Your child should have your teeth checked and cleaned at least twice a year, though your dentist or dental hygienist may recommend more frequent visits.

Regular dental exams and cleaning visits are essential in preventing dental problems and maintaining the health of your child's teeth and gums.  At these visits, your child's teeth are cleaned and checked for cavities.  Additionally, there are many other things that are checked and monitored to help detect, prevent, and maintain your dental health.  These include:

• Medical history review: Knowing the status of any current medical conditions, new medications, and illnesses, gives us insight to your overall health and also your dental health.
• Examination of diagnostic x-rays (radiographs): Essential for detection of decay, tumors, cysts, and bone loss.  X-rays also help determine tooth and root positions.
• Oral cancer screening: Check the face, neck, lips, tongue, throat, tissues, and gums for any signs of oral cancer.
• Examination of tooth decay: All tooth surfaces will be checked for decay with special dental instruments.
• Examination of existing restorations: Check current fillings, crowns, etc.
• Removal of calculus (tartar): Calculus is hardened plaque that has been left on the tooth for sometime and is now firmly attached to the tooth surface.  Calculus forms above and below the gum line, and can only be removed with special dental instruments.
• Removal of plaque: Plaque is a sticky, almost invisible film that forms on the teeth.  It is a growing colony of living bacteria, food debris, and saliva.  The bacteria produce toxins (poisons) that inflame the gums.  This inflammation is the start of periodontal disease!
• Teeth polishing: Removes stain and plaque that is not otherwise removed during toothbrushing and scaling.
• Oral hygiene recommendations: Review and recommend oral hygiene aids as needed (electric dental toothbrushes, special cleaning aids, fluorides, rinses, etc.).
• Review dietary habits: Your child's eating habits play a very important role in their dental health.

As you can see, a good dental exam and cleaning involves quite a lot more than just checking for cavities and polishing your teeth.  We are committed to providing you with the best possible care, and to do so will require regular check-ups and cleanings.

Brushing and flossing help control the plaque and bacteria that cause dental disease.

Plaque is a film of food debris, bacteria, and saliva that sticks to the teeth and gums.  The bacteria in plaque convert certain food particles into acids that cause tooth decay.  Also, if plaque is not removed, it turns into calculus (tartar).  If plaque and calculus are not removed, they begin to destroy the gums and bone, causing periodontal (gum) disease.

Plaque formation and growth is continuous and can only be controlled by regular brushing, flossing, and the use of other dental aids.

Toothbrushing – Brush your teeth at least twice a day (especially before going to bed at night) with an ADA approved soft bristle brush and toothpaste.

• Brush at a 45 degree angle to the gums, gently using a small, circular motion, ensuring that you always feel the bristles on the gums.
• Brush the outer, inner, and biting surfaces of each tooth.
• Use the tip of the brush head to clean the inside front teeth.
• Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath.

Electric toothbrushes are also recommended.  They are easy to use and can remove plaque efficiently.  Simply place the bristles of the electric brush on your gums and teeth and allow the brush to do its job, several teeth at a time.

Flossing – Daily flossing is the best way to clean between the teeth and under the gumline.  Flossing not only helps clean these spaces, it disrupts plaque colonies from building up, preventing damage to the gums, teeth, and bone.

• Take 12-16 inches (30-40cm) of dental floss and wrap it around your middle fingers, leaving about 2 inches (5cm) of floss between the hands.
• Using your thumbs and forefingers to guide the floss, gently insert the floss between teeth using a sawing motion.
• Curve the floss into a “C” shape around each tooth and under the gumline.  Gently move the floss up and down, cleaning the side of each tooth.

Floss holders are recommended if you have difficulty using conventional floss.

Rinsing – It is important to rinse your mouth with water after brushing, and also after meals if you are unable to brush.  If you are using an over-the-counter product for rinsing, it’s a good idea to consult with your dentist or dental hygienist on its appropriateness for you.

Opinions vary.  I say age 1.  At age 1 there are enough teeth in the mouth that decay can become a problem.  The longer that a child uses a bottle, especially at night, the harder it is to stop.  If your child sleeps with a bottle, I recommend that only water is used.  While the type of liquid in the bottle is important, the frequency that your child uses the bottle may be more important.  Frequent use of the bottle may lead to Early Childhood Caries (ECC) that can range in its severity.

Nothing is etched in stone.  There are issues of practicality to consider such as whether or not your child will accept giving up the bottle and whether or not you are willing to spend what may seem like an eternity listening to an unhappy child at night while he or she becomes accustomed to sleeping without a bottle.  We can work together to arrive at the best solution for you and your child.

A sealant is a non-invasive procedure in which a composite coating is bonded to the occlusal (chewing) surfaces of permanent molars and fills in the pits and fissures in order to keep out plaque and bacteria from cavity prone areas.  Not every tooth needs a sealant.  It is based on the tooth anatomy and groove depth, the oral hygiene, the ability to keep the grooves of the tooth in question clean, and the susceptibility of the tooth to decay.

The best answer is….Possibly.  Whether or not a child will need orthodontic intervention or not is dependent on a variety of factors such as the number and position of the teeth, the way that the teeth occlude (bite together), the growth and development of the child both dentally and skeletally, and whether or not there exists a specific concern on behalf of the parent or patient.  I recommend that my patients receive a baseline orthodontic evaluation at age 7 so that we can create a list of treatment needs as well as a treatment plan that incorporates input from the orthodontist, the pediatric dentist, and most importantly the parent and patient.