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Caring for Your Child's Smile

Caring for Your Child's Smile

Prevent decay and other problems by making sure your child maintains good oral hygiene.pediatric dentistry

When your child is little it’s up to you to make sure they are caring for their teeth and gums properly to prevent decay and gum disease from happening. With more and more children developing cavities early on in life, it’s important that you are giving your child the care they need for a healthy, happy smile. Our North Vernon, IN, dentist, Dr. Scott Terry, is here to provide you with the advice you need.

Fluoride Toothpaste is Ideal

Fluoride is crucial to maintaining strong and healthy teeth enamel. While fluoride can often be found in the foods and drinks we consume, sometimes if your child isn’t getting enough fluoride our North Vernon family dentist might also recommend in-office fluoride treatment; however, when it comes to at-home care it’s important that you use a fluoride-containing toothpaste on your child’s smile twice a day.

Know How Much Toothpaste to Use

It’s important that you know just how much toothpaste is necessary to get your child’s whole smile clean. Of course, when they are under 3 years old you don’t need a dab of toothpaste that is large than a single grain of rice. It might sound small but it will do the trick safely. Once your child reaches the 3-year marker it’s time to increase the amount of toothpaste to the size of a pea.

Visit the Dentist

Once your child turns one or once their first tooth erupts, whichever happens first, it’s important that you schedule your child’s first dental visit as soon as possible. The sooner you get them used to visiting our dental office the easier it will get. The first visit is a great time for us to get to know your little one and to make them comfortable visiting the dentist. After all, we want them to have a positive image of dental care. This is also a great time to ask us any questions or address any concerns you have about your child’s developing smile.

Don’t Skip the Floss

We know this can be challenging, especially with a squirmy little one but once two teeth erupt next to each other it’s time to start flossing. This is the only way to truly remove plaque and food from between teeth to prevent cavities from forming. If you have questions about the best floss to use for your child, don’t hesitate to ask during their first appointment. We can also show you the proper flossing technique. Remember, you’ll most likely need to brush and floss your child’s teeth until they are 7-8 years old.

Do you have questions about your child’s at-home dental care? Need to schedule their first dental cleaning? Whatever you might need, trust in our friendly dental team to provide your whole family with thorough, comprehensive dentistry in North Vernon, IN.