During this appointment, your kid-friendly dentist will gently but thoroughly examine your child’s smile and can even help determine if your child could be at higher risk for cavities. How can you prepare your child for their first dentist appointment, especially if they are older?

Stay Positive

Even if you yourself are not a fan of the dentist, it’s important to stay positive and not pass your fears onto your child. Children are perceptive and may pick up on your anxiety prior to their appointment. Do your best to be optimistic and confident about their appointment, both when talking about the visit beforehand and on the way to the dentist office to help your child stay relaxed and worry-free for their first appointment.

Educate Your Child

Let your child know why they’re going to the dentist as well as what will happen during the appointment. They don’t need to know every single detail, but you should give them a good general idea of what to expect [2]. Some things that will happen during your child’s first dental visit include:

• An exam of their teeth, jaws, bite, and gums
• A gentle cleaning (if needed)
• A review of proper oral care techniques for brushing and flossing
• Depending on your child’s age, x-rays may be recommended (typically only for older
  children)

The entire visit will take approximately 30-45 minutes. If your child is old enough, you can use books or videos to help explain what will happen during the appointment so that your child isn’t apprehensive and has a better idea about what to expect. You can also play dentist at home—act out the appointment or have your child play dentist using stuffed animals!

Consider the Appointment Time

It’s a good idea to make your child’s first dentist appointment during a time when they are generally more relaxed and comfortable. For example, making the appointment during naptime or lunchtime may make your child more tired or irritable during the visit.

Generally, morning times work better for children, as they are rested, alert, and have already eaten their first meal of the day. Ask your dentist what appointment times are available so you can better prepare your child!

Find a Great Pediatric Dentist

Your child’s dentist will be their partner in oral care as they grow and develop their permanent teeth. Working with a dentist you trust and whom you feel has a great rapport with your child is important. Research pediatric dentists in your area, or consider using the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s tool to find an accredited practice near you [3]. Your child’s smile will be strong and healthy for life with regular dentist visits!

Sources:
1. https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/august/aapd-research-
2. https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=a-childs-first-dental-visit-fact-
3. https://www.aapd.org/publications/find-a-pd/

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Every baby is different and some children won’t have their first teeth begin to erupt until the age of one year or later. Any parent or caregiver who’s been around a fussy teething baby wants to know—how long is this going to last? Here’s what you need to know when it comes to the duration of your child’s teething pain!

Expect Teething to Last a Few Days

You can expect teething pain to last a few days for each tooth or set of teeth [1]. Your baby’s discomfort comes from a tooth slowly working its way through their gumline. Although your baby may be uncomfortable, don’t worry if you don’t see a tooth—it’ll come in within a few days’ time!

To check for incoming teeth, you can inspect your child’s gums, which may appear more red or swollen at the area where the tooth will soon appear. You may also notice a small blister at the area as well, which should go away once the tooth erupts.

Signs and Symptoms of Teething You May Notice

It’s normal for children to be in some discomfort during their teething process. Normal signs and symptoms to expect include irritability, drooling, restlessness or trouble sleeping, and decreased appetite [2]. Fortunately, these symptoms should only last until the tooth has pushed through the gumline!

A fever, rash, or diarrhea are not normal symptoms of teething and you should follow up with your pediatrician if your child has any of these conditions, whether alone or in conjunction with their teething pain.

What Can You Do to Help Your Child?

It might feel like a long few days, but once your baby’s teeth come through the gumline, they’ll begin to feel better. In the meantime, you can try giving your baby a gum massage, cold or cool foods to eat, and firm objects to chew on that are approved for children.

Your pediatrician may recommended medication or teething gel as necessary [3]. Around the time that your child’s first tooth comes in, you can take him or her to the dentist for a checkup. Remember, as soon as your child has teeth, they’re susceptible to tooth decay!

It can be difficult to see your toddler in pain, but rest assured that their teething pain will pass. In the meantime, try some of the above suggestions, and should you have any questions about your child’s teething pain, follow up with your kid-friendly dentist!

Sources:
1. https://www.medicinenet.com/teething/article.htm
2. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/t/teething
3. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002045.htm

The post Signs and Symptoms of Teething You May (and May Not) Notice appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Whether or not your child is accustomed to the dentist, it can be difficult getting kids to feel good about seeing an oral healthcare professional. However, seeing a dentist in their early years is an instrumental part of helping your kids set up healthy habits for life when it comes to taking care of their teeth and gums. Not to mention those regular visits are going to help prevent cavities and gum disease.

When you want your child to love the dentist, here are five tips to help you get started!

Start Early

Children should ideally have their first dentist visit between the age of six months and one year, or whenever their first tooth comes in [1]. The earlier you get your child used to the dentist, the better!

You can and should start with their oral care shortly after birth—wiping their gums with a clean cloth after feedings before they have teeth, and brushing and flossing once the teeth come in, to get them used to oral care.

Go to the Dentist Yourself

Practice what you preach when it comes to the dentist! By going to the dentist yourself and placing an emphasis on your oral care, you can show kids how to take care of their teeth by being an example.

However, remember that it’s generally not a good idea to take your child to your own dentist, as the environment and treatment can make them feel intimidated. A child-friendly dentist will seem much less scary!

Offer Incentives

If your kids really dread going to the dentist, you can offer incentives in exchange for them going and doing their best to maintain a positive attitude while receiving treatment. You can offer healthy treats or have them pick a prize after each dental appointment.

Many pediatric dentists will already offer prizes and incentives for receiving oral care, so you might not have to further incentivize your kids!

