Children's Dentistry Questions

Austin and Round Rock, Texas

When and how should my child brush her teeth?

From the time her first tooth pops through her gums, you should start brushing. Just use water on the toothbrush for children under 18 mos. Sometimes during bath time is an easy place to do it as some children are too squirmy to just sit there and let you brush! You can let your child hold the toothbrush and brush her teeth once a day, but I recommend a parent do it once a day, too. Even a well intentioned child doesn’t really have the dexterity to get around to all the surfaces on their teeth the way you can. At about 5 or 6 years you can turn the job over to them, but still with your supervision.

When should I take my child for his first dental visit and how should I prepare him?

An early introduction to the dentist before he has any known problems is the best way to learn to enjoy dental visits. The very early appointments allow the dentist to do a brief evaluation of the patient and oral health instructions for the parent. Usually by age two, your child is ready for his first dental cleaning along with his check-up. Let your child know what to expect (The dentist will count your teeth and clean them with her special electric toothbrush, you’ll get to go for a ride in her moving chair, etc.) Most importantly, have a positive attitude. There is no reason to believe that your child won’t enjoy his visit. Comments like “be brave” or “if you’re good we ‘ll go out for a treat after,” may seem helpful, but in fact may give your child reason to believe he has something to dread. You may, in fact, inadvertently make him fearful.

What is baby bottle tooth decay, and how can I prevent it?

Baby bottle tooth decay causes cavities on all the front teeth of a young child. Milk and juice are very high in sugar content even though they are natural sugars, they can cause cavities just the same. Usually babies do fine as long as you don’t put them to bed with a bottle of milk or juice. During the night the sugars tend to soak on their teeth longer because they are half asleep and suck a little and fall asleep, suck a little more and fall asleep, leaving the juice or milk in their mouth for much longer than they do when they are awake. Just feed your child his last bottle before bed or during the night, but don’t let him keep it with him in the crib, even if he doesn’t finish it all. Also plan to have your child off the bottle by age one. Drinking from a cup is much more efficient and doesn’t soak the teeth nearly as long.

Is juice bad for teeth?

A little juice is fine, but most dentists and pediatricians agree that a toddler should only have about 6 oz of juice a day. Even 100% fruit juice is full of natural sugar – that’s why it tastes so nice and sweet. If she’s thirsty, water is an excellent choice, no sugar and packed with fluoride. Drinking too much juice can give them empty calories and decrease their appetites for nutritional foods or milk. If your child wants more than 1 or 2 glasses of juice a day, try diluting it 50/50 with water. He might notice at first, but before long he won’t know the difference. He can have twice as much juice and it’s cheaper too!

How important is fluoridated water and do water softeners take out fluoride?

Fluoride in drinking water is the best thing to happen to teeth since the toothbrush. Our generation has much better dental health than our parents due largely to the prevention of decay through fluoride. Austin, Round Rock, and Pflugerville all have the recommended amount of fluoride in the drinking water. Water softeners do not remove the fluoride, but water filters do! Many people prefer the taste of filtered water, but you are losing out on your fluoride. Try bottled drinking water with fluoride (they do exist – Dannon and Ozarka both have one). Or at least make juice or drink mixes using plain unfiltered tap water. If none of these will work for you, talk to your dentist or pediatrician about fluoride supplements.

Powell & Tiller Dental Care - Advanced Gentle Dental Care for All Ages in Austin and Round Rock, Texas

Trust Powell & Tiller Dental Care for expert family dentistry in Austin and Round Rock. Request an appointment online or call our office today.

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