Kids Oral Hygiene

Did you know that February is Child Oral Hygiene Month? This month raises awareness for the education and importance of your child’s oral hygiene. Everyone is born with 2 sets of teeth, Primary and Permanent. Primary teeth typically erupt between the ages of 6months-3 years. Primary teeth consist of central incisors, laterals, canines, first and second molars. These teeth typically start to shed when a child turns 6 years old and will continue until the child is around 12 years old. During these years introducing children to proper dental health is very important. We recommended bringing your child in as soon as they get their first two teeth, so about 1 year of age. This way your child can get comfortable with the sounds and sights of our office. For the first few years we do what we term a Happy Visit. These visits can be done in conjunction with the parent’s hygiene visit and is recommended every 6 months. Most insurance covers these types of visits and for patient with self-pay we have a discounted rate. Once your child is around 6 years of age they develop their first molars and at age 12 they develop their second molars. When these molars are fully in, our hygienists will place a sealant material to protect the groves of the molars.

As your child develops and their permanent teeth start to grow we can also advise you on the best course of action regarding your child’s bite, crowding, and health of gums.

Keeping up with your child’s regular bi-annual cleaning with ensure a healthy relationship as they age. Call our office today to see if they are scheduled or if you would like to have them become established at our office. Also if your tween/teen is in orthodontics an extra cleaning a year will help keep their gums healthy. Discuss with our hygienist on why it’s important for an additional cleaning a year.