For healthy teeth, choose healthy, whole food snacks, like fruit vegetables, and cheese. As your child gets older, raw or roasted nuts are also great options for a healthy smile.

If brushing is a struggle for your infant or toddler, four hands can be better than two. Have one person place the child’s legs around their torso, while the child lies back into the partner’s lap for brushing teeth. If a partner is unavailable to assist you, we recommend sitting on the floor, with your child’s head in your lap to achieve the best access.

For brushing the teeth of children less than 2 years old, use a rice grain amount of fluoride toothpaste; even though the child will likely swallow the paste, this is a safe and helpful dose of fluoride for your child. For children over the age of 2, a small pea-sized amount of toothpaste is recommended.

Remember to keep toothpaste out of your child’s reach, and always have an adult dispense toothpaste for children less than eight years old.

Although your child may seem independent at five years old, it is best to supervise brushing at least before bedtime until your child is 8 years old, to ensure that proper cleaning is taking place.

Introduce flossing as soon as you notice that child’s teeth are touching. We recommend floss sticks as the simplest means of cleaning between young teeth. If flossing is a struggle for your child, concentrate on cleaning between the molars in the back of the mouth.

Feel free to click here to print off this coloring page to promote healthy eating and dental habits!

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A few terms you might hear at the dentist:

Abscess: A pocket or sack of pus and gas produced by an infection

Caries: tooth decay, also known as a cavity

Endodontist: a dentist who specializes in root canals and treating disease and infection of tooth pulp

Gingiva: also called gums

Local anesthesia: numbs a specific part of the body to prevent pain during a procedure

Occlusion: the alignment of the teeth of the lower jaw with the corresponding teeth of the upper jaw when closed

Malocclusion: a defect in the normal position of the upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed

Orthodontist: a dentist who specializes in the diagnosis, prevention and correction of malocclusion

Overbite: a type of malocclusion where the upper and lower teeth overlap when they close together

Overjet: a type of malocclusion where the upper front teeth angle horizontally outwards; also called horizontal overlap or “buck teeth”

Pedodontist: a dentist who specializes in the care and treatment of children’s teeth; also called pediatric dentist

General anesthesia: renders patient unconscious so they will not feel or remember a procedure

Primary teeth: a child’s temporary or “baby” teeth, which include four incisors, two canines, and four molars in each jaw

Permanent teeth: replacing a child’s primary teeth, this second set of teeth—32 in all—includes two canines and 10 premolars and molars in each jaw

Preparing for Your First Visit?

Happy Smiles Start Here

There are many things you can do to help prepare your child for their first dental visit. Reading books about going to the dentist is a great way to introduce your child dentistry. Speak about the dental office using positive terms, and PLEASE DO NOT use words such as, “hurt,” “needle,” “shot,” “drill,” and “pain,” to refer to dental care. We like to set a positive tone to encourage your child to have a successful visit.

The first visit is a chance for us to get to know your child and for your child to get to know us. A new environment and new people can be a lot for a child to take in. It’s important to make sure their first experience at Eversmiles is positive.

Let your child know that she/he is growing up, and part of becoming a “big kid” is making sure that their teeth are healthy with a visit to the dentist.

On the day of your child’s visit, we ask that one guardian come with your child so that we can focus on his or her needs, and thoroughly review your child’s oral care with you. We ask that siblings without an appointment remain at home, or in the waiting area with a responsible adult. If your child is comfortable, she or he is welcome to come back to treatment area by themselves, and we can review our visit with you at the end of the appointment.

Depending on the age and tolerance of your child, the first visit will consist of an oral examination, cleaning, x-rays, and fluoride varnish. If your child is an infant or toddler, or requires some extra hand-holding, the exam will likely take place in a private consultation room. Preschool-aged children through adolescents typically receive their exam and complete cleaning in our kid-friendly dental chairs.

If you were referred to our office specifically for dental treatment, your child’s first visit will be a consultation so that we may meet you and your child, assess the treatment required, and determine the best and safest means of providing dental care for your child. Restorative treatment will NOT be completed at your child’s first dental visit with us.

We will discuss a treatment plan with you should your child need additional services, but we do not provide treatment on the first visit.

Before your child’s appointment, we will send you a patient registration and medical history form, which are also available on our downloadable forms. We ask that you arrive 15 minutes before the appointment to allow time to register and for your child to get comfortable.

Healthy Dental Tips

Glossary

A few terms you might hear at the dentist:

First Dentist Visit Preparation

Preparing for Your First Visit?

Happy Smiles Start Here

Before your child’s appointment, we will send you a patient registration and medical history form, which are also available on our downloadable forms. We ask that you arrive 15 minutes before the appointment to allow time to register and for your child to get comfortable.

If you have any questions about our services or policies, please don’t hesitate to contact us or take a look at our frequently asked questions.

Eversmiles Pediatric Dentistry

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