Children’s dentistry is something we take seriosuly at our Novi, MI office. That’s because the oral hygiene habits they form now at home, along with the professional care they receive, can set them up for a lifetime of good health and smile successes. Who wouldn’t want those things for their kids? If you do, be sure to call us at 248-697-2487 to arrange for your family’s next appointment.  In the meantime, we have a few tips for how you can best address your child’s dental needs along the way.

Brush Their Teeth Before They Have Teeth

Many parents are surprised to learn that there are toothbrushes specifically made for infants. It’s important to have a toothbrush for your child to rub on their gums early in their life. This cleans the mouth, allowing the teeth to erupt in a healthy way, and gets the child used to having someone clean their mouth. As more teeth come in, you’ll want to brush your child’s teeth twice a day.

Get Them To Brush A Little Longer

The American Dental Association strongly suggests that you brush your teeth twice a day for about two minutes at a stretch. We’ve learned, from asking our patients, that it’s often hard to stay focused long enough to brush for the full two minutes. So, anything you can do to keep it going will be all to the good: creating a silly song, making up a game, downloading an app (some good ones exist).

Take Them To The Dentist  

Fun fact: people who regularly visit the dentist (at least twice a year) have healthier gums and teeth. That’s because we do a whole lot more than just polish the teeth at these chekup appointments. We can also provide instruction for proper home hygiene and have modern treatments available that will reduce the risk of future cavities.

At your child’s earliest visits, we will basically just monitor the tooth and jaw bone development. As time goes by, we’ll begin doing light cleanings and polishings of the teeth. As your child gets a little older, we can start providing further treatments.

Take Extra Steps

We can also provide some extra protection in the form of fluoride and dental sealants.

Fluoride is a safe and natural substance found to reduce the risk of cavities and actually repair the enamel (the outer layer) of a tooth. You’ll see fluoride as an ingredient in a lot of toothpastes now. It is also added to public tap water systems in many parts of the U.S. But our office can administer additional, more intensive fluoride treatments during your child’s regular cleanings and exams.

Dental sealants are used to cover the biting surface of the teeth. As the name suggests, the sealant physically blocks out the harmful bacteria and plaque. These are great for patients of any age.

Request Your Easy Appointment

Keeping your kids on the right track is easy when you have a dentist you can trust to provide comprehensive dental care for every stage of life. To get started, call Dr. James C Ross in Novi, MI today at 248-697-2487 or contact us online to request a children’s dentistry appointment.

Whenever you do bring your child to our office, we will make the experience fun for them and reward them with token prizes for a little positive reinforcement. Most of our staff have children, so we can relate to what our patients expect out of their visits.