A Parent’s Guide to Pediatric Dental Care

Many Castro Valley parents believe that the best time to establish good dental hygiene habits is right when their child’s first tooth appears. And even then, they fall out after a while so they can’t be that important, right? In actuality, the best time to start taking care of your child’s teeth is the moment that your child is born. Well, not the EXACT moment, but you get the idea. Because even without teeth, bacteria can and will build up. To prevent this from happening, the routine is simple – wipe your baby’s gums with a soft damp cloth after every feeding. Once your child’s teeth develop and break through the gums, it’s time to start brushing. Do it twice a day. Use a soft children’s toothbrush and minimal to no non-fluoride toothpaste. As they reach preschool-age, feel free to start using fluoride toothpaste. You may also want to increase the amount of toothpaste to about the size of a pea. It may sound strange, but there is a good reason for it being so minimal. Little humans have a tendency to swallow the toothpaste, instead of spitting it out. And too much fluoride toothpaste can leave permanent stains on the teeth.

Cavities are the resulting holes formed by the acid from the bacteria or germs in your mouth when they’ve consumed too much sugar from your food. It’s also very common in children, but you can keep cavities from happening in your child’s teeth if you establish good oral care early on. Keep sugar to small regulated treats. We all know kids love sugar – try to keep their favorites as something special, not something expected. But that’s not all; there are other circumstances, like being born with low birth weight or premature, ongoing treatment for any special health care needs, brown areas and white spots on the teeth and infrequent trips to the dentist can all lead to the development of cavities.

To stop this from happening, start teaching your family good dental hygiene habits. Everyone needs to be involved in order to get the habit to stick. Other family members can pass on cavity-causing bacteria to both children and babies, so every family member has to make an effort to take care of their teeth properly.

When it comes to baby’s first dental visit, most dental practitioners agree that parents should take their children in for an appointment as soon as their first tooth pops out, but no longer than the child’s first birthday. Doing this makes it easier for the dentist to look for any early signs and symptoms of problems with the child’s teeth and teach you important information about your child’s diet, the use of the right bottles, brushing, etc. Having a good artillery of information will only benefit your child’s smile as they grow. Being a parent is tough as it is. Make it as easy as possible with the help of your family dentist.

If your child is ready for their first dental visit, contact Creative Dimensions Dentistry in Castro Valley, CA at 510-881-8010 to schedule an appointment for a checkup today. Or you can use our online booking tool. 

Creative Dimensions Dentistry proudly serves Castro Valley, San Leandro, Hayward, Oakland, Fremont, Russell City and all surrounding areas.