At Toothpals Dental Care, we are pleased to say that we take the health of your children’s teeth and mouth seriously and we aim to make their experience a happy one. We have books, toys and colouring pages in the waiting room and our dentists take extra time to make sure they are comfortable with their examinations and treatment. Dental care needs to start from a young age and visiting the dentist regularly is important to monitor your child’s development.

The early years

• Develop good habits early
• Brush your child’s teeth twice a day with a pea-sized amount of a fluoride children’s toothpaste
• A healthy diet low in sugar will help prevent cavities in teeth

• Visit the dentist from 2yrs of age. It is a good time to familiarise your child with the dentist and a good opportunity to cover your home care routine
• At your child’s first visit, they will go for a ride in the chair, we will count their teeth and make sure their teeth and gums are healthy

Prevention is key

Your dentist is in the best position to talk to you about what’s best for your child’s teeth and dental development. Many dental problems are preventable and some of the most common discussions we have are regarding;

• thumb sucking or using a dummy
• brushing and flossing
• when can your child brush their own teeth
• use of fissure sealants to protect against decay
• mouthguards and sport
• spacing and crowding

But they are just baby teeth…

• Yes they are, but healthy baby teeth give way to healthy adult teeth and good habits set your child up for life. Think of baby teeth as training wheels
• Most children will retain some baby teeth until 13 – 14 yrs of age
• Baby teeth help form the structure of your jaws and keep space for your adult teeth
• Poorly maintained baby teeth can lead to painful infections and unhealthy gums

Treating children with ease

• If there is a need to treat one of your child’s teeth, this can usually be performed quickly and with minimal discomfort, sometimes without the need for a local anaesthetic
• Most children having treatment performed leave smiling after a short visit, more confident that a visit to the dentist isn’t really that bad
• Occasionally there is a need for a large amount of dental work to be performed or treatment required for a patient that is very apprehensive. Rest assured that we are in a great position to manage all our patients, and if required, we are able to treat both children and adults while they are asleep