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Children’s Dentistry

Children Dentistry

Katelyn answers your questions about children’s dentistry

Katelyn our Oral Health Therapist at Harris Dental Boutique in Bargara loves to make your child’s visit a fun one. Katelyn is specially trained to see Children and has a special interest in children’s dentistry and makes every effort to help children feel safe.

Showing your children from an early age how to clean their teeth at home, reinforced with a positive dental attitude and teaching them what good dental habits are, is vitally important. Giving your children the right start to looking after their teeth will benefit them for life.

Get Your Child Excited About Seeing the Dentist!

1. When Should Your Child First See the Dentist?

Generally, it is beneficial to bring your child in for a check-up 6 months after their first tooth erupts, which is usually around the age of 12 months. Introducing your child to the dentist at a young age, helps them become more comfortable and confident with the dental environment. Taking your child to the dentist in their early years helps to prevent tooth decay and also is a good opportunity to provide education on how to effectively care for the child’s teeth.

2. What Should You do if Your Child is Nervous About Going to the Dentist?

Regular visits to your dentist will help your child get comfortable with the surroundings, the noises, and the smells. Children can usually sense fear in others, so if you have fears yourself, try not to express them, as you may pass this fear onto your child before they have been to the dentist. As a parent, simply try to be supportive, especially if your child needs to have any dental treatment. The team at Harris Dental Boutique are friendly and welcoming, making it a positive and happy environment for your child. In addition to looking for and preventing problems, an early visit to the dentist can help reduce any anxiety they may have and it is a good opportunity for the dentist to advise you about your child’s teeth and how to look after them.

3. How to Take Care of Your Child’s Baby Teeth

Once your child’s teeth begin coming through, you should start cleaning them with a moist face washer. As more teeth come through, you can move onto using a child’s soft toothbrush with a pea-size amount of toothpaste.

4. At What Age Will Your Child’s Teeth Come Through?

Children will usually get their first teeth at around six months of age, although it isn’t uncommon to see them as early as three months or as late as 18 months.

The two lower front teeth are usually the first teeth to come through, followed by the four upper front teeth.

Follow the chart below to see when your baby will get all 20 of their baby teeth. Generally, children will have all their baby teeth by the age of three and start losing their baby teeth at around age six or seven. Usually, all baby teeth are lost by 11 to 13 years. Don’t worry if your child still has baby teeth beyond this age, as every child is different.

tooth-chart

5. What if Your Child has Overlapping and Abnormal-looking Teeth?

If you think your child has issues with overlapping or abnormal-looking teeth, or if you are worried about them developing holes, then a trip to the dentist could put your mind at ease. Behaviours that may cause abnormal-looking teeth are thumb sucking, using a dummy as a toddler, mouth breathing, or grinding teeth at night.

Children often go through an “ugly duckling” stage when new adult teeth are emerging and baby teeth are still present. Generally, things sort themselves out, but some children will need assistance from a dentist during this time.

6. What Should You do if Your Child has a Dental Emergency?

All dental emergencies are serious, particularly if bacteria invades a tooth and causes serious infection. If you have an emergency, or are concerned about your dental health, Harris Dental Boutique should be your first place to call. Katelyn, Dr Michelle and Dr Linc usually has places available on the day for dental emergencies. Contact us on 0741590660 or book online.

7. What Should You do if Your Child has a Toothache?

Nobody wants to have a toothache – they are painful and distressing, especially for children. One of the main causes of toothache in young children is teething. Teething can start at about six months of age and the pain can continue when adult teeth come through. Tooth decay is also a reason your child may have pain. Usually this is due to too much sugar in the diet and not enough effective brushing. If pain relief is needed, choose a sugar-free option and make an appointment with your dentist.