One of our parents at SLC Montlake, Tyler Radkey, is a dentist in Magnolia who works with both adults and children. Not long ago we asked our parents if they had any questions for a dentist and he kindly agreed to answering them for us! Below are your questions and his response 🙂
Thank you Tyler!
Any tips for encouraging a little one to spit after brushing?
I actually don’t focus much on spitting after brushing. We should be using such a small amount of toothpaste (rice-sized for ages 1-2 or pea-sized at 3+ ) that it’s non-harmful if ingested. Plus it’s great to let the toothpaste sit on the teeth in order to help with tooth remineralization and cavity prevention. I never spit or rinse after brushing myself.
When should families start flossing in children?
Start trying right away! Honestly it will be fairly tough, and they may just try to chew on it, but the idea is just to ‘normalize’ flossing early on. And lets be real, you don’t have to try everyday, I think if you are getting in there 2-3 times a week you’re on the right track 🙂
When should my child go to their first dental visit? What can I expect at my child’s first dental appointment?
Ideally you should try to go within 6 months of the first tooth coming in (according to American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry). Since teeth start to come in on average around age 6 months, age 1 is a good goal. This definitely sounds daunting, but again the goal is to normalize it as much as possible early on. These early visits usually are nothing more than a ‘lap-exam’ – where the child is on a parents lap, we lean them back and take a quick look, and try to brush a little with a toothbrush. Then it’s time for stickers and balloons!!
How can I encourage my child to brush their teeth when they are not interested?
This is a daily fight in every house. Kids don’t usually have the manual dexterity to brush themselves (effectively at least) until ages 5-6. So prior to that it’s really a matter of doing it for them. Some days they want to help, many days they fight. I have tried singing, counting, telling stories – basically just attempts at distraction, while we brush (sometimes while holding them down also). I sit on the floor, and have my daughter lay down with her head on the floor in front of me, it makes the access much easier when you aren’t both vertical.
Favorite brand of toothpaste for small children?
We use Sensodyne Pronamel, same as the adults. It’s not acidic, not abrasive, and has a minimal amount of additives. Also it seems that the ‘flavored’ pastes encourage kids to just eat it – so I would avoid these if possible. But anything you are using that they don’t hate is great! The goal is just to get it done 🙂
How harmful is thumb sucking and pacifiers?
Chronic use can influence or impede development or the hard palate or the roof of the mouth. A narrow palate can increase the incidence of airway issues and bite problems later in life. It is correctable, but may require orthodontics or even corrective surgery to expand the palate. Definitely avoid both or discontinue as soon as you can.
We appreciate Tyler taking the time to answer our questions! If you are a professional who works with children and would like to have a featured post on our blog be sure to let us know 🙂
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