How Often Should Kids Get a Dental Exam and Cleaning?

Children are no different from adults when it comes to preventive dentistry. Dental professionals and major dental associations recommend seeing a dentist every six months for dental exams, cleanings, and other preventive care. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry says that “an exam every six months is essential to prevent cavities and other dental problems.”

If you’ve been searching for a family dentist in Sharon, MA, where your whole family can receive top-notch preventive dentistry, we invite you to look no further than Sharon Dental Group. Dr. Witwit and his dedicated team provide compassionate care to all their patients. We invite you to give us a call to schedule an appointment for your child’s dental exam or dental cleaning in Sharon, MA, from our dentist near you.

Dr. Witwit is happy to answer all of your questions about children’s dentistry during your visit to our office, especially specific to your child’s unique needs. In the meantime, however, we answer a few of the most common questions as they apply to general children’s dentistry.

Common Questions about Children’s Dental Health

• • Why should I be concerned about my child’s baby teeth since they will fall out anyway? The short answer to this question is that your child’s baby teeth are crucial to their speech development and the emergence and positioning of their permanent teeth. One way to reduce the cost of future orthodontic work is to make small investments in preventive care as your child matures. Also, preventive children’s dentistry is less invasive than treating cavities, decay, and infection.
  • How can I clean my baby’s teeth? You should start cleaning your child’s gums shortly after birth. You can use either an infant toothbrush or a soft cloth and a tiny amount of fluoride toothpaste to help them become accustomed to the taste.
  • When should I bring my child to their first dental appointment? The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that you make an appointment for your child’s first dental appointment when their first tooth begins to emerge. Not only is this timing important for the reasons stated above (speech development and positioning of permanent teeth), but you can also discuss thumb sucking and the use of pacifiers during your appointment.

The dentist will also examine the condition of your child’s gums since chronic gingivitis can affect children of all ages. A tip to reduce the risk of gum disease in your child is to make sure that their nighttime bottle has water only. This way, if you’ve already cleaned your child’s teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush for the evening, you won’t need to worry about the development of bacteria.

• What can I do at home to help alleviate dental anxiety? The easiest tip is to avoid using scary language about dentistry around them. Instead, demonstrate how fun oral health and preventive dentistry can be by using positive language, especially when coming home from your dental appointment. Even if you’ve had a procedure that requires at-home rest afterward, making the best of it with positive language is a great way to help your child grow in confidence when it’s time for them to visit the dentist. Also, since children love to mimic and emulate their parents in so many ways, try to make sure that you demonstrate fun oral health yourself during your brushing and flossing.
• Besides exams and cleanings for my child, are there other treatments? Yes! If your child is actively involved in sports, you may consider a customized sports guard to protect their teeth. By the time your child reaches an age where they can play sports, you already have a considerable investment in the health and appearance of their smile, so why not protect it?