Children And Dental Care

Make sure your children get off to a positive start in life with good oral health care

It might seem a long time ago for some of our Foxhall Dental Practice patients, but we were all children once! A quick cast back in our memories will often make us nostalgic for a carefree life that has long gone.

Of course, one of the reasons that it was carefree is that our parents took on the responsibility to look after us, leaving us to enjoy life without worrying too much about our basic needs.

Now that we are older and probably have children of our own, it is our turn to take on the parenting role. This isn’t always easy, though most would agree that it is rewarding. One area that we have responsibility for is our child’s health and whilst it is sometimes underestimated during their younger years, this should definitely include their oral health care.

The early days

As we know, most new born babies have no teeth; a  blessing for mothers who are breastfeeding! This can lead us into a false sense of security though, thinking that as no teeth are present, no care needs to be taken. Although tooth decay obviously won’t occur, babies can get gum infections from bacteria building up in the mouth.  Even at a very young age, it is a good idea to clean your baby’s gums by wiping them gently with a clean damp cloth. This will also help to keep the gums healthy ready for when their first teeth erupt through them.

As their first baby teeth start to appear, it is important that you start to clean these for them. Although it is true that these will eventually fall out, to be replaced with adult teeth, they are still important for many reasons. These include:

1 – speech development – This is very important and an early loss of teeth could lead to your child developing a speech impediment that could potentially last them for life.

2 – toothache – No parent wants to see their child in pain and first teeth are just as likely to cause a bad toothache as adult teeth. Don’t put your kids through this and make sure that their teeth are clean.

3 – placeholders – A child’s first teeth act as placeholders for the later teeth that will come through. If the first teeth are lost too early, there is a likelihood that the adult teeth will come through crooked and uneven.

4 – nutrition – For a child to develop well, they need to eat a balanced diet. Missing or uncomfortable teeth may lead them to avoid foods that need chewing and may cause them to eat a restricted diet that could be lacking in nutrition.

5 – confidence – If you can’t smile as a child, when can you? Childhood should be a happy time and your child could miss out if they are embarrassed by a ‘gappy smile’

Brushing routine

For some time, you will need to brush your children’s teeth for them. As they get a little older though, you should encourage them to do this themselves. It is important that you supervise them doing this though otherwise they are likely to do little other than suck on the toothbrush. Try brushing your own teeth at the same time so that they learn from you, and also take the opportunity to brush up on your own technique so that you improve your own oral health and give them the correct guidance.

Visiting the dentist

A common question we hear from our Ipswich patients who have become new parents is when they should bring their child to a dentist for the first time. There is a general agreement that this should be somewhere around the age of their first birthday. Although it is unlikely that any treatment will be needed at this age, it is a good idea as eventually, your child will need to see a dentist and it is far better to get them used to the sights, smells and sounds of a dental clinic whilst they are very young.

Any dental anxiety they develop is likely to become much worse if you wait until the first time they are in pain with a toothache. This is likely to make them associate trips to the dentist with discomfort and may result in them developing a phobia about it.

As children develop an awareness, they might become resistant to seeing a dentist, especially if they have previously needed treatment. There is a lot that you, as an adult, can do to help here. Try to gently encourage them and make sure that you hide any phobias that you might have about dentists yourself. If your own anxiety is high, it might be advisable to ask another relative to take them instead.

Keep it regular

Children like routine. It helps them to develop good habits so make sure that you bring your child for a six monthly check up at our handy local clinic even if there have been no problems with their teeth. Early intervention is important and can help to save a tooth from requiring significant treatment.

If you would like to book an appointment for your child to see one of our friendly team, you can do so by calling the Foxhall Dental Clinic on 01473 258396.