend fluoride treatments twice a year along with cleanings to keep teeth their strongest. Tooth sealants are also recommended because they “seal” the deep grooves in your child’s teeth, preventing decay from forming in these hard-to-reach areas. Sealants last for several years, but will be monitored at your child’s regular checkups.

• When does one plus one equal zero? ONE baby tooth + ONE pediatric dental visit = ZERO cavities.
• First dental visits are mostly educational. The AAPD recommends that every child visit the dentist by the child’s first birthday. The American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend a child visit the dentist by age one as well. This “well baby check” for the teeth can establish a dental home and helps ensure that parents learn the tools they’ll need to help their children remain cavity-free.
• A 2006 scientific paper in Pediatric Dentistry revealed that children who waited past their first birthday and did not see a dentist until age two or three “were more likely to have subsequent preventive, restorative and emergency visits.”
• Pacifier or thumb? Cloth or disposable? Breast milk or formula? Debates rage around new parents, just at a time when they’re too tired to tie their own shoes. The AAPD solves the first of these parent dilemmas with a vote for pacifiers over thumbs to comfort fretful babies.
• Babies can “catch” cavities from their caregivers. In 71 percent of the cases, the mother is the source. Research indicates that the cavity-causing bacteria known as Streptococcus mutans can be transmitted from mothers to infants even before teeth erupt. The better the mother’s oral health, the less the chance the baby will have problems.

• Before the teeth erupt, clean the baby’s mouth and gums with a soft cloth or infant toothbrush at bath time. This helps ready the baby for the teeth cleaning to come.
• When the teeth erupt, clean the child’s teeth at least twice a day with a toothbrush designed for small children.
• Take the baby to see a pediatric dentist by the baby’s first birthday. The earlier the visit, the better. It is important to establish a dental home to ensure that the child’s oral health care is delivered in a comprehensive, ongoing, accessible, coordinated and family-centered way by the dentist.
• If the baby is placed to sleep with a bottle, use nothing but water. When a child is given a bottle containing sugary liquids such as milk, formula or fruit juice, the teeth are under attack by bacterial acid for extended periods. This can cause cavities in babies called “early childhood caries,” formerly known as baby bottle tooth decay.
• Breast-feeding has been shown to be beneficial for a baby’s health and development. However, if the child prefers to be breast-fed often or for long periods once a tooth appears and other foods/beverages have been introduced into her diet, she is at risk for severe tooth decay. Clean the baby’s mouth with a wet washcloth after breast-feeding, and encourage a bottle with plain water during the nighttime.
• Never dip a pacifier in anything sweet; it can lead to serious tooth decay.
• Wean the infant from the bottle by one year of age.

• Even though the baby teeth have not erupted, infants still need fluoride to help developing teeth grow strong.
  A pediatric dentist will determine the child’s fluoride needs during the initial consultation.
• Children older than six months may need a fluoride supplement if their drinking water does not contain the
  ideal amount of fluoride. Fluoride has been shown to reduce tooth decay by as much as 50 to 70 percent.1
• A pediatric dentist will help determine whether the child needs a fluoride supplement and, if so, will prescribe
  the proper amount based upon the child’s age, fluoride levels in her primary source of drinking water, and
  other dietary sources of fluoride. Fluoride is conveniently available in fluoride drops or in combination with
  prescription vitamins.

• Babies suck even when they are not hungry (a natural reflex called non-nutritive sucking) for pleasure, comfort and security. In fact, some babies begin to suck on their fingers or thumbs even before they are born.
• In the pacifier-versus-thumb debate, the AAPD votes for pacifiers over thumbs to comfort new babies. A pacifier habit is easier to break at an earlier age. The earlier a sucking habit is stopped, the less chance the habit will lead to orthodontic problems.
• Sucking on a thumb, finger, or pacifier is normal for infants and young children; most children stop on their own. If a child does not stop by herself, the habit should be discouraged after age three.
• Thumb, finger and pacifier sucking all can affect the teeth essentially the same way. If a child repeatedly sucks on a finger, pacifier or other object over long periods of time, the upper front teeth may tip outward or not come in properly. Other changes in tooth position and jaw alignment also may occur.
• Some oral changes caused by sucking habits continue even after the habit stops. Prolonged sucking can create crooked teeth or bite problems. Early dental visits provide parents with information to help their children stop sucking habits before they affect the developing permanent dentition.
• A pediatric dentist can encourage the child to stop a sucking habit and discuss what happens to the teeth and mouth if the child does not stop. This advice, coupled with support from parents, helps many children quit. If this approach does not work, a pediatric dentist may recommend behavior modification techniques or an appliance that serves as a reminder for children who want to stop their habits

• Never dip the pacifier into honey or anything sweet before giving it to a baby.
• Never attach a pacifier to the child’s crib or body with a string, ribbon or cord.
• A pacifier’s shield should be wider than the child’s mouth. Discontinue use if the child can fit the entire pacifier in his mouth.
• Inspect pacifiers frequently for signs of wear or deterioration; discard if the bulb has become sticky, swollen, or cracked.
• Never leave an infant unattended with a pacifier in her mouth, or let her sleep with a pacifier.
• Never substitute a bottle nipple for a pacifier.