Dental Care By Age
Ensuring your child’s dental health is vital for their overall well-being. From the emergence of their first teeth, establishing good oral hygiene habits helps prevent cavities and promotes healthy smiles. This guide covers effective brushing and flossing techniques, the importance of fluoride, and the stages of dental growth. By actively participating in your child's dental care, you can foster a positive attitude toward oral hygiene and empower them with the knowledge to maintain a beautiful smile as they grow.
For All Ages
Cleaning Teeth
We recommend brushing all surfaces of your child’s teeth as well as along the gum line twice a day.
Every child is at risk of tooth decay or cavities. However, regular and thorough tooth brushing can remove plaque (the sticky film of bacteria that forms on teeth) and prevent cavities from forming. The bacteria in plaque use sugars from food and drink to produce acid.
Here's More Info...
Frequent exposure of the tooth surface to acid increases the risk of tooth decay over time. Thorough and regular tooth brushing to remove plaque helps to maintain healthy teeth and gums.
​
Most children do not have the fine motor skills to brush effectively until they are at least 7 years of age. An adult will need to help a child brush their teeth until they are old enough to do it properly by themselves. A good indication of sufficient motor skills to brush teeth is when a child is able to write in cursives properly or is able to tie shoelaces.
​
Flossing
When baby teeth are erupting, there are usually spaces in between the teeth. Flossing should begin when any of the teeth are in contact with each other. Introducing flossing in a fun way as part of a daily routine early on can prepare your child for "real" flossing when teeth are touching each other. Using a flosser with a plastic handle may be a simple way to start flossing before using regular floss.
​
Fluoride
Fluoride inhibits loss of minerals from tooth enamel and encourages remineralization (strengthening areas that are weakened and beginning to develop cavities). Fluoride also affects bacteria that cause cavities, discouraging acid attacks that break down the tooth. Risk for decay is reduced even more when fluoride is combined with a healthy diet and good oral hygiene.
Less then 3.7% of British Columbia has an artificially fluoridated water-supply. Some form of exposure to fluoride will help reduce getting cavities.
​
Here's More Info...
Adult teeth can also erupt behind the baby teeth, causing both the adult and baby teeth to be present. This effect is sometimes referred to as “shark teeth” as sharks have many rows of teeth. Although this appearance may look concerning, it is actually quite common and does not usually cause problems. It is important however to schedule an appointment with your pediatric dentist to discuss whether the baby teeth can be observed or will need to be removed.
​
Your child will continue to lose baby teeth and have new adult teeth come in until they are 12 or 13 years old. During this time, your pediatric dentist will be able to check whether teeth are coming in at the right time and place.
​
“Ugly duckling” Stage
When your child is seven to eight years old, he or she may have some funny-looking teeth. We refer to this phase as the “ugly duckling” stage as the first adult teeth may look disproportionately large compared to baby teeth next to them. Adult teeth also tend to be less white than baby teeth and have pronounced ridges when they first poke through the gums. As your child grows, the adult teeth generally become more even and smooth. As the tale goes, the ugly duckling matures into a beautiful swan!
​
Manual vs. Electric Toothbrush
There is evidence that electric toothbrushes do better at removing plaque. This doesn't mean that your child should use electric toothbrushes. The best toothbrush is the brush that your child will use longer in the mouth. Electric toothbrush may remove plaque better but it will need to be used to do its job. Change your child's toothbrush every three to six months or when the bristles looks worn and bent.
​
When Should my Child Get Braces?
Some children start braces once all their adult teeth are in but are not in the ideal position. However, did you know that some can benefit from earlier treatment using other appliances? Orthodontic treatment in young children is also known as interceptive orthodontics
.
Intervention may begin as early as age six or seven. At this age, your child’s dentition is still developing and their jaw is still growing. That means certain conditions, such as crowding (when the teeth are too large to fit into the jaw), may be easier to address.
Children who receive interceptive orthodontics generally still need braces or other orthodontic appliances later. However, this early treatment may shorten and simplify future treatment in most cases.
