Pediatric Dentistry
Healthy Smiles for Kids
Diet and your child’s teeth
For good dental and overall health, be sure your child eats a healthy diet. If your child needs a between-meal snack, choose healthy foods. To help prevent tooth decay, save sweets for mealtime.
Plaque bacteria use sugar to make acid that attacks enamel, the hard surface of the tooth. The acid can attack tooth enamel for up to 20 minutes after sugary foods and drinks are consumed. Repeated acid attacks can cause tooth decay, which must be treated by a dentist.
Keep that smile clean
- Brushing teeth twice a day and flossing once a day are important to keep teeth and gums healthy.
- Choose a child-sized toothbrush with soft bristles. Replace it every three months or sooner if the bristles are frayed. Worn toothbrushes won’t clean teeth properly.
- For children under three years old, use no more than a smear or grain-of-rice-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Be sure you are in charge of the toothpaste and the child knows it is not food.
- For children three to six years old, use no more than a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.
- Tell your child to spit out the toothpaste and not swallow it.
- Supervise children while they brush their teeth. If they can’t tie their shoes, they shouldn’t brush their teeth alone.
Floss every day
Flossing is important to remove plaque from between teeth where a toothbrush can’t reach. Starting when your child has teeth that touch, floss the teeth until your child is old enough to do so himself. Then show your child how to use floss or another between-the-teeth cleaner.
Fluoride, nature’s cavity fighter
Fluoride helps to make teeth stronger and to protect them from decay. It is a mineral that occurs naturally in all water sources. Fluoride is also found in anti-cavity toothpastes, mouth rinses and treatments applied in the dental office. Talk to the dentist about your child’s fluoride needs.
Protect teeth with sealants
A sealant is a plastic material that the dentist applies to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. The sealant flows into the pits and grooves in the teeth, places where a toothbrush can’t reach. Sealants protect teeth from plaque and acid attacks. As long as the sealant remains intact, the sealed surface will be protected from decay.
Prevent sports-related dental injuries
Sports-related dental injuries can be prevented by wearing a mouthguard. Mouthguards can be custom-made by your dentist to fit your child’s mouth. Ready-made or “boil and bite” mouthguards are available at sporting goods stores. Ask your dentist which type is best for your child, especially if he or she wears braces.
Schedule regular dental visits
Regular dental checkups and dental care-such as cleanings, fluoride treatments and sealants—provide your child with “smile insurance.” Plan your child’s first dental visit within six months after the first tooth appears but no later than the first birthday. Consider it a “well-baby checkup” for your child’s teeth. At the dental visit, the dental team will:
- Provide advice to help you take care of your child’s oral health
- Check on oral hygiene, injuries, cavities, or other problems
- Find out your child’s risk of getting tooth decay
- Look at how the teeth are developing
- Let you know if your child may later need treatment for crooked teeth or a “bad bite”
There’s nothing as beautiful as a child’s smile. With good oral care at home and regular dental visits, children can reach adulthood without suffering from tooth decay and other oral health problems.