Before bringing your child to the dentist
Most of our very young patients can’t wait to visit us again!
We love to make their first experience at the dentist fun and aim to make them feel special by counting their teeth and giving them their own toothbrush gift bag.
We have Dental therapists on our Complete Dental team, who are fully qualified and experienced with treating children between 4-17 years. They are able to take more time with your child, which helps to increase their confidence with having dental treatment. If any complex questions or treatments arise our dentists are always on hand to help address them.
Baby (deciduous) teeth are softer than adult teeth so we often find decay in children’s teeth. However baby teeth are very important to keep as they help the adult teeth to erupt correctly, so we need to ensure our young patients have a good diet along with routine tooth brushing twice daily and regular visits to the dentists.
Because decay commonly occurs between the baby molar teeth, where it is hidden from view, we take routine low radiation digital x-rays to allow early detection and prevention of problems associated with larger cavities.
If your child does require dental treatment we try to achieve a positive outcome for them to prevent the dental phobias that were more common in generation’s past.
To help us to give them a positive start to their lifelong dental experience it’s important that parents follow the guidelines from a children’s dental specialist as listed below:
- Start early to gently desensitize your child. From babyhood, feel, look and touch in their mouth, as it is a personal zone that can feel invasive. If your child finds it difficult to allow you to brush their teeth, they will likely find dental visits more distressing
- Like toothbrushing, going to the dentist should be a normal part of growing up
- Be positive and matter of fact about the routine nature of visiting the dentist
- Avoid going into detail about procedures
- Try not to use words such as hurt, needle or drill
- Your dentist tries to treat children using non frightening terms
- The first visit is usually for a look and a talk and to count their teeth using the dental mirror
- If you are anxious about going to the dentist please do not mention this in front of your child
- Try to delay the appointment if your child is tired or ill and make morning visits if possible
If extensive dental treatment is needed for an anxious child, after discussing their dental needs with you, we can refer to a child specialist for possible treatment under general anaesthesia.
Please contact us on 3396 4094 to make an appointment for your child’s dental appointment.
Please click on below questions for answers:
- It is recommended that you discuss your child’s teeth with your dentist early to find out the best dental routine suited to their age
- From around age 2-3 years when all their baby molars have come through, we encourage your child to accompany you when you’re having your twice a year checkup
- Most 3-4 year olds like having a ride in the dental chair
- Children aged 4 years and older need to have their teeth checked every 6 months as decay develops quickly in baby teeth, which can lead to toothache if not found early
- We also like to monitor the way your child’s bite is developing as some concerns associated with overcrowding can be corrected early to prevent more complex orthodontic treatment later.
Healthy baby teeth are important for the following reasons:
- To hold the space for the adult teeth to grow into the correct position
- Decayed teeth can mean pain and misery
- If decay is left untreated an infection or abscess occurs, which can damage the underlying adult tooth or in severe infection cases may require hospitalisation
- Even a young child will feel reluctant to smile if they know they have bad teeth
- Decay can spread from baby teeth to adult teeth as the bacteria that causes the cavity is actually contagious to other teeth.
Your child should have 20 baby teeth by age 3. They will start to lose them between the ages of 6 and 12 and have their first adult molars erupt behind the baby molars around age 6. Most of us have 28 adult teeth (4 more if wisdom teeth fit), which need to last a lifetime.
Manual (non-electric) tooth brushes are good for developing hand-eye coordination and teaching your child how to brush. Electric tooth brushes can be helpful for children with dexterity issues or to motivate them to have more interest in toothbrushing time, but should be used with caution and always under adult supervision.
