Raising Cavity-Free Children

“11 Secrets For Raising Cavity Free Children!”

If you have kids, you know that introducing them to new things can be fun, challenging, exciting, frustrating, and so much more all at the same time!

Heck, I can still remember when my little niece got her first cavity. It was like a tornado hit the household. There were tears and tantrums and then two minutes later she was on to something new. 

Now she’s growing up and learning that she doesn’t want cavities, and she gets rewarded if she comes to the dentist's office and leaves with an A+ on her dental report card, it definitely was not that way when I was a kid.

Back when I was a kid, we grew up almost expecting to have cavities when we went to the dentist. Having the doctor pry, poke, and drill for an hour or so was normal.

However, that is no longer the case .  Times have changed!

Today, in our society, children have many benefits that we didn’t have when we were younger. For example, one of the great benefits is fluoride in the water.  People are becoming more aware of the importance of dental hygiene and parents know that they need to bring their children to the dentist.  

One question many parents ask is: "When is the earliest I should start bringing my child to the dentist?

Most dental books say when your child begins to have teeth, but that usually doesn’t work out so well.  Our policy is to have the parents bring the child when he/she is three years old. I’ll have them ride in the chair. Lean them back. If they let me look in their mouth and count their teeth, I will!  If they let me polish their teeth I will.”

A lot of times I just put them in the chair, shine the light and show them everything and then they go home and they come back with you again in six months when you need your cleaning and then we do a little bit more. This  way way when they leave they have had a positive, pleasant and hopefully, fun experience.

My philosophy is to teach children to enjoy coming to the dentist, then if they need something done, they won’t be afraid to let us help them.  If I look in their mouth and see there’s nothing major, we will give them a toothbrush and a gift and have them come back in six months. That way everything is fun.

When children grow up not being afraid of the dentist they will more likely be better dental patients and have better experiences.

 

I made this simple list of helpful tips that you can use to help your child grow up with healthy teeth, and prevent as many dental problems as possible.


11 Secrets For Raising Cavity Free Kids!

  1. Begin cleaning your baby's mouth with a clean gauze pad the first week the child is brought home from the hospital. Although most babies don't have any teeth until about six months of age, a daily cleaning in infancy will get your child accustomed to the process, and ensure clean and healthy gums when the teeth do come in.
  2. By starting early, your baby is more likely to accept your cleaning her teeth later, when it is necessary to prevent tooth decay. Incorporate a toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste into the routine by the time your child reaches 18 months, or at the time her first molars come in.
  3. Your child's first visit to the dentist should be by the age of three. Although baby teeth will eventually fall out, they are very important to your child's dental development. The muscles of their mouth and jaw form around the foundation laid by their first set of teeth. The dentist can make sure your child's dental development is proceeding normally as early as her third birthday and with checkups every six months thereafter. 
  4. Stop your child's thumb sucking habits before his permanent teeth come in. Sucking on a thumb or pacifier is a natural and satisfying behavior for babies. However, the habit can alter the position of baby's developing teeth and the dental arches if it continues after his permanent teeth begin to erupt. Fortunately, the damage is usually self-correcting, unless your youngster continues the habit much past the age of six. If you are having trouble getting your child to stop sucking his thumb, we can offer some advice. 
  5. Make sure your child gets the benefits of the latest in cavity prevention, including fluorides and sealants, if needed
  6. Our office has the ability to check for cavities that hide from traditional methods of detection. By using an instrument called the DIAGNADENT we can see inside the grooves of the tooth were cavities can hide. This can help prevent pain from undetected cavities and save you money. 
  7. Do not give your child a bottle at night with juice or milk. If your child must have a bottle at bedtime, dilute it with water or use a pacifier.
  8. If your child uses a pacifier, don't dip it in any sweetener. Some dentists have taught this in the past and it is not a good idea!
  9. If you live in a community where there is NO fluoride in the drinking water, use a fluoride rinse or buy bottled water that has fluoride.
  10. You need to help a child under age 7 years old do the brushing. Studies show that children under 7 do not have the dexterity to do a good job. One great strategy if you have a child, who likes to do everything on their own, is to let them do it first on their own. Then say that it's mommy or daddy's turn. I know that there are children who will fight you on brushing, but stick with it because the rewards will be huge.
  11. Finally, the most important thing to realize is that children learn the behavior they observe. So, the reality is your dental health is just as important as your child's. When was the last time you had your dental check up and cleaning?

I hope this report has been educational and helpful. If you have any questions, or would like to schedule an appointment, please call (540) 563-0519 to schedule our Healthy Teeth Check-UP!

LET’S GET ACQUAINTED OFFER!

Because we are currently expanding our practice I would like to offer you this:

  • 10 Point Healthy Teeth Check-Up!
  • All Necessary X-Rays 
  • Special Guest Tour of the office
  • Free Diagnadent Exam 
  • Referral Rewards Membership. You’ll qualify to be in our very unique club, where we reward our patients for supporting our practice! 
  • Teeth Cracking Prevention! 
  • Gum disease check- (We can end the bleeding and swelling for good)
  • Oral Cancer Screening – an unknown danger that is overlooked!

All for just $150.00

If you have insurance your out of pocket cost will be waived!

You see, I am confident that once you experience our quick, easy, anxiety free and pain-free dentistry, you will select our office for your dental needs.

By selecting our office for your dental care, what have you got to lose?

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

If you like our service (like many of your neighbors already do) then I want to provide you with high quality, affordable dental care for years to come. If you don’t then just let us know and we will send your x-rays to any dentist you choose. I am confident that if any other dentist used the same high technology I use and attended the same advanced education courses, then he/she will agree with our recommended treatment!

Thanks very much for reading this report.  I hope you found this to be helpful.  If you have questions or comments -- or if you'd like to schedule a Low Cost 10 Point Perfect Smile Examination which is usually priced at $440,  but for our new patient drive it’s only $150, please call me right now and set up your appointment at (540) 563-0519.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jacob Pham

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