What is children's dentistry or pediatric dentistry?
Children's dentistry or pediatric dentistry is the care youngsters might need from their very first tooth when they're teeny tiny up until they lose their last baby tooth, sometimes around 12 or 13 years old.
Why is it important for kids to establish good dental habits and have good dental experiences early in life?
It's crucial for kids to establish good dental habits because well-maintained teeth last a long time. This allows the child to be pain-free and to smile and chew with ease.
What should a child's dental routine be?
A child's dental routine should start before the tooth brushing stage with healthy snacks and beverages.
When should a child make their first dental appointment?
The first dental appointment should be when the child is 12 months old or when the first tooth appears, not when the child is five or six or seven years old.
How does a clap and a smile make kids comfortable during their dental appointment?
At Clackamas Smiles, we create a welcoming environment to ensure kids are comfortable.
What dental issues are most common among children?
Common dental issues for kids are problems with the spacing or the timeline when teeth are coming in or lost.
Why would a dentist recommend a root canal or pulpotomy for a child?
If a child has a cavity that is too close to the nerve of the tooth, we can try and save that tooth by doing a pulpotomy or a baby root canal.
When do children lose their baby teeth?
Most kids should have the majority of their baby teeth by the time they're two, and they should have the majority of their adult teeth by the time they're 12 or 13.
Dr. Seuss, what should I do if my child chipped a tooth?
If the tooth is in front, visible, or if the child is traumatized, it's best to get them to a dentist right away.
What anesthesia options are available for my children's dental procedure?
Anesthesia options can range from numbing of that region, all the way up to complete anesthesia, general anesthesia, where the child is asleep.
How can I schedule a dental appointment for my child?
One of the best ways is to just get in and schedule a dental appointment for your child. You can reach us at Clackamas Smiles at 503-786-3000.
If you have unanswered questions, if you know that it's time to bring in your little one, or if you just see something in there that doesn't look quite right, the time is now to get it checked out.
As experienced Clackamas and Happy Valley family dentist, Dr. Jeremy Suess and the rest of the team at Clackamas Smiles Family Dental believe that regular dental care needs to start early in a child’s life to ensure a healthy foundation for their oral health development.
Dr. Suess and his team of gentle and caring dental professionals are excited to welcome our youngest patients to the Clackamas Smiles family. As we begin the journey towards enjoying a healthy smile for a lifetime, we understand that many parents have questions about their child’s oral health. With that in mind, here are a few answers to some common questions regarding when bring your child in to see a Clackamas dentist that sees kids.
When should I schedule my child’s first appointment?
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that parents schedule their child’s first visit to see the dentist by the age of one, or shortly after the first tooth eruption, whichever comes first. While this may seem like a young age, early dental care helps to ensure that a child’s oral health development continues on schedule without any delays. It’s tempting to think of a child’s baby teeth as temporary, but they actually play a very important role in protecting a child’s long-term oral health.
Baby teeth act as space holders that work to help guide permanent teeth into position. When a child loses baby teeth at too young an age, permanent teeth can form crooked, crowded, or misaligned. This can create a need for orthodontic treatment to restore a child’s oral health. It can also increase the risk a child could develop an eating or speech disorder that would also require treatment to correct. Fortunately, parents can help to lower their child’s risk of dental problems and get their child’s oral development off to a quality start by scheduling regular exams with our Clackamas and Happy Valley family dentist.
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What are some common oral health problems that could impact my child’s development?
Tooth decay ranks as the most common threat to a child’s long-term oral health. In fact, untreated tooth decay ranks as the most common chronic illness in children in the U.S.
From an early age, Baby Bottle Tooth decay can threaten to permanently damage a child’s oral health if not prevented or treated. Once teeth erupt in a child’s mouth, they are at risk of decay.
The earlier the dental visit, the better chance family dentist, Dr. Suess has of being able to prevent future oral health problems by treating tooth decay. Prevention always ranks as better than treatment. Tooth decay and cavities are preventable through maintaining a child’s oral health, proper nutrition and diet, and with regular visits to see a Clackamas general dentist. Teething is also another common issue for kids between six months to age three. It’s not uncommon for kids to experience gum tenderness when teeth begin to erupt. To help ease any discomfort, it’s not uncommon for kids to chew on their fingers and toys. Children also express their discomfort by acting cranky, and they can develop a mild fever due to excessive drooling, dehydration, and from constantly putting dirty fingers and toys in their mouths. Providing your child with clean teething toys and frozen teething rings can help alleviate any discomfort while teething.
How should I clean my child’s teeth?
During infancy, you should clean your child’s gums with a soft, clean washcloth after each feeding.
Shortly after your child’s first tooth erupts, you can start brushing their teeth twice a day using a child-sized toothbrush and toothpaste that does NOT contain fluoride. Avoid using fluoridated toothpaste until your child is old enough to not swallow during brushing.
For kids under the age of two, use only a slight “smear” of toothpaste when brushing your child’s teeth. For kids between the ages of two to five, slightly increase the amount of toothpaste used to about pea-sized. It’s important that parents help to brush their child’s teeth until they’re old enough to possess the manual dexterity and attention to detail needed to brush on their own. As a general rule of thumb, you should keep helping brush your child’s teeth until they can tie their own shoes. You should start flossing your child’s teeth as soon as adjacent teeth touch to ensure the removal of any food or bacteria that might linger in the mouth after eating.
How do I keep my child cavity free?
Keeping your kids cavity-free makes for an excellent start to enjoying a great looking smile for a lifetime. By instilling positive oral hygiene habits at a young age, parents can help form the foundation of quality oral health for their kids now and into the future by:
- Setting a good example for your child by always maintaining your own oral hygiene.
- Use positive reinforcement to make good oral health a family priority.
- Brush your child’s teeth with a toothpaste containing fluoride at least twice a day.
- Floss your child’s teeth at least once a day before brushing.
- When your child is old enough to brush on their own, supervise and provide helpful instruction.
- Schedule regular visits to see Clackamas and Happy Valley family dentist Dr. Jeremy Suess from a young age.
- Help your child eat a balanced diet without excess sugars.
- Consider the use of dental sealants to help protect the most vulnerable areas of your child’s teeth.