At Seaman Family Dentistry, we enjoy providing dental care to the whole family and encourage parents to bring their children to one of their own preventive visits prior to the child’s first visit. By allowing your child to become familiar with the office, team and procedures, they are less concerned about their first visit. Dr. Robert Seaman, our assistants and our hygienists are great with kids and will ensure they understand everything that is going on.
We recommend that children should start receiving regular dental checkups every six months, starting around the age of 3. However, if you have a younger child and believe you see a dental problem, or they act like a tooth is bothering them, you should bring them in to have that area checked as soon as possible.
If you are looking for a particular area of our pediatric dental services in Lenexa, Kansas, please scroll through the sections below to find what you are interested in.
Routine Check-Ups & Cleanings for Your Child
Just like adults, children need to be seen by the dentist regularly for complete examinations and needed X-rays. We will start cleaning a child’s teeth as soon as it is needed, and they are ready for this service. Some children are ready for anything at age 3, whereas others may be 5 years old before they are ready for X-rays and or cleanings. Unless there is an extreme need, we typically wait until the child is happy to receive the service. We find this approach builds trust and makes the visit more comfortable and enjoyable for the child. Building this foundation makes children look forward to dental visits instead of dreading them. It makes any future treatment that may be needed easier on the child, parent and team. This same philosophy is applied when determining the right time to start fluoride treatments. Plus, we need to ensure that the child is old enough not to swallow any excess fluoride during the treatments. We do recommend they receive these treatments once they are old enough, either once every six months or once a year to keep the enamel of their teeth strong and resistant to decay. So, if your child is 3 years old or older, make sure they are receiving regular preventive care from our dentist.
Caring For Your Child’s Teeth At Home
Home care for children starts immediately after birth, cleaning their gums daily with a wet wash cloth. Also, do not let children sleep with bottles of formula, milk or juice. If taking a bottle to bed is necessary for sleep, then it should be plain water. If children take bottles or sippy cups to bed, then these sugary fluids sit on their teeth all night long in a warm moist environment, making it a perfect place for bacteria to grow and destroy their newly forming teeth.
Once your child’s teeth start coming in, you should clean their teeth with a soft bristled brush made for infants or toddlers. You should either only use water or reduced/no fluoride toothpaste until the child is old enough to know how to spit and not swallow it. Fluoride can cause stomach aches if too much of it is swallowed. The most important thing about brushing is to remove the bacteria from their teeth, so water will work when they are young. The more frequently you brush their teeth, the more accustomed to it they will become, making it easier on you and easier for them to keep the habit up. Minimally, you should brush their teeth three times a day, especially when they are drinking bottles all day long.
Flossing should be started when more of their teeth have come in and you can see that the brush is not getting in between their teeth. Then, you should begin flossing before bedtime to remove any bacteria from between their teeth.
As the child ages, you will start allowing them to use the toothbrush and floss themselves. But watch them and encourage them which teeth to work on, then finish up by cleaning the areas they missed. Continue this until they are able to brush all the surfaces of their teeth, same with flossing. Establishing these habits early will make them reliable, capable brushers and flossers when they are old enough to do this on their own.
Fluoride rinses should not be used until the child is old enough to fully understand how to swish and spit without swallowing. Also, this is an optional home care aid, so if you are not sure whether you should have your child use a home fluoride rinse, talk to our dentist or hygienist at their next visit.
Other Preventive Services for Children
In addition to the previously mentioned preventive measures, we often recommend two other protective services for children’s teeth: sealants and sports mouth guards.
If your child participates in sports, especially as children age and sports become more physical, we can make custom mouth guards (in a variety of cool color combinations) to protect your child’s teeth from injury.
Early Orthodontic Services for Children
Many people assume that orthodontic treatment does not begin until adolescence, but sometimes early treatment can actually make later services easier, shorter and even prevent the need for tooth extractions.
We work to provide you and your family with as many services as possible in the same office, so you do not need to travel to properly care for all your dental needs. If you are interested in any of our pediatric dental services in Lenexa, Kansas, for children or your family as a whole, please give us a call at 913-631-2626 and let us find you a convenient appointment time.
913-631-2626