It is important to look after your child’s teeth from the moment they start teething. Keeping your child’s teeth and gums clean will protect against infection, cavities and pain. Decayed baby teeth can damage the permanent teeth underneath. To develop strong teeth, make sure your child eats a healthy, balanced diet and avoids foods with a lot of added sugar, such as lollies, biscuits and soft drinks. Fluoride and fluoridated water also play a key role in protecting the teeth against tooth decay.
Tooth decay in children is on the rise in Australia, with more than half of all 6-year-olds having some decay in their baby or adult teeth. So it’s more important than ever to teach your child good oral health habits that will stay with them for life.
If a child loses a tooth because of decay, it can cause crowding problems when their adult teeth come through later.
Our team aims to provide your child a pleasant and compassionate dental visit.
Regular check-ups
Regular dental check-ups are important from the age of 1, or within 6 months of the first tooth appearing. Always make a visit to the dentist a positive experience. Never use the dentist as a threat for not brushing teeth or other behaviour.
Brush and floss
- Brush your child’s teeth twice a day, using small circular motions. Their teeth should be cleaned after eating and before bed using toothpaste with fluoride that is suitable for children.
- Help your child to brush their teeth from the time they get their first tooth until they are 7 or 8. After that, supervising them is still important.
- Try to get into a regular tooth brushing routine, and give your child plenty of praise when they brush their teeth well.
- Replace toothbrushes or toothbrush heads every 3 months.
- Children should floss as soon as they have 2 teeth that are in contact with each other. You should supervise flossing until they are about 10.
Fissure Sealants
Fissure sealant is a tooth-coloured plastic coating that is professionally applied to the deep grooves (fissures) on the back teeth (molars) where tooth decay most often starts.
The bacteria in plaque live in these grooves and make acid which causes tooth decay. Dental sealants assist in preventing from building up of plaque acids on the enamel surface of teeth and they are of value in the prevention of tooth decay.
A good time to apply sealants is soon after permanent teeth are fully erupted. Discuss with one of our experienced dentists whether this will be beneficial to your child.
Fillings
Fillings are used to restore teeth to their normal shape, appearance and function by filling in cavities caused by tooth decay. Fillings are more often required in the molar (back) teeth where decay rates are higher. The need for fillings due to tooth decay can be eliminated by correctly cleaning your teeth and maintaining a healthy diet. Regular dental health check-ups will make sure any problems are identified and treated early.
Stainless Steel Crowns
Stainless steel crowns are preformed metal crowns used by dentist to restore a badly decayed or poorly formed baby teeth
Stainless steel crowns are used as an alternative to silver and tooth-coloured fillings. These strong metal caps cover the entire tooth and are hard to lose or damage. They have a smooth polished surface which makes them easy to clean and last longer.
Mouthguards
A properly fitted mouthguard should be worn during any contact sport or activities where there is risk of an injury to the face, mouth and teeth e.g. footy, hockey, volleyball, soccer etc. Without a mouthguard, sports injuries and accidents can result in damage and injury to the gum, lips or teeth, tooth fractures, knocked out teeth and jaw fractures.
