dentistry for children

Viewing posts tagged dentistry for children

24 Oct 2017

When should you bring your child to the dentist?

By Colin Lynam

Opinions vary on the recommended age for a first dental check-up. Within my own practice, I recommend parents bring their child along for their first visit before the age of three. Before this, I also encourage parents to bring their child along when having their own routine check-ups or with their older siblings. This helps to normalise the experience, so the child knows what to expect and lets me have a quick look to screen for any problems.

It is very important to see the child’s teeth before the adult teeth start to erupt around 6. If there is decay in the baby teeth before this age we need to consider any changes that should be made to reduce sugar in the diet. It is also worth planning to fissure seal the adult first molar teeth, to protect them,  if this is the case.

A first dental visit should fun. Tell the child that they will get a ride in the magic chair and that they will have their teeth counted. Bringing a favourite soft toy along can be very helpful. I often examine a teddy or dolls mouth first before I look at the child’s. Seeing what will happen beforehand can help the child prepare them for  what is involved. Sitting on a parent’s knee can also help relax a nervous child.

It is important to be as positive as you can in advance of the visit. There are several books about visiting the dentist that can also be helpful. We have copies of ‘Topsy and Tim Go to the Dentist’ in the waiting room. The first visit to the dentist episode of Peppa pig is also mentioned on a regular basis. Giving young children an idea of what’s to come helps to reduce any anxiety that they may have. We give young children stickers at the end of the appointment to reinforce that the appointment has been a positive experience.

I am happy to see most children once a year for a check-up unless there is a specific problem or issue which I would like to review sooner.

www.balbriggandental.ie

Tel 01 6903464

18 Oct 2017

Choosing Toothpaste for Children

By Colin Lynam

Choosing toothpaste for your child

For a child under two we recommend a small infant toothbrush with just tap water. Mains water is fluoridated in Ireland and this provides enough fluoride until a toddler is old enough to spit out (usually around their second birthday).

After this age the recommendation is for a toothpaste over 1000ppm fluoride. You can check this on the label.

The label below shows the fluoride content to be 1450ppm. Always check the tube as they vary greatly. Note that the same brand can have different fluoride concentrations.

toothpaste

For children up to seven years of age use a smear of toothpaste:

newSmear

Always supervise brushing and ensure it is spat out. Don’t rinse out afterwards.

www.balbriggandental.ie

27 Apr 2017

Fissure Sealants

By Colin Lynam

The adult first permanent molar teeth tend to come into the mouth at just six years old. This is a critical period for protecting them because the diet between 6-12 tends to have higher levels of sugar. We often find that when people need to have more extensive dental  treatment later in life, e.g root canal treatments or crowns, it can be linked back to damage that started soon after these particular teeth erupted in to the mouth. 

We can protect the molar teeth from decay by putting a white plastic coating on the tooth soon after it comes into the mouth, called a fissure sealant. The coating plugs the natural depressions and grooves on the tooth’s biting surface called pits and fissures. This helps to protect the teeth from acid attack after eating sugar (dental decay). This procedure is a particularly good idea if there has been any problems with decay in the baby teeth or if the molar teeth have deep grooves.

The procedure is very straightforward- we dry the tooth, place a conditioning agent on it which we then wash off soon after and then apply the sealant and shine the curing light on the area to set it. Placing fissure sealants is a very straight forward and painless process and can often help to boost the child’s confidence if they are nervous about visiting the dentist. Sealants can also be placed by Dental Hygienists.
To make an appointment give us a call at www.balbriggandental.ie on 6903464.