As part of Children’s Week (running from 18-26 October), My Local Dentists West Ryde is sharing the good news that if kids have healthy teeth they have a great chance of keeping them for life and avoiding dental disease.
Professor David Manton, vice chair of the ADA’s Oral Health Committee, says: “Half of all Australian six year olds have tooth decay in their baby teeth.
There is significant information available to suggest that if dental disease can be avoided in childhood then it is likely to be avoided or significantly reduced in later life. Likewise, if a dental disease arises in childhood it is inevitably a predictor of dental disease for later life.”
To ensure that all our children are taught good dental hygiene that can last a lifetime, My Local Dentists West Ryde wants all adults to know the following approaches.
Getting Children Off On The Right “Foot” With Teeth!
One of the first dental care activities children learn is to brush their teeth, but even before teeth come in, the mouths of toddlers should be gently rinsed with soft, wet washcloths to wipe away bacteria.
When they are able, teach your kids to brush for a full two minutes, using the proper amount of toothpaste (no more than a pea-sized amount), and reaching the important areas in the mouth including the fronts and backs of teeth and the tongue.
Many children struggle to brush their teeth for a full two minutes. Try playing play music or a video while your kids brush. Use their favorite songs or videos and ask children to brush until they hit the two-minute mark. Eventually, two minutes will come to seem natural.
Making Sure Children Floss Regularly
Parents should start flossing their child’s teeth as soon as a child has two teeth that touch.
Flossing can be a tricky skill for children to master, so expect to help your children until they are around age 10.
Encourage healthy eating
When parents teach their kids to eat well, they’re preparing them to maintain healthy teeth for life. Avoid giving kids excessive amounts of cookies, candy, soft drinks, or other foods with high sugar contents.
Some kinds of sugary foods are even more damaging to teeth – sour candy can remove tooth enamel, sticky candy can get stuck on and between teeth, and hard candy is in the mouth for a long time – giving teeth longer exposure to these potentially harmful foods.
Schedule Regular Dental Visits
A child should begin seeing a dentist within a few months of his first tooth appearing. Parents can teach children how important these visits are by scheduling them for the same time each year, so kids get used to the regularity of the appointment. Mothers and fathers can show kids that these regular visits aren’t just for children by keeping up with their own dental appointments and even bringing their children to them.
Of course, one of the most common issues parents have is dealing with a child’s fear of the dentist. Fear of the dentist can be a problem in children who are visiting for the first time or for kids who have been going for quite some time.
At My Local Dentists West Ryde we are expert at dealing with and disarming the anxieties of children! One tactic is to begin bringing children in with you when you get care – this way the children become used to the environment of the dental office.
Children’s Dental Health At West Ryde
When your children visit our dental office, their smile becomes our top priority. Our entire team is dedicated to providing children with the personalized, gentle care that they deserve. We offer convenient appointment times, modern dental technology, and lots of patient education for you and your child.
At My Local Dentists West Ryde, we strongly support the government funded Child Dental Benefit Schedule that will significantly help reduce your child’s dental expenses, and at the same time, keep their smiles strong and healthy.
The CDBS benefits children ages 2-17 years who receive Government Benefits. If your children are eligible, they can receive up to $1000 over 2 calendar years for preventative and restorative dentistry such as:
- Examinations
- X-rays
- Cleaning
- Fissure sealing
- Fillings
- Root canals
- Extractions
- Dentures
Your Trusted Family Dentist in West Ryde
If you have a child in need of treatment, or any other dental issues, do not hesitate to call us at My Local Dentists West Ryde on (02) 9809 7000.
Visit us today and take advantage of CDBS (Child Dental Benefits Schedule) and receive up to $1,000 worth of basic dental treatments over 2 calendar years.
My Local Dentists West Ryde is open from Monday to Sunday to cater all your dental needs.
Call your West Ryde dentist on (02) 9809 7000 or book your appointment online.