Children’s Dental Care

July 26, 2024
Posted by:
Dr Sonam Bhatia

Advice for our Purley patients who have growing kids

There has been a growing awareness of the importance of having not only healthy, but also nice looking teeth over the past decade or two. The increasing number of patients attending our Purley dental practice seeking cosmetic dental treatments to achieve this seems to bear this out. Without healthy teeth though, it is difficult to maintain a nice smile and poor oral health may well be due to habits that we developed as children.

In today’s blog, we are going to take a look at some of the key things that parents should be aware of for their children as they grow up into adults. Following this basic guidance can make a big difference to the condition of their teeth as they enter an age when they must then, take responsibility for themselves.

Babies

As we know, babies are usually born without teeth, with their first ones starting to show around the age of six months onwards. Even before this happens though, parents can help their babies by making sure that their gums are clean by using a clean damp cloth around the finger and gently wiping their gums. Not only will this help to keep them clean but will get the baby used to intervention in this area.

At around one year old, you should book your child in for an appointment at Purley Dental Care. While it is unlikely that there will be any problems at this age, it is still a good idea to check. It is thought that six monthly check ups from this age also helps children to get used to seeing the dentist and may lessen the chances of them developing dental phobia which could have a long term effect on their teeth and gums.

Young children

Although young children may occasionally throw tantrums, the reality is that the adults are in charge. However difficult it becomes to take your child for a regular dental appointment, you should not give up as this is an important age for them to see a dentist to monitor their first teeth.

There can be a tendency to think that because their baby teeth fall out eventually anyway that they don’t matter. This is not true and premature tooth loss can cause the adult teeth to come through incorrectly. As children tend to develop a sweet tooth around this age, there is also an increased chance of them suffering from tooth decay and we are sure that parents don’t want to see their child suffer with a painful toothache!

Pre teens

This can be a difficult age as our children no longer ‘cling’ to us and depend on us as much, but start to develop their own character and explore the world a bit more. This can be a challenging time for parents as they seem to find a way to eat more sweets and chocolates at the same time as trying to avoid cleaning their teeth, preferring instead to do anything else! This is an important time though as many of their teeth will now be their adult versions. Once one of these is lost through decay or needing to be extracted, there are no other teeth to come through and your young child may already need to have a tooth replacement, such as a denture or a dental implant, in the future.

However hard it is then, make sure that you get them to their appointments even if it requires a little ‘blackmail’ to do so. It may be hard work to get them there but they will (probably) thank you for it as they become older.

Teenagers

Yet another challenging age for parents and one where control  is even more difficult as they become young adults. It can be very frustrating to see them eat a poor diet outside of the house while at the same time not looking after their teeth properly. Ongoing oral health care is important though and should be encouraged. Unfortunately, this isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ situation and every child is different. Some will respond to you ‘putting your foot down’ while others will respond better to a more gentle approach.

This is perhaps one of the riskier times for their teeth though. Not only are they likely to be eating a high sugar diet and not cleaning their teeth as they should, but, even though we may not like to consider it, there are also additional risks if they decide to smoke or partake in recreational drugs.

Whatever age they are at, it is important to emphasise the importance of their oral health. Regular brushing and dental check ups are essential, along, ideally, with limiting their sugar intake. At Purley Dental Care, we have an excellent team of children’s dentists, and can also provide additional treatments such as sealants to help protect young and vulnerable teeth.

If you are a parent of a child from the age of one year old and would like to make an appointment with us, we are only too happy to help you get your children’s oral health off to a good start. You can make an appointment today, by calling our Purley dental clinic on 020 8660 2928. We look forward to helping your child have a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums!

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