Try Attending a Dental Presentation

You can get your children excited about going to the dentist by attending a dental presentation [2]. Call your local pediatric dentist and ask about a day where kids can come in and tour the office, sit in the exam chair, see Mr. Thirsty, and play with stuffed animals that have teeth they can brush.

Even if your dentist doesn’t offer a child-friendly dental presentation, you can certainly suggest they consider doing one or call around to see if another dentist has such an event you and your kids can attend.

This will not only get them more familiar with the dentist, but learn that it’s a fun place and not as scary or boring as they might think.

Have Fun at Home

You can encourage oral care habits at home and motivate kids to get excited about the dentist. Try purchasing stuffed animals where you can brush and floss their teeth and pretend to fill in cavities. Take kids to the store to pick out a fun toothbrush and toothpaste.

Make oral care fun at your house and extend this routine to the dentist—it just might get your kids excited about going for their regular checkups and cleanings!

Sources:
1. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/babies-and-kids/first-dental-visit
2. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/resources/lesson-plans/presentation-resources

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Teething can be a challenging time for babies and their parents, causing symptoms that range from drooling to irritability to trouble sleeping. Your child may also be trying to chew on objects, rub their face, or be difficult to soothe.

You can help your baby through the teething process with the following tips to help reduce their teething discomfort.

Massage Your Child’s Gums

Applying light pressure to your child’s gums via a gum massage can help temporarily alleviate their teething pain until an episode passes. Be sure to always wash your hands before putting your finger in your baby’s mouth.

You can gently massage your child’s gums to help soothe them while their teeth are coming in. Be sure not to apply too much pressure and if your baby shows signs of additional distress, discontinue this practice.

Keep Stress to a Minimum

Inflammation during the teething process causes your child’s mouth to hurt. Any additional stress on your baby can exacerbate their symptoms, so keeping your baby as comfortable as possible during this time is important.

For some babies, soothing activities such as breastfeeding (if you choose to breastfeed your child) or a warm bath can help distract a baby from their discomfort and calm them down.

Give Them a Cold Object

There are many objects on the market today that can be chilled or frozen for your baby to chew on to help numb their mouth and stop their teething pain. These include:

 Teething toys. These may include teething rings, wooden toys which can help apply pressure, or even teething necklaces that go in the freezer and can be given to baby for them to chew on for cool relief.

 Frozen fruit. Never give your baby whole frozen fruit as they may choke; instead, you can try putting the fruit in mesh bags that are tied off or sealed and allowing your baby to chew and refilling as needed.

 Other frozen objects. You may also choose to try a cold spoon, a frozen washcloth, or other objects to help alleviate your baby’s pain, just be sure your child cannot choke on the object and always supervise your baby!

Teething Gel

Your dentist may recommend a teething gel to provide your baby with quick relief in the event that they are inconsolable with these other tips during the teething process. Your dentist can let you know what gel they recommend and where you can find it as well as how to apply it. Typically, any type of pain medication is used as a last resort for babies who are teething.

Is your child going through the teething process? Emerging teeth can be uncomfortable for babies and anxiety inducing for parents who have to comfort their baby during this time. You can help alleviate your baby’s discomfort and stress with the above tips for teething pain!

The post Tips for Treating Teething Pain in Infants appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Babies can get gum disease and even experience tooth decay. Here’s why your infant might be
experiencing symptoms of gum disease and what you can do about it.

Lack of Proper Oral Hygiene

If you aren’t regularly cleaning your baby’s mouth, your infant is more likely to get gingivitis, the
beginning stage of gum disease.

Although some health conditions such as type 1 diabetes and Down’s Syndrome make babies
more likely to get gum disease, the culprit is often a lack of oral hygiene. You should be cleaning
your baby’s mouth after every feeding whether or not their teeth have come in yet.

If you’re not cleaning your baby’s mouth regularly, you may see red and swollen gums in your
baby’s oral cavity. If your child is teething and you feel a tooth coming in beneath the gumline,
this may be normal discomfort from teething. If your child isn’t getting a tooth in, seek
professional care to see what the problem is.

Symptoms of Gum Disease

Symptoms of gum disease in infants and toddlers are not much different than gum disease in
adults. Signs and symptoms include puffy, swollen gum tissue, red gums, bleeding, and
sensitivity. Your child may be more irritable or cry often as a result of their discomfort.

If you suspect your infant has gum disease, you should schedule an appointment with your
child-friendly dentist as soon as possible to determine what the problem is and to seek
treatment before your child’s mouth is further affected.

How to Prevent Gum Disease in Infants

In order to promote good oral health and prevent gum disease in infants, you must clean their
mouth regularly. Fortunately, cleaning your infant’s mouth after feedings is simple.
If your child doesn’t have teeth yet, a clean, damp washcloth can be used to gently wipe the
gums after feedings.

If your baby has teeth, use a tiny toothbrush with a tiny amount of toothpaste (the size of a
grain of rice) to gently brush their tooth or teeth. It’s not necessary to use toothpaste with
fluoride until your child is in their toddler years.

Once your baby has two teeth that touch together, you can use dental floss to gently floss in-
between the teeth in addition to their regular brushing routine.

Preventing gum disease in infants all comes back to proper oral hygiene. Your dentist can
further advise you on best practices when taking care of your baby’s mouth to stop gum
disease or to treat it once gingivitis has set in. In order to give your baby the healthiest mouth
possible, be diligent about their oral care!

The post Can Infants Suffer from Gum Disease? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.