Dentistry for Kids
Portland, OR
It is essential that your child gets a pleasant and successful first experience in the dentist’s office since it will ensure they take care of their dental health all life long. At Geelan Dental Care, we strive to make the dental experience comfortable, rewarding and even fun for your child.
Aron Geelan, DMD and are dedicated to providing your child with the best dentistry options available and help them deal with their fears and concerns while providing them with appropriate dental treatments.
Your Child’s First Visit
Often, parents do not take their child to a dental appointment until they have developed a cavity or gotten another oral issue. However, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, children should have their first dental appointment as soon as their first tooth erupts, which is typically at the age of six months and no later than 12 months.
This is crucial for your child’s continued dental health.
Even though your child will not have any concerning dental issues at this age, it is a good time for them to become familiar with a dental office and become comfortable with the dentist’s chair.
During your child’s first dental appointment, we will perform an oral exam of your child’s mouth and educate you (the parent) on various dental and oral health issues like:
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How to properly clean your child’s gum and developing teeth.
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Offer them advice on the child’s use of teethers and pacifiers.
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Inform them about baby bottle decay.
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Offer them advice on the baby’s feeding practices.
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Recommendations for baby thumb and finger sucking. |
The Importance of Good Oral Hygiene for Kids
The health of your child’s baby teeth is directly related to the health of your child’s secondary teeth. A decayed tooth may spread the infection to the adult tooth growing behind it. Losing a primary tooth prematurely can shift their tooth out of place, necessitating expensive orthodontic treatment later on.
Hence, after the first visit, we encourage parents to bring their child for a dental appointment every six months.
By the age of three, your child will have a full set of baby teeth. By age six, your child will experience losing their first tooth and the eruption of their first adult tooth. By the time your child turns 13, they will have a full set of adult teeth, except the wisdom teeth. By the age of 17 to 25, your child will get their third and final set of secondary molars.
As you can see, the entire age of youth is critical for your child to develop good oral health.
Fluoride Treatment and Dental Sealants
Every day, our teeth loses mineral by the action of acid-producing bacteria. This process is called demineralization and even though our teeth are designed to recover the lost minerals, too much demineralization can result in enamel erosion and dental cavities.
At Geelan Dental Care, we offer your child fluoride treatment and dental sealants.
When you come to your six-monthly dental appointments, we will give your child a fluoride treatment if they are older than two years of age. This will help the enamel remineralize itself and the fluoride will prevent further harm to the enamel.
We may also place a dental sealant on your child’s molar. Dental sealant is a covering made of BPA-free plastic, which protects the chewing surface of their molars from the destructive effect of plaque. It provides a smooth chewing surface and also allows your child to easily clean their back teeth by preventing food debris from sticking into the pits and grooves of the molars.
Schedule Your Child’s Appointment
Your child’s dental health is very important so you cannot afford to be neglectful. Call us today at (971) 323-1990 to schedule an appointment with us.
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