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Top Tips for Back to School Dental Care

It’s almost back to school time! With books to buy and uniforms to fit, this is always a very busy period for parents and guardians. There are plenty of boxes to tick to make sure your child is ready for the new term, and their back to school dental health is one of them! 

From tooth-friendly lunchboxes to mouthguard fitting, Dr Jennifer Collins, Clinical Director of Dental Care Ireland, has set out some tips to help you plan for your child’s return to school.

#1 Schedule a check-up

Prevention is better than cure, and regular check-ups with your paediatric dentist are the best way to avoid unnecessary pain and minimise impact on important study time during the school year. Routine attendance will also help to reduce unexpected dental costs in the longer-term. Booking your child’s dental or orthodontic appointments well in advance can also help you plan effectively around their school schedule.

#2 Replace toothbrushes

In the rush to update school shoes, uniforms and stationery for the new school year, be sure to consider replacing the family’s toothbrushes too. It is important to replace your child’s toothbrush at least every three months, or after an illness. To keep their mouths healthy, regular brushing with a fluoride toothpaste is key.

#3 Supervise brushing

For younger children, parents will still need to provide assistance with brushing, whilst at the same time encouraging them to manage their own brushing routine. Experts recommend that brushing assistance is needed until such time as the child has demonstrated good manual dexterity for independent tasks such as tying shoelaces.

#4 Tooth-friendly lunch boxes

Most schools have a healthy lunch box policy, which goes hand-in-hand with maintaining good dental health. This should include a balance of grains, milk, cheese, raw vegetables, yoghurt or fruit. Ideally, opt for a small child’s size bottle of water or a small carton of milk. Drinking water will help to dilute any acid attacks on the teeth.

#5 Restrict treats to mealtime

With the prospect of birthday party season and Halloween on the horizon, try to limit treats to mealtimes and avoid grazing on them throughout the day. Our saliva production increases during meals, which helps rinse away sugary food particles and can reduce the risk of cavities. Avoid treats that tend to linger in the mouth, such as hard or sticky sweets.

#6 Mouth guard fitting

A properly fitted mouthguard is an essential safety feature for children ahead of the winter sports season. A dentist can custom fit your child’s mouthguard to ensure that it is accurately adapted to the mouth and stays in place securely. As the child’s teeth develop and change, it is important to check each year that their mouthguard still fits.

#7 Emergency contacts

The beginning of the school year is a great opportunity to update your emergency contact list. Ideally, this should include your paediatric dentist’s details so that if your child has a dental emergency at school, your family dentist can be contacted. It is also worth checking if your school has access to a paediatric dentist on call, in case of playground or sports mishaps.

Dental Care Ireland has 29 dental practices nationwide. Click here to find your local practice and book your family’s next dental appointment.

Tooth Care Tips for Tots

Baby teeth are just as prone to cavities as adult teeth, so establishing an effective oral health routine from an early age is key. Teaching children to look after their baby teeth will help lay the foundations for a healthy adult mouth.

Dr Elaine Shore, a paediatric dentist at our Cabinteely practice in Dublin, answers some frequently asked questions about toddlers’ dental health.

Q. When should I start brushing my child’s teeth?

A. Toothbrushing should start as soon as the first baby tooth appears in the mouth. The first teeth begin to erupt at around 6 months, but each child is different so it may be a little earlier or later in some cases.

Q. How can I encourage toothbrushing for my child?

A. The best way to encourage toothbrushing is to make it part of their normal routine from when the first tooth appears in their mouth. Toddlers are too young to brush their teeth by themselves. We recommend that parents brush their child’s teeth for them at bedtime or bath time, and at one other time during the day. The easiest and safest way for you to do this effectively is for the child to be lying down in a comfortable place while you brush their teeth.

Consultant paediatric dentist Dr Kirsten FitzGerald from Children’s Health Ireland at Crumlin, has developed a very helpful video demonstrating this technique.

Q. What type of toothpaste should I use to brush my toddler’s teeth?

A. For children aged 0-2 years, the use of toothpaste depends on how much your child is at risk of tooth decay.

If your child is at low risk of dental decay, there is no need to use fluoride toothpaste until age 2 years. Instead, just use the toothbrush with some plain tap water on it.

If your child already has decay in their teeth under the age of 2, or is at high risk of developing decay before age 2, you may be advised by your dentist to use a small smear of fluoride toothpaste on the toothbrush (roughly the same size as a grain of rice). The fluoride in toothpaste helps to strengthen and support teeth so they can recover from the acid attacks caused by foods and drinks, reducing the risk of dental decay.

From age 2 years, children should be using a smear of fluoride toothpaste twice a day. From age 3 onwards, a small pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste may be used on the toothbrush, twice daily.

