The oral health and hygiene of children are critical, because the habits that are developed at an early age continue into adulthood.
So what are your responsibilities as a parent in keeping your offspring’s teeth and gums strong, clean and healthy?
Our team at Sandown Dental understands that taking adequate care of milk teeth can be extremely challenging, which is why we often recommend child-friendly treatments to help reduce the onslaught of tooth decay and other serious dental problems. Read on to find out more about who’s legible and how these potentially tooth-saving medicines work at the dentist in East Belfast.
What are the first steps I should take to optimise my child’s dental health?
Your child should start seeing us or another reputable dentist in East Belfast soon after their first tooth erupts. That way, your child will become familiar with the sights and sounds of a dental clinic, and start trusting our friendly dental practitioners from infancy. These check-ups will also allow us to assess whether your child is more susceptible to decay with a mouth examination.
What are the top treatments used to promote dental hygiene in children at the dentist in East Belfast?
Fluoride application and tooth-coloured fissure sealants are safe and effective measures that protect your offspring’s teeth and gums from harmful germs and bacteria.
Fluoride application
Fluoride is a mineral that protects and strengthens the enamel of your child’s teeth. It’s painted on the sides and top of every tooth and left to harden for approximately four to twelve hours.
Fluoride treatments involve few risks and can be administered regularly throughout the year.
The threat of swallowing the substance is minimal because only a small amount is used, which tends to harden quickly. Additionally, your little one won’t mind the taste of fluoride. One thing to bear in mind is that some brands of fluoride leave milk teeth yellow or dull. However, this side effect fades once the fluoride is removed.
Tooth-coloured fissure sealants
Molars are the teeth positioned at the back of the mouth. They’re hard to reach and because they comprise fissures or pits and play an essential role in chewing and biting, morsels of food become trapped in the crevices.
What are fissure sealants?
Sealants are a hard outer-coating applied to the surfaces of your molars and other teeth that are vulnerable to cavities.
Should every child get them?
Not all children should undergo fissure sealants unless they’re more likely to develop dental caries due to a variety of factors.
Who generally administers the process?
Trained and experienced paediatric dental practitioners perform the procedure, who have in-depth knowledge of children’s teeth.
How long does the procedure take?
The length of the treatment, as mentioned above, varies between patients. Usually, we’d recommended sealing all the affected teeth in one go. However, we know that this depends entirely on the temperament of your child and might not be possible with younger patients. In these instances, we’ll start with the teeth that are at a higher risk.
Are fissure sealants absolutely necessary?
Parents asking this question might be concerned about the cost of the procedure, which might seem substantial when there appears to be no imminent threat.
That said, these sealants are cost-effective when compared to the cost of extractions or having to treat advanced tooth decay.