Parents often wonder when to bring their child to see a dentist for the first time. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends the first dental visit occur no more than six months after the first baby tooth erupts and no later than one-year-old. This is an ideal time to learn about the ways to prevent cavities and to help your child establish a lifetime of great oral health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, dental decay is the most prevalent infectious disease in children. The disease begins in infancy when the child develops good and bad colonies of bacteria in the mouth. The bacterial colonies feed on food and beverages that the child consumes, and they produce acid that leads to dental cavities. More than 25% of children aged two to five years old in the United States have tooth decay. According to the Forsyth Institute, childhood dental disease is the primary reason children visit hospital emergency rooms each year in the United States.
But there is hope, actually a lot of hope, for a healthy smile for your child! There are many ways parents can help their child prevent cavities and promote great oral health. Proper parent-led brushing and flossing helps and so does making healthy choices for drinks and snacks. The dentist and dental hygienist can help parents take this one step further by customizing an oral healthcare plan for the child based upon the child’s individual needs. For example, I recommend that parents or caregivers brush their child’s teeth until the child is old enough to write their name in cursive. Most young kids lack the dexterity and patience to thoroughly brush all the surfaces of all the teeth by themselves. It’s great to let a child brush his or her own teeth. But you can consider this “play-brushing” and follow up with a parent- or caregiver-led thorough, gentle brushing of all the teeth.
Some parents are concerned their children are at a higher risk for cavities because people in their family have “soft teeth” or have always had dental problems. This may be due to genetically weaker than normal enamel covering the teeth. It could also be due to food and drink choices that increase a child’s likelihood of developing cavities. Many pediatric dentists perform a “dental cavity risk assessment,” which is simply a method we use to try to figure out a child’s individual risk for dental cavities before those cavities start to develop. Assessing a child’s risk for dental cavities early in life can help reduce their risk factors and help prevent their teeth from developing cavities.
The first dental visit is a great time to introduce a child and his/her parents to the dental team, tour the dental office and learn about proper brushing techniques for very young children. Many pediatric dentists use a technique called “Tell, Show, Do” to help children understand dental procedures. We will first tell the child what we are going to do. For example, “We are going to count your teeth today, a-b-c-d.” Then, we show the child what we are going to use: “Here’s the little princess mirror/superhero reflection mirror that we are going to use to count your teeth.” After that, we actually do the procedure: “Okay, here we go, a-b-c-d.” This helps young children understand what is going to happen and can greatly reduce their fear of the unknown.
Another technique used by many pediatric dentists is the “lap-exam” or the “knee-to-knee exam”. This allows the child to remain on their parent’s lap for the dental check-up. There’s no fear of separation because the child gets to stay with Mom or Dad or caregiver during the exam. The child sits on their parent’s lap facing the parent. The parent sits facing the dentist and the child lays back onto the dentist’s lap for the exam. The child can see their parent and the dentist also has a clear view of all the child’s teeth in this position.
A modern pediatric dental office is designed to provide children with comfortable and fun dental care. Through knowledge, parents and kids can be empowered to help prevent cavities. The pediatric dental team is there to help! A lifetime of great oral health can begin at age one with the first dental visit.
-by Dr. Mandy Ashley
About Our Dentists: Dr. Mandy Ashley and Dr. Madison Galloway are Board Certified Pediatric Dentists proud to serve the communities of Bowling Green, Hopkinsville, and Glasgow! We look forward to sharing our vision of excellent comprehensive dental care that is fun for children and people with special healthcare needs with your family.
SKY Pediatric Dentistry has been providing dental care to children and adults with special needs since 2013. As board-certified specialists in dentistry for children, our team strives to make going to the dentist as fun as possible while maintaining high-quality treatment and preventative measures. We tailor treatment plans to each child and offer a wide range of treatment options, including sedation, in-office general anesthesia, and also hospital-based dentistry. With over 25 YEARS of doctor experience, SKY Pediatric Dentistry is a great choice for children’s dental care in Bowling Green, Hopkinsville, and Glasgow!
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