Q. How long should brushing last?

A. Teeth should be brushed twice a day for two minutes. There are several songs and videos available online to help with timing this, which may also help to make it more fun. Always make sure your child spits out after brushing to avoid swallowing toothpaste, with no rinsing afterwards for at least 20 minutes. This is to allow the fluoride toothpaste to work on strengthening the teeth.

Q. When can my child brush without supervision?

A. We recommend that parents help with toothbrushing until the child has demonstrated good manual dexterity for independent tasks such as tying shoelaces. This varies from child to child. In general, children must have parental help with toothbrushing throughout the toddler years.

Q. When should a child start visiting the dentist?

A. Ideally, a “dental home” should be established by the age of 1. This means bringing your child to a dentist for check-ups from when their first teeth erupt. Getting them used to the dentist early means the child is introduced to the dental environment at a young age in a non-urgent setting, so it is a more positive experience. It is also an opportunity for dentists to provide support and advice for families on how to generate healthy dental habits at home to prevent decay from the very start.

Q. How can I prepare my toddler for a dental visit?

A. We recommend that you explain in positive, child-friendly language that the dentist will count your child’s teeth and check that they are healthy. There are lots of child-friendly books and songs about toothbrushing and visiting the dentist which may be useful for very young children to help them understand what to expect.

Q. What is a paediatric dentist, and why might my child need to see one?

A. A paediatric dentist specialises in providing dental care for children. Paediatric dentists undergo three years of full-time specialist training, in addition to their general dentistry training, so they have additional expertise in providing dental care for children in a way that is safe, effective, and acceptable to the child. This may involve using techniques like inhalation sedation (“happy air”) or general anaesthesia, if needed. The focus of paediatric dentistry is helping your child to have a positive dental experience and build lifelong healthy dental habits, so that they need minimal dentistry in future.

To book an appointment at your nearest Dental Care Ireland practice, contact us here

Make a success of your child’s first dental visit

Your child’s first dental visit is a hugely important step towards making them feel comfortable and secure in what is a new environment

 

The old notion of the dentist as someone to be feared is thankfully long gone, but that doesn’t mean that everyone goes to their local practice completely free of nerves. These nerves generally derive from difficult trips to the dentist in childhood, or from exaggerated scare stories heard through the grapevine.

That’s why it’s so important to make sure that your child’s first dental visit is as comfortable and stress-free as possible, so they can be properly introduced to an environment that is both safe and friendly.

How do children’s teeth differ from adults’ teeth?

Children’s teeth differ from adults’ teeth in size, colour and consistency. Generally, children’s teeth are smaller, thinner and whiter than adult teeth, which are bigger, darker, more dense and a little more yellow. Given the size and state of children’s teeth, it is important they get the care they need as early as possible to ensure their oral and dental health are as good as can be.

When should your child see the dentist for the first time?

Your child’s first dental visit should happen when the first tooth appears. This generally occurs when they are six months old.

What can you do to make the first visit as easy as possible?

There are a number of things you can do to ensure that your child’s first dental visit goes as smoothly as possible.

First of all, go at a time that suits both you and your child, to make sure it’s a stress-free visit. Make sure they have had a sleep so they’re well rested, and also that they’re not hungry or cranky in any way, such as first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon. If you’re rushed or stressed, your child will pick up on that and probably won’t be happy as a result.

You’ll want to give your child a decent bit of time to acclimatise to what is a new and strange environment for them! Dental practices are very bright and clean, and it’s important your child isn’t rushed in and out of the practice too quickly.

Parents are present at all times during the child’s first dental visit to put them at ease, and to hear about what the examination will entail, as well as take-home tips. The dental examination usually involves counting the child’s teeth to see how many have appeared.

Dentists are also looking for a growth pattern, to establish a baseline for what’s present and seeing if there are any tell-tale signs of issues down the line that they can advise on to prevent them becoming a problem.

Overall, the visit should be fun and enjoyable for the child, so that next time they visit, they aren’t scared or apprehensive.

What take-home messages do you need?

After your child’s first dental visit, you will gain some valuable insights into brushing techniques, some oral and dental health advice in general and dietary advice so your child isn’t eating or drinking too many sugary foods and drinks. This is particularly important as it will hopefully establish good dental habits for life.

Your dentist will want to closely monitor your child’s dental health, progression and growth in the months and years to come. If you follow these simple tips, you will greatly increase the chances of both a successful first dental visit for your child, as well as subsequent visits to come.

If you’re looking to book an appointment in one of our practices around the country, we can offer you the help and care that you need. Dental Care Ireland practices around the country open late, on weekends and during lunchtime, so make sure you consult our opening hours for more information