Quick Tips That Help Make Brushing and Flossing Fun and Easy

• Brush your teeth together, taking turns brushing each others teeth
• Use one of the familiar cartoon character brushes
• Sing the theme song from your child's favorite cartoon or a nursery rhyme, while you brush their teeth
• Use toothpaste and mouth rinse that have pleasant flavors for sensitive taste buds
• Use syllables like “ahhhh” or “eeeeeee” to help your child open their mouth or move their lips away from their teeth while brushing.

A Life-Long Commitment

When you teach a child something new at a young age, he will learn the task and continue it well into adulthood. Brushing and flossing has never been more important. Bring your child in to see Dr. Doyle as early as one year old or when you see eight teeth. We recommend children have dental check-up appointments once every six months.

THUMB/FINGER SUCKING

There is no evidence that sucking habits can be prevented; however, there are suggested ways to discontinue these habits.  Sucking is normal for babies and young children, therefore early intervention is usually not recommended. Most children stop sucking habits on their own around 4-5 years of age. Usually there is no reason to worry until permanent front teeth are ready to come in.

When the permanent teeth start to erupt, at age five or six, Dr. Doyle and the parents work together to develop a reward system to help children quit. If this approach does not work, a mouth appliance may be recommended that deters the thumb or finger from being inserted in the mouth to discourage sucking habits. 

Prolonged nursing from the bottle or breast, particularly at bedtime, puts children at risk.  This type of improper feeding with liquids high in carbohydrates at the critical time when new teeth are first erupting can lead to severe decay before the second year of life.

This can be prevented by discontinuing the use of the bottle at 12-13 months, never using a bottle to induce sleep, and daily cleaning of the gums and teeth.

Early detection of decay is the key to the restoration of this serious form of dental disease.  Fillings or crowns for the affected primary teeth can be placed in the dental office or in some instances, the hospital operating suite. 

When it comes to brushing and flossing for kids, both tasks require good manual dexterity, or in other words, good control of the tooth brush and floss; something most kids do not develop until around age eight. It is important for an adult to brush a child's teeth twice a day to ensure the removal of plaque to prevent tooth decay. Until the age of eight, children should be supervised while brushing. Brushing should last for at least two minutes. But in the case of children, it will generally require a bit more time and patience for the person helping the child.

• Start by using a soft bristled toothbrush with a pea sized amount of toothpaste. Choose a toothpaste that is appropriate for the age of the child. Avoid using toothpaste that contains fluoride until the child is able to consciously avoid swallowing it to prevent fluorosis.
• Hold the brush at a 45-degree angle with the bristles pointed in the direction of the gumline.
• Gently brush the teeth with a circular motion. Brush the outside surface , inside surface , and biting surface of the teeth.

Flossing a child's teeth is often easy because they have fairly large spaces between them. Some children however, do have tight spaces, and require daily flossing to prevent tooth decay between the teeth. Consider using a flossing aide, they are easily used between the teeth, cleaning gently and effectively and allow the child to attempt to floss on their own. 

Pros

-  The composite filling material contains only acrylic resin and glass particles, no mercury.
-  The tooth colored filling material looks very nice and natural.
-  Composite fillings are already hard when you leave the dental office, therefore, you can chew on them whenever you like.
-  Composite fillings don’t corrode or expand over time like amalgam.
-  Less tooth structure is lost because the dentist can make a smaller preparation.

Cons

-  The composite filling material is more expensive.
-  This type of filling usually takes the dentist a little longer to do.
-  These fillings do not get whiter if you bleach your teeth.
-  Insurance companies will not always pay for composite fillings on back teeth.

Dr Doyle prefers composite fillings because tooth structure can be saved, which means less drilling and less chance for fracturing in the future. There is no waiting to eat, no mercury, and they look great!