Children’s Dentistry

Here at Fresh Smile Dental Group we are always happy to take care of all your child’s dental needs to help keep their teeth for their lifetime.

Children are welcomed into our South Surrey Dental office with a play area, a calm atmosphere and a friendly staff to help your child feel comfortable.  A visit to the dentist should be fun, gentle and positive experience.

The ideal time for a first visit is six months after your child’s first (primary) teeth erupt. This time frame is a perfect opportunity for the dentist to carefully examine the development of your child’s mouth to safeguard against problems such as baby bottle tooth decay, teething irritations, bite problems and prolonged thumb-sucking. The dentist can provide or recommend special preventive care.

Many first visits are introductory icebreakers to acquaint your child with the dentist and the office. If the child is frightened, uncomfortable or non-cooperative, a rescheduling may be necessary. Patience and calm on the part of the parent and reassuring communication with your child are very important in these instances. Short, successive visits are meant to build the child’s trust in the dentist and the dental office, and can prove invaluable if your child needs to be treated later for any emergency dental problem.

Child appointments should always be scheduled earlier in the day, when your child is alert and fresh. For children under 24-36 months, the parent may need to sit in the dental chair and hold the child during the examination. Also, parents may be asked to wait in the reception area so a relationship can be built between your child and the dentist.

Five ways to protect your child’s oral health at home

Parents typically provide oral hygiene care until the child is old enough to take personal responsibility for the daily dental health routine of brushing and flossing. A proper regimen of preventive home care is important from the day your child is born.

• Clean your infant’s gums with a clean, damp cloth. Ask your dentist if you may rub a tiny dab of toothpaste on the gums.
• As soon as the first teeth come in, begin brushing them with a small, soft-bristled toothbrush and a pea-sized dab of fluoride toothpaste.
• To avoid baby bottle tooth decay and teeth misalignment due to sucking, try to wean your child off of the breast and bottle by one year of age, and monitor excessive sucking of pacifiers, fingers and thumbs. Never give your child a bottle of milk, juice or sweetened liquid as a pacifier at naptime or bedtime.
• Help a young child brush at night-the most important time to brush, due to lower salivary flow and higher susceptibility to cavities and plaque. Perhaps let the child brush their teeth first to build self-confidence, then the parent can follow up to ensure that all plaque is removed. Usually by age 5 or so, the child can learn to brush his or her own teeth with proper parental instruction.

The best way to teach a child how to brush is to lead by good example. Allowing your child to watch you brush your teeth teaches the importance of good oral hygiene.

You should also limit the amount of sweet snacks, pop, and juices. The high sugar content can damage your child’s teeth.

If you have any concerns about your child’s dental health or want some tips on preventing tooth decay don’t hesitate to give us a call or schedule an appointment to speak to Dr. Liang and his staff.