Kid's Dentist in Bowmanville

Healthy smiles mean healthier kids!

Our dentists believe oral health is linked to overall health. Starting your children's dental treatment early can help keep them healthy and smiling!

Your child's first visit to our office is the most important one. This will be the time for us to establish trust and understanding. Kids should feel comfortable and safe, so that they have that same comfort level for all of their future visits.

Our goal is to teach your child to be comfortable by explaining things in fun and exciting ways, and always in terms that are age-appropriate.

This visit also presents an opportunity to discuss a preventive program that can start your child on the road to a cavity-free life and to answer any oral health questions you may have.

Caring For Teeth

Brush your child's teeth twice a day as soon as the first tooth comes in.

Use a soft bristled toothbrush small enough for a baby with either plain water or a small amount of non-fluoridated toothpaste.

Toothpaste containing fluoride can be used when your child is old enough to spit. It is normal for your child to cry when you first start brushing their teeth.

Your child will eventually learn to be comfortable with this as daily routine and will enjoy the attention.

Birth to 12 months:

Between the ages of 6 and 10 months, your child will begin to show their first baby tooth. As soon as a tooth erupts, it must be brushed as there is now a risk of developing cavities.

It is suggested that you never put your child to bed with a bottle of milk or fruit juice. This, in combination with a drier night-time mouth, will create an environment that leaves the teeth susceptible to cavities. It is fine to give a bottle in bed if it is filled with plain water.

The most important time to brush your baby's teeth is before bed. Ideally, you should brush twice a day, using a non-fluoridated toothpaste.

1 to 5 years:

Early and regular visits to a dentist allow your child to feel at home in the dental office. This also gives the dental team a chance to instill good oral hygiene habits, which may potentially prevent a cavity from ever forming. If your child happens to develop a cavity, then it is possible to treat it with a small white filling. Leaving the cavity to grow bigger may result in pain and/or infection and will likely result in the need for more invasive treatment later on.

A fluoride toothpaste can be used only if you are sure that your child is fully spitting all the toothpaste into the sink. If there is any doubt on this matter, limit use to a non-fluoridated toothpaste. Children in this age range are learning to develop their fine motor skills such as walking. This is generally accompanied by many falls. A common injury at this age is trauma to the top front teeth. If facial trauma occurs, we are very comfortable with treating your child to bring back his or her smile.

6-13 years:

The age of six is generally when your child's adult teeth will surface. Usually, the first permanent teeth to appear are the first molars. They will erupt behind the last baby molars and are responsible for the tightening together of all the back teeth in the mouth.

Continue to reinforce good oral hygiene and dietary habits through these developmental years. Children become more exposed to junk food as they grow older, so teaching them about the effect of unhealthy foods on their teeth is vital in cavity prevention. Regular check-ups, cleanings, and fluoride treatments are recommended.

By the time your child is 13 years old, they should have lost all of their baby teeth. If your child's teeth are not coming in straight then we may need to consider orthodontic treatment to ensure proper jaw function and maximize the potential of their smile.

14+ years:

At this stage, all the hard work of regular dental cavity prevention should be paying off.

Your child will likely be educated enough to make smart oral health choices and to independently care for their own teeth.