Keep Your Child’s Smile Healthy!

Did you know that kids can smile up to 400 times a day? Who doesn’t love that?! 

To ensure that you are helping to take care of your kid’s teeth, make sure you are scheduling them for their preventative visit early. At Grand Avenue Dental Care, we recommend that you take your child to the dentist when they get their first tooth or when they turn one year old - whichever happens first. 

This is what we call our ‘knee-to-knee’ exam and it’s a great chance for a dentist to take a look at how your child’s teeth are developing. It also allows both the child to start getting comfortable at the dentist, and the parent the opportunity to ask questions about at-home care and eating habits. 

The goal is prevent decay and development problems rather than have to treat them later. Plus, it allows us to develop a relationship with the patient from a young age, helping to ensure that they come every 6 months for their preventative visits as they get older. 

In addition, it can be beneficial to talk about habits like thumb-sucking or using a pacifier at these visits. Until a child is 2 or 3, it can be common for a child to suck their thumb or soothe with a pacifier. However after the age of 3 or 4 years old, this habit can become one that could damage tooth and jaw development. If you fear that your child is carrying their habit with them into adolescence, speak to your dentist as there are a couple of options that they can discuss with you!

Regardless of what your concern is, we recommend talking with your dentist. You will be helping to develop a positive relationship between your child and the dental office and that will help keep your child smiling.