Your pediatric dentist can assess your child for conditions like crowding, cross-bite, thumb sucking habit, and early loss of baby teeth which can benefit from interceptive orthodontics.
​
Age 6-12yrs
At around age six or seven, your child will begin to have his or her first adult (or permanent) teeth. They are known as the "first molars," or the "six-year molars." This is also the time that your child will start to lose front baby teeth.
Usually the roots slowly weaken, as the tooth becomes wiggly before it falls out. We encourage children to wiggle their baby tooth if it is loose. Do not use force to pull out a tooth that's not ready to come out.
Age 3-6yrs
Why are baby teeth important?
Baby teeth are the first teeth a child develops. Baby teeth can remain in the mouth up to the age of 12 years, so it’s important to look after them. They will naturally fall out and be replaced by adult (permanent) teeth but they are important for many reasons.
Here's More Info...
Baby teeth play an important role in:
​
• learning to speak
• making space for the adult teeth and guiding them into position
• helping to shape a child’s face
• helping children to eat a wide variety of foods.
Badly decayed or missing teeth may cause a child to refuse food they find difficult to chew.
Eating Right
Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods every day from the five food groups. Limit foods containing added sugars. Healthy meals and snacks are important for healthy teeth. Using food as a reward, incentive, or bribe, particularly foods which are low in nutritional value, sends a conflicting messages to children. It can make children associate good behaviour with food that is not nutritious. Food and behaviour do not have to be connected.
​
What kind of Foods should my child avoid?
General rule of thumb: try to avoid food that contains a lot of sugar. Cavities are caused by acids that are produced by bacteria. Eating food or drinks that are acidic (carbonated drinks and orange juice) will weaken the tooth and make your child at risk of having dental cavities. Also, sticky foods tend to stay in the mouth longer and become a food source for the bacteria that cause cavities.
​
-
Granola bars, fruit bars and snack bars made from breakfast cereals
-
Sweet biscuits, cakes, donuts
-
Chocolates, lollypops
-
High sugar spreads - honey, hazelnut and jam
-
Ice cream and dairy desserts
-
Dried fruits can leave a sticky coating which can harm teeth
Occasional consumption will not cause dental cavities. Habitual or constant consumption of these sugary foods will definitely cause cavities.
​
Age 0-2yrs
Teething
Drooling, irritability, chewing on solid objects and sore/tender gums are some of the symptoms that are associated with teething. Many children like a clean teething ring, cool spoon or a cold wet washcloth. Some parents swear by a chilled ring; others simply rub the baby's gums with a clean finger.
Here's More Info...
Avoid using a topical anesthetic. The anesthetic agent will be ingested by your child and will enter the body exposing your child to medication that can potentially cause a rare but serious condition called methemoglobinemia.
​
Brushing: When Should I start?
​The sooner the better! Starting at birth, clean your child's gums with a soft infant toothbrush or cloth and water. As soon as the teeth begin to appear, start brushing twice daily with fluoridated toothpaste and a soft, age-appropriate sized toothbrush. Use a "smear" (size of a grain of rice) of toothpaste to brush the teeth until the child can rinse and spit.
Some children are not a big fan of brushing. Please ask your paediatric dentist for demonstration of how to brush teeth safely.
​
When Should my child stop thumb or pacifier sucking?
Thumb/pacifier sucking is perfectly normal for infants; many stop by age 2. Prolonged thumb sucking can create crooked teeth or bite problems. If the habit continues beyond age 3, a professional evaluation is recommended. There are several different ways to address a prolonged thumb sucking habit.
​
Ask your paediatric dentist for evaluation and recommendations.
Is night-time nursing or using a bottle bad?
Children should not fall asleep with a bottle containing anything other than water. Same applies for nursing. Drinking juice from a bottle should be avoided. Fruit juice should only be offered in a cup with meals or at snack time. Any fluid with nutrition remaining in the mouth will be a food source for bacteria in the mouth and causes cavities.
​
If your child needs to feed before going to bed, make sure the teeth are cleaned either with a toothbrush or a clean washcloth after feeding.
​
