Children

Children learn best whilst having fun, and the habits they develop in childhood can often become embedded for life. Children love visiting our practice, and we ensure that they look forward to their visits here. We’re also very happy to see children on an ongoing basis for “routine “care, with an emphasis on prevention carefully tailored to each child.

Preventive Measures

Dietary Control of Sugar Intake within a Nutritionally Balanced Diet. Fundamentally, the cause of decay is related to the frequency of sugar intake. Our meals, snacks and drinks all contain sugar. Both the frequency and quantity of sugar intake must be carefully controlled. Please see the Children’s Q & A page for further details. If required, each child/parent will be required to complete a diet diary. This will be analysed and specific advice targeted to each child. Unfortunately some children are far more susceptible to decay than others, so just because one child can get away with something doesn’t mean it won’t cause a problem in another child.

Tooth and Mouth Cleaning. The frequent removal of bacterial dental plaque is fundamental to good oral health. The universally accepted way of doing this is by brushing your teeth twice a day. This must start as soon as the first baby teeth erupt. Each child will be assessed for oral cleanliness, with advice provided on the special techniques of tooth cleaning. A small number of children benefit from the use of dental floss. Please see the Children’s Q & A page for further details.

Fissure Sealants. These are resin based materials that bond to the nooks and crannies of children’s teeth to completely prevent the accumulation of plaque. This effectively prevents dental decay in the pits and fissures of permanent teeth, which are the most susceptible areas. These plastic resins can be applied soon after the first adult molars erupt into the mouth, at about 6 years old.

Fluoride. All children should be using a fluoride toothpaste. Please see the Children’s Q & A page for further details. A small number of decay-prone children will benefit from the use of fluoride mouthwashes. These will be prescribed based on our assessment of each child’s need.

Clinical Care

All our dentists are trained in modern techniques of paediatric dentistry, and can provide the full range of care for infants, children, adolescent and young adults. Control of anxiety and pain is central to the successful treatment of children in the dental surgery. The main techniques are:

• Behaviour management. This involves a carefully thought out arrangement of verbal and non-verbal communication, enabling children to settle into the dental chair and accept treatment procedures.
• Local Anaesthetic Techniques can help us to achieve pain-free dentistry.