Extra-Gentle Care for Your Child’s Gums and Teeth
Just like adults, children need regular dental visits to maintain a healthy smile. Routine teeth cleaning and examinations are essential for protecting their oral health and ensuring proper development. Professional cleanings remove plaque, tartar, and bacteria that can lead to tooth decay, gum disease, or chronic bad breath—factors that may also impact how their adult teeth grow in.
A kid-friendly hygienist can reach areas that routine brushing and flossing at home often miss, providing an extra level of care. After cleaning, the hygienist and dentist can examine your child’s teeth, gums, and oral development. This includes checking for problem areas, monitoring baby teeth as they fall out, and tracking how adult teeth are settling in. You’ll also receive tailored tips to support your child’s oral care at home.
Benefits of Routine Pediatric Teeth Cleanings and Exams
- Keep baby teeth and emerging adult teeth healthy and strong.
- Prevent gum disease and maintain overall oral health.
- Monitor progress during important growth milestones.
- Build a positive and comfortable relationship with the dentist.
- Empower kids to develop good oral hygiene habits at home.
- Establish lifelong practices for a healthy smile.
Start early to set your child up for a lifetime of confident, healthy smiles.
What Happens During Children’s Teeth Cleaning?
Before their check-up, we review your child’s chart and dental history to quickly identify any problem areas or concerning patterns. If needed, we may take X-rays or discuss fluoride treatments and sealants for new adult teeth. We’ll communicate in a kid-friendly way to help your child feel comfortable and encourage them to share any concerns or questions about their teeth and mouth.
Gum Health
Healthy gums are crucial for supporting teeth and maintaining a beautiful smile. As permanent teeth come in, children are just as prone to gum diseases as adults. During the visit, we carefully examine the soft tissues in their mouth and provide age-appropriate tips for flossing and gum care to promote long-term oral health.
Plaque & Tartar Removal
Plaque is a sticky film that begins forming on teeth as soon as they erupt. Without regular cleaning, it can harden into tartar, which is difficult to remove and often accumulates between teeth and along the gumline. Plaque and tartar can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. Using specialized tools, the hygienist will gently remove these deposits, ensuring your child’s teeth and gums stay healthy. After cleaning, we may recommend a fluoride treatment to strengthen enamel and protect against cavities.
Monitoring Milestones
Children’s dental development varies greatly. Most will get their first teeth between 6 months and 6 years, lose baby teeth over time, and gain permanent teeth through their teens (sometimes later for wisdom teeth). During the appointment, the dentist reviews your child’s chart, checks X-rays if needed, and monitors for any concerns or delays in development. By tracking their progress, we ensure their teeth are coming in properly and address any potential issues early.
Contact us today
to schedule an initial consultation & exam.
Your consultation will include an examination of everything from your teeth, gums and soft tissues to the shape and condition of your bite. Generally, we want to see how your whole mouth looks and functions. Before we plan your treatment we want to know everything about the health and aesthetic of your smile, and most importantly, what you want to achieve so we can help you get there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Just like adults, we generally recommend bringing your child in every six months for a cleaning and checkup unless your dentist suggests otherwise. Some families opt for visits every three months, but we strongly advise not waiting longer than a year.
Don’t wait. If you’re concerned about your child’s teeth or oral health, it’s best to schedule an appointment right away. Addressing potential issues early can prevent them from becoming more serious.
Young children often don’t know how to communicate discomfort, and some may try to cope without speaking up.
- Excessive touching or cupping of their face or teeth.
- Reluctance to let others near their mouth.
- Swelling, redness, or discolouration of the gums, cheeks, or teeth.
- Fever, which can sometimes accompany a toothache.
- Avoidance of hot, cold, chewy, or hard foods.
- Chewing only on one side of their mouth.
- Irritability or mood changes.
- If you notice these symptoms, it’s best to consult a dentist as soon as possible.
Watch for signs such as:
Most teeth cleaning appointments last 30 minutes to an hour. However, they may take longer for children who have lots of questions or need extra reassurance and gentle care to feel at ease.
- Start cleaning your child’s teeth as soon as they emerge. Use child-friendly, age-appropriate toothpaste and toothbrushes.
- Encourage them to brush their own teeth twice a day and teach them about good oral hygiene.
- Fluoride treatments are highly beneficial and can be requested during dental visits. You can also use fluoride toothpaste and drinking water at home.
- Limit sugary or acidic foods and drinks, like juice and pop, as they can lead to tooth decay.
- Avoid sweet treats and snacks before bed.
- Finally, lead by example—brush your own teeth twice a day and floss regularly!
Your child should wait at least 30 minutes after a fluoride treatment before eating or drinking. This waiting period allows the fluoride to fully coat and strengthen their teeth without being washed away by food or drink.
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