What is a paediatric dentist you asked? As a paediatric dentist is dedicated to the oral health of children from babies through the teen years. A paediatric dentist have gone through extensive training to gain the valuable experience and qualifications to care for your kids’ oral health.

A child has unique concerns for their teeth, gums, and mouth throughout the various stages of childhood. We are committed to your child’s needs because we know how to examine and treat children in ways that make them comfortable. 

WHEN IS MY CHILD VISIT?

The first “regular” dental visit should be just after your child’s third birthday. The first paediatric dental visit at Crown Corner is usually short and involves very little treatment. We may ask you to sit in the dental chair and hold your child during the examination. 

WHAT ARE BABY TEETH?

We humans are quite lucky to have two sets of teeth over the course of our lifetime. Our first set of teeth come during our first year after our birth, and they are replaced by our adult teeth during our adolescent.

The first baby teeth that burst into our mouth are the two front teeth on the bottom jaw. As a parent, you might notice their cute first teeth when he or she is about 6 to 8 months old.

Next to follow will be the 4 front teeth on the upper jaw. Soon afterwards the rest of your baby’s teeth will appear periodically and commonly in pairs along the sides of the jaw until your child is about 2 and a 1/2 years old. At around 2 and a 1/2 years old, your child should have grown all 20 teeth!

Between the ages of 5 and 6, the first permanent teeth will begin to erupt and exfoliate from your child’s jaw. Some of the permanent teeth replace baby teeth, but some don’t (like wisdom teeth!). Don’t worry too much if some teeth are a few months early or late as all children are different and grow at their own pace!

However, it is important to check on the development of your child’s adult teeth! Misalignment can worsen into dental problems later in adulthood.

Baby teeth are important as they not only hold space for your child’s permanent adult teeth, but also as they are important to chewing, biting, speech and appearance.

For many reasons, it is important for your child to maintain a healthy diet and proper daily dental hygiene! Just ask us how our paediatric dental team is prepared with your child in mind!

WHAT SHOULD I TELL MY CHILD ABOUT THE FIRST DENTAL VISIT WITH CROWN CORNER?

Many of our parents asked us how to prepare their kids for appointments. We suggest you prepare your child the same way you would before their first haircut or trip to the shoe store: with plenty of excitement and care.

Our paediatric dental team will gently examine your child’s teeth and gums. X-rays may be taken (to reveal decay and check on the progress of your child’s permanent teeth under the gums). Our doctor may clean your child’s teeth and apply topical fluoride to help protect the teeth against decay. We will make sure your child is receiving adequate fluoride at home. Most important of all, we will review with you how to clean and care for your child’s teeth.

DURING YOUR FIRST VISIT OUR PAEDIATRIC DENTIST WILL:

• Examine your child’s mouth, teeth and gums.
• Evaluate adverse habits like thumb sucking.
• Check your child’s teeth and jaw growth to see if your child might need an orthodontic treatment. 
• Check to see if your child might need cavity prevention or fluoride treatment.
• Teach your child about cleaning teeth and gums.
• Suggest a tailored schedule for regular dental visits.

HOW DOES CAVITY FORM?

For most of the time, cavities are due to a diet high in sugary foods and to a lack of tooth brushing. Limiting sugar intake and brushing regularly, of course, can help with cavity prevention. The residue of food stays on their teeth after eating, the greater the chances of developing cavities in baby teeth.

Every time your child eats, an acid reaction occurs inside their mouth as mouth bacteria digests the sugar in the food. This acid reaction lasts about 20 minutes. During this time, the acid environment can harm the tooth structure and eventually can lead to the development of cavities.

Consistency of a person’s saliva also makes a difference in food digestion. Thinner saliva can break up and wash away food more quickly. When a person eats diets high in carbohydrates and sugars, their saliva tend to be thicker, which then leads to more activity from the acid-producing bacteria that can cause cavities for baby teeth.

WHAT ABOUT PREVENTATIVE CARE?

We are parents ourselves, and we understand the difficulty of helping our kids to maintain healthy oral habits. Our paediatric dental team is most concerned with all aspects of preventive care for our patients starting at a young age.

Our doctors use the latest in dental sealant technology to protect your child’s teeth as they grow and mature. Dental sealants are dental devices made of space-age plastics. During treatment, doctor bonds the sealants to the chewing surfaces of decay-prone back teeth. This is just one of the ways we will set the foundation for your child’s lifetime of good oral health.