Parents come to us with lots of questions about their kids, this post will try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions.

1. When should I bring my child in for their first dental visit?

We say that around the age of 3. Before the age of 3, it is great if you can bring them with you to your appointments so that they can watch. We offer chair rides to the little ones and try to make the visit fun.

2. When should I start having my child use fluoridated toothpaste?

We suggest starting with a non- fluoridated “training” toothpaste. Parents can start brushing those little teeth as soon as they come in with a dry tooth brush. At the age of 1, there is no harm in trying the training paste. Use no more than a pea-sized amount. As they learn to spit, you can switch to the kids toothpaste which has a smaller amount of fluoride than adult toothpaste.

3. What can I expect from my child’s first dental visit?

The first visit at our office tends to be experimental. We let them touch everything…. the mirror, the suction straw, the air water sprayer and polisher. We have special names for all these things and we try to make it fun. No Pressure. We start with a chair ride and go from there. What we don’t accomplish this first visit we can do at the next one. We just try to make sure we take a good look inside the mouth; checking for any cavities or underlying issues.

4. Why is it a fight to get my child to brush? What can I do?

In this case we suggest trying new toothpaste flavors. Some kids don’t like the fake bubble gum flavor or have an aversion to fruity flavors. Maybe, they want to be like mom and dad and try the minty toothpaste. Let them pick out their own toothbrush. If this doesn’t work, wait for them to yell at you and then sneak the brush in for a 15-30 second brushing.

5. How many baby teeth does a child have?

The answer is 20, all which they will eventually lose and gain permanent teeth in their place.

6. How do I know if my child will need braces?

This is different for every child. If you have questions about how your child’s teeth are coming in, make sure to ask us. It is not until the child is losing the baby teeth and getting adult teeth in that we can really assess how the alignment will be. In some cases, kids will need orthodontics in phases. In other cases, the orthodontist will wait until most or all of the baby teeth are out and the adult teeth are in place before starting with braces.

7. What are the leading causes decay in baby teeth?

There are many causes of tooth decay. It is important to remember to reduce the exposure to sugary beverages. Even milk has a fair amount of sugar and babies and kids that go to bed with a bottle or sippy cup of milk or juice increase their risk of decay exponentially. Switch to water!

Sticky, sugary foods such as fruit snacks also increase your child’s risk of tooth decay. Keeping these sweet treats at a minimum will make a big difference.

8. What are dental sealants?

Sealants provide added protection to the biting surface to help prevent decay. Our teeth naturally have grooves and pits. We paint a clear plastic (resin) coating on the tooth. It is quick and easy to do.