Children’s Dentistry in Adelaide
A Safe & Fun Experience For All Ages
We understand taking your child to the dentist for the first time may be a stressful or nervous time. With the help of our friendly staff, we strive to make the visit as relaxed and casual as possible.
We believe establishing a good base of oral hygiene and hygiene practices, as well as and familiarity within a dental setting, will set your child up with good oral health and habits for their adult life.
In some instances, pediatric specialists are needed to provide care for children. If this is the case our dentists will recommend a suitable practitioner.
What’s involved in your child’s dental appointment?
On your child’s first visit to West Beach Dental, they will meet with the dentist, one of our dental hygienists, or an oral therapist. We make sure it is a fun adventure for them, to keep them calm and happy in a new environment.
Your child may not sit in the chair on their first visit and that is OK. They may feel more secure on your lap where we count their teeth together. Some children bring a teddy to join them, to ensure your child has a positive association with the dentist and hygienist, especially on their first visit.
During their first appointment, we will be looking at the health of their gums, to make sure their teeth are coming through in the correct position. We will also look and monitor their jaw and facial bones growth and development as this can indicate possible crowding of teeth, which may indicate the potential needs of orthodontic treatment in the future.
We will also discuss sleep patterns, diet habits, and begin educating your child about ways to maintain and keep their smile healthy and clean for life.
It is recommended that your child should have their first set of x-rays to show between their teeth when the contacts between the baby teeth close, this is a hidden area where plaque collects and decay may start.
Firstly you want to use a toothbrush with very soft bristles & a small brush head. You can find infant toothbrushes in your local chemist & in most supermarkets.
You should get in the habit of doing it once a day at night during bath time.
Start this as soon as teeth come through so your baby gets used to it early on to help create good habits.
The brushing itself should be soft.
Your first dental visit should be around your child’s first birthday. All dentists recommend something similar to this.
By 1 most of the baby teeth should be out or starting to come out, and having your baby go to the dentist when you go will bring familiarity with the smells, sounds, and process over time, to make their first real experience at the dentist easier.
Baby bottle tooth decay is a pattern of rapid decay associated with prolonged nursing. It happens when a child goes to sleep while breastfeeding and/or bottle-feeding.
During sleep, the flow of saliva is reduced and the natural self-cleansing action of the mouth is diminished. Avoid nursing children to sleep or putting anything other than water in their bedtime bottles.
Encourage your child to drink from a cup as they approach their first birthday. He/she should be weaned from the bottle at 12-14 months of age.
Thumb and dummy sucking habits that go on for a long period of time can create crowded, crooked teeth or bite problems. If they are still sucking their thumbs or fingers when the permanent teeth arrive, a mouth appliance may be recommended by your dentist.
Most children stop these habits on their own.
It is recommended that toothpaste with fluoride should not be used until your child is 3 years of age. Before this age use either water or infant tooth paste which can be bought at the chemist or supermarket. (only us a very small amount when you do use infant toothpaste or even normal toothpaste if they are 3 years or older)
Comfort your child, rinse his/her mouth with warm saltwater and apply a cold compress or ice wrapped in a cloth on your child’s face if it is swollen. Do not put heat or aspirin on the sore area, but you may give the child, children’s Panadol for pain. See us as soon as possible.
With contemporary safeguards, such as lead aprons and high-speed film, the amount of radiation received in a dental X-ray examination is extremely small. Even though there is very little risk, pediatric dentists are particularly careful to minimize the exposure of child patients to radiation. In fact, dental X-rays represent a far smaller risk than an undetected and untreated dental problem
Mouth guards are a top priority if your child is playing a sport. Mouth Guards protect the teeth, lips, gyms from injury. We can custom fir the mouth guard as well so if you do want one please give us a call.
First of all, remain calm. If possible, find the tooth and hold it by the crown rather than the root.
Replace the tooth in the socket and hold it there with clean gauze or a washcloth. If you can’t put the tooth back in the socket, place the tooth in a clean container with milk and take your child and the glass immediately to the dentist.
The faster you act, the better your chances of saving the tooth.
Sore gums when teeth erupt are part of the normal eruption process in babies. The discomfort is eased for some children by use of a teething biscuit, a piece of toast or a frozen teething ring.
Your pharmacy should also have medications that can be rubbed on the gums to reduce the discomfort. One of the most recommended tooth gels in Adelaide is the “Women’s & Children’s Teething Gel”
Usually the space between these teeth will close over time, but if you are finding there is no change bring you child in for us to have a look
Primary, or “baby,” teeth are important for many reasons. Not only do they help children speak clearly and chew naturally, but they also aid in forming a path those permanent teeth can follow when they are ready to erupt.
Some of them are necessary until a child is 12 years old or longer. Pain, infection of the gums and jaws, impairment of general health, and premature loss of teeth are just a few of the problems that can happen when baby teeth are neglected.
Also, because tooth decay is really an infection and will spread, decay on baby teeth can cause decay on permanent teeth. Proper care of baby teeth is instrumental in enhancing the health of your child.
Four things are necessary for cavities to form —
- A tooth,
- Bacteria
- Sugars or other carbohydrates and
Dental plaque is a thin, sticky, colorless deposit of bacteria that constantly forms on everyone’s teeth.
When you eat, the sugars in your food cause the bacteria in plaque to produce acids that attack the tooth enamel.
With time and repeated acid attacks, the enamel breaks down and a cavity forms.
Diet & oral hygiene are the main drivers of tooth decay. If you do not brush often and eat foods with high sugar contents you will be at more risk.
