Children

Expectant Moms

Prior and during your pregnancy it is more important than ever that you practice excellent oral hygiene to avoid both tooth decay and gum infections. With all the hormones produced during pregnancy, your mouth produces more plaque. Believe it or not, the bacteria in your mouth grow more rapidly due to the hormones. Fluids increase in a pregnant woman’s body by as much as 40%. The increase in fluids increases fluid in the gums too. When expecting your gums might become tender or puffy.

With normal brushing and FLOSSING, this situation can be avoided. Bacteria, not hormones, cause the gingivitis. Statistically 50-75% of all pregnant women develop pregnancy gingivitis. If you are pregnant please come in for your regularly scheduled appointment. We want to help you avoid the bacterial growth that can be harmful to both you and your baby.

Your Child's First Dental Visit

Parents frequently ask when should they bring their child in for their first dental visit. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s recommendation is “first visit by first birthday”. Your child should visit a dentist when the first tooth comes in, usually between six and twelve months of age. Early examination and preventive care will protect your child’s smile now and in the future. Not only does this first appointment help get you started off with good oral health for your child, but it gives them a chance to meet me, to hear the noses a dental office makes and for us to look at their developing gums. Help us familiarize your baby with the dental office.

Establishing a Dental Home

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) and the American Dental Association (ADA) support the idea of a “Dental Home,” which is the ongoing relationship between the dentist who is the Primary Dental Care Provider and the patient, and includes comprehensive oral health care, beginning no later than age one. Establishing a Dental Home means that a child’s oral health care is managed in a comprehensive, continuously accessible, coordinated, and family-centered way by a licensed dentist. The concept of the Dental Home reflects AAPD and ADA policies and best principles for the proper delivery of oral health care to all, with an emphasis on initiating preventive strategies during infancy. An infant oral health exam is simple, easy and effective.

Free Downloads for Parents

Baby’s First Teeth (pdf)

Infant Formula & Fluoride (pdf)

Thumb Sucking (pdf)

Tooth Eruption (pdf)

Pregnant Tips for a Healthy Smile (pdf)

Free Baby Visit

The Dental Home enhances the dental professional’s ability to provide optimal oral health care, beginning with the age one dental visit for successful preventive care and treatment as part of an overall oral health care foundation for life. Dentist offices smell different, sound different and might look unusual to your baby. We want to give them the chance to make the office a positive place. Please bring your baby in for a free visit when you schedule your own visit.

The most important reason is to begin a thorough prevention program. Dental problems can begin early – even before we see the first teeth. A big concern is Early Childhood Caries (cavities), also known as baby bottle tooth decay or nursing caries. To learn more about dental cavities in both bottle and breastfed children read the articles provided in our links area.

The earlier the dental visit, the better the chance of preventing dental problems. Children with healthy teeth chew food easily, learn to speak clearly, and smile with confidence. Start your child now on a lifetime of good dental habits.

Good habits start VERY early. Beginning at birth, you can clean your child’s gums with a soft infant toothbrush and water. Some parents find it easier to wipe the gums with a moist soft washcloth. Remember that most small children do not have the dexterity to brush their teeth effectively. Unless it is advised by the dentist, do not use fluoridated toothpaste until age 2-3, and then only a pea-sized amount.