Infants and Toddlers
Taking care of your infant’s baby teeth and gums sets the stage. We encourage your child’s first dental visit by the age of 1 or after the first tooth erupts.
Once your child’s baby teeth erupt, brush them with a small soft bristled toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of toothpaste after feedings and at bedtime.
Children are not programmed with a fear of the dentist. However a place like the dentist’s surgery can be scary for little ones. The trick is to try make this new experience as a fun one. It is also a means of behavioural conditioning when the child sees his or her parents sitting in the dental chair. Encouragement to then sit on the lap of his or her parent will be the next goal. The better your child’s experiences are with the dentist early on, the less likely he or she will be to develop a fear of the dentist.
You can start teaching your child to brush as early as 2 years old. They will require supervision and assistance until they are about 8 years old. Establishing regular oral hygiene habits will put them ahead of the dental health game as they grow up
School Age Children
It’s never too early to start building healthy dental care habits.
Regular tooth brushing and flossing are important for maintaining healthy teeth and gums. The best way to insure that your child maintains good oral health through adulthood is to establish their oral hygiene routine early.
Just like adults, children should be brushing twice a day for at least 2 minutes at a time. Most children think they brush long enough but probably do so for less than a minute.
Teenagers
Teenagers love their independence and convincing them to eat well and care for their teeth may be challenging. Good oral health relies on more than just brushing and flossing daily.
Regular dental visits are also an important part of maintaining dental health and is often overlooked during the teenager years. It is important for your teenager to find the time to attend regular dental visits and dental cleanings to ensure that any problems are caught early.
Seniors
Your golden years should be spent relaxing and enjoying yourself but that does not mean you should relax about your dental care.
It is now that you need to be extra careful. Gum disease is not an inevitable part of ageing, yet many seniors lose their teeth because of it.