Children’s Dentistry

If you have children, you most likely are aware of the importance of early detection and treatment of any type of dental condition.

Brentford Dental, and the Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, recommends that your child visit the dentist by his or her first birthday.

In fact, the earlier that we begin to see your child the more comfortable he or she will feel when they visit our office.

Bringing your child to the dentist at a young age helps to set them up for a good, comfortable experience – and ensures that they will have a positive view of the dentist moving forward to their teens and adult life.

As a result, children who receive preventative dental care from a young age are more likely to willingly visit a dentist in the future.

It’s best to bring them in for a checkup before they start school and well before they’re in pain.

A Future of Success

Generally speaking, one of the first encounters a child will have with the dentist is coming in to watch their parent or an older sibling during their checkup.

As long as you’re not someone who tends to feel nervous about dental care (so that you don’t transfer the anxiety), it can be beneficial to have your child accompany you to see what the visit is all about.

We do suggest that taking them for a ride in the chair, and counting their teeth, and rewarding them with “stickers” and tooth brushing charts, can help them look positively on forming great habits for life.

Your Child’s First Visit

When it’s your child’s turn to see the dentist, our team will always greet them in a friendly way to help them feel comfortable.

Our Oral Health Therapist will explain things in an age-appropriate manner, allowing your child to ride up and down in the dental chair and have their teeth “counted”.

During this appointment, we’ll meet with the parents to discuss any questions or concerns. We aim to provide preventative care that stops and reduces tooth decay, crowding and other early signs of dental anomalies.

After the visit is over, we’ll reward your child and talk about what comes next. In most cases, children benefit from six-monthly checkups just like adults.

Comprehensive Treatments

Should your child have a cavity or abscess, we provide complete restorative options for all ages. Fillings and root canals are just a couple of examples.

To help your child feel at ease, we provide gentle sedation options like nitrous oxide (happy gas). Our goal is to intercept issues when they’re smaller and less invasive to correct.

Fissure Sealants

Some of the most cavity-prone areas in your child’s mouth are the deep grooves and pits on their back teeth (molars). Their permanent molars erupt around the ages of 6 and 12, respectively. To make these surfaces easier to clean, we recommend placing protective fissure sealants soon after their adult molars cut through the gums. Sealants also serve to block out cavity-causing bacteria and food debris.

Sealants take only a few minutes to apply to each tooth. We can typically place them at the same time as your child’s routine checkup. No numbing is necessary!

Clean and Fluoride

Routine cleans allow us to lower your child’s risk of cavities and bad breath. Our oral health therapist will clean away buildup and polish off stain that may have accumulated since their last appointment. During the process, we’ll discuss any changes that have occurred since the last visit. Age-appropriate oral hygiene instruction helps your child adapt their home-care habits to keep their smile healthy between visits.

Following the scale and clean, we’ll place a professional fluoride gel across their enamel to make teeth resistant to decay. Fluoride is also helpful for combating tooth sensitivity. We recommend routine fluoride for all children but especially those who may be wearing braces or other orthodontic appliances.