We love kids and believe it is important for their long-term health to give them a positive first experience in a dental office. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. recommends that your child have their first visit to the dentist by their first birthday (or when their first tooth erupts). Research shows that early detection and good oral health care impacts their general health and can help improve their school readiness. In addition, children benefit from early exposure to the dental office because it alleviates unnecessary future anxiety about the unknown and allows us to establish a relationship for the future.
Your Child’s First Dental Visit
We encourage you to bring your child in for a “get acquainted visit”. We will show them around to help make them familiar with our office and have them sit up in the chair for an examination with one of our friendly dentists. Your child may choose to sit in your lap, and that’s okay too! Our goal is for them to be comfortable and relaxed.
We will count their teeth, show them how to brush, and talk about how important it is to take care of their teeth. Our dentist, Dr. Kris Bomstad, will also assess their oral health and can discuss with you any concerns with crowding, occlusion (bite), or risk of cavities to ensure they are developing appropriately.
Your child might enjoy watching one of these videos before their visit:
Professional Dental Pediatric Cleaning
We recommend kids have their teeth cleaned every six months. At that appointment, the hygienist will remove any plaque and calculus with the use of hand instruments and ultra-sonic scaler. The hygienist will then polish their teeth so they are bright and shiny. We also recommend a fluoride treatment to protect their teeth keeping them healthy and strong.
Fluoride Treatment Helps Keep Your Child’s Teeth Strong
Tooth enamel is one of the hardest substances on Earth. Unfortunately, acid from the foods we eat and the bacteria in our mouths can eat away that enamel. Fluoride helps keep enamel strong and prevent cavities. It can even reverse the problem by helping enamel to re-mineralize and harden. Topical fluoride application can also help re-mineralize sensitive areas of exposed roots and close off the microscopic tubules leading to the nerve.
Professional fluoride treatment is a safe and effective way of reducing your risk of dental decay. We use the latest proven methods of fluoride application to safely deliver fluoride to your teeth. Reasons to get a professional fluoride application:
- Children and adults that are moderate and high risk for decay
- Desensitization for exposed root surfaces
- Decay prevention on exposed root surfaces
- Surrounding metal orthodontic braces and brackets to prevent white decalcified spots
Dental Sealants Helps Protect Your Child’s Teeth
A dental sealant is a thin plastic coating your dentist or hygienist will paint on the biting surfaces of your child’s back teeth. Sealants help prevent tooth decay by filling in pits and fissures too narrow and too deep for toothbrush bristles to clean. Sealants prevent bacteria from getting into your teeth. It also functions to smooth out the surfaces of teeth so it is easier to keep them clean.
Your child’s first set of permanent molars will erupt around age six. We recommend having sealants placed between the ages of six and 14, the time when they are especially prone to getting cavities. Six-year molars are statistically the most restored teeth in the mouth for this reason; they are the first permanent teeth to erupt so they have to stick around the longest, and they are present during the most cavity prone period of their life. Sealants can help keep the teeth healthy and avoid cavities.
Though we want kids to learn to manage their own oral hygiene, some children do not have the coordination yet to properly clean their teeth. Ideally, they should be brushing a minimum of two minutes, twice daily.
Sealants can last up to 10 years, but since they are a thin plastic coating it is possible that they can chip or break off. Dr. Kris Bomstad or your hygienist will check them at your regular dental cleanings to make sure they are still in good shape.
To view the most recent guidelines set forth by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Click here; For additional information.
We’d Like To Be Your Family’s Home For Gentle Dental Care in Hopkins, MN!
Our friendly and professional team is eager to serve you. Call 952-938-7746 or use our online form. One of our team members will happily help you schedule a convenient appointment time.
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