Pediatric Dentistry
Drs. Dosch and Pittman are general family dentists who provide dental care for patients of all ages, including children! We recommend that children see a dentist around age three, or earlier if you have a concern. The doctors and staff at Cornerstone Family Dental love watching their patients grow up over the years and genuinely enjoy being a part of their lives.
Baby Teeth
Primary teeth, or “baby teeth”, begin to come into the child's mouth about 6 months after birth. By age 3, most children have 20 primary teeth. Those teeth begin to lose their roots and fall out of the mouth at about 6 years of age when the permanent teeth begin to erupt. While we expect to lose baby teeth, they serve a very important function in the development of the permanent teeth as well as the form and function of the oral cavity. That is the reason it is so important to complete treatment on primary teeth until the point that they are ready to be lost.
Cleaning baby teeth should start as soon as the child has teeth. Brushing alone with a small, moistened toothbrush is adequate. As the child begins to have more teeth, about 2 years of age, a very small amount of toothpaste (small garden-pea size) may be used. Make sure the child spits out the toothpaste when brushing is finished. Children 6 years of age and older can usually brush their own teeth, with your supervision. Floss the child’s teeth as soon as the teeth contact each other and show the child how to use floss.
The American Dental Association recommends children see a dentist as soon as teeth begin to erupt, and we have found that a show and tell visit is very beneficial starting around ages 2 or 3. Usually, there is no treatment to be done at this age, but the child learns to accept the dentist and hygienists in a positive manner. Most children are willing to start sitting in the chair independently around their third birthday. We always go at their pace and introduce our equipment and procedures very slowly to ensure a positive experience.
Preventive Dental Visits
To ensure your child grows up with a healthy smile, we recommend that he or she visit our dental office twice a year for regular checkup appointments. At these visits, your child may receive digital radiographs, a dental exam, cleaning, and a fluoride treatment. We also offer preventive sealants to reduce the risk of dental caries.
Oral Health Home Care
Starting at birth, we recommend you clean your child’s gums with either a soft infant toothbrush or a soft moist cloth. Once teeth begin to erupt, you may use a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste to brush the baby’s teeth twice daily. From ages three to six years old, the amount of paste should be increased to a pea-size dollop. Children should always spit out excess toothpaste after brushing.
As young children do not have the ability to effectively clean their teeth, we recommend that you help your child brush his or her teeth to ensure each surface is cleaned properly.
Tooth Restorations (Fillings) for Children
If your child has need of decay removal from teeth and placement of some form of tooth restoration. There are a few alternatives for this procedure that you may consider:
Various tooth-colored restorative materials can be used for the restoration of your child’s teeth. Some of these materials contain decay-preventive small amounts of fluoride.
Stainless steel crowns can be placed if the decay is extensive. Although unsightly, these crowns serve well.
Various types of tooth-colored crowns are available for children with extensive decay.
Thumb-Sucking
Thumb sucking is a natural and commonly occurring reflex. It is nearly impossible to restrict or limit the natural act in infancy, but it usually stops somewhere between two and four years of age. If thumb-sucking continues beyond age four, it should be discouraged.
What can you do if your child keeps thumb-sucking past age four?
Reason with the child about the potentially harmful effects of long-term thumb-sucking, including the development of cracked teeth and a poor bite. This approach works on some children.
Reward the child when thumb-sucking is reduced.
Make sure the child knows that he or she is loved and is in a secure situation. Less anxiety and fear can lead to less thumb-sucking.
Often, placing a sock, glove, or bandage on the hand to remind the child not to suck his/her thumb is successful. However, some children pull the reminder off and continue to suck.
Placing a spicy or unpleasant-tasting solution on the thumbnail sometimes prevents the child from sucking his/her thumb.
As a last resort, your dentist can make an appliance to place in the mouth that will discourage and potentially eliminate thumb-sucking.