You and Your Child's Dental Health

As parents, you have important jobs in caring for your children's health and caring for their dental health is no exception.  By supervising your children's brushing, providing a good diet and bringing your children to the dentist on a regular basis, you can lay the foundation for a lifetime of good oral habits.

Illinois State law requires children to be examined by a dentist for kindergarten, second and sixth grades but you should bring your children to the dentist for a checkup every six months.

Dr. Rickard would like to see your child for the first time right after his or her second birthday.  It is a happy visit to check for early problems, get acquainted with the dental office and apply a fluoride treatment.

You may choose to take your child to a pediatric dentist where the entire office is focused around children or take your child to the same dentist who treats the rest of your family. Either option is fine as long as your child is comfortable.

Children naturally want to know everything about what is happening during their dental visits. Dr. Rickard wants to explain everything in a way that your child will understand. When children are apprehensive; it's usually because they do not understand what is happening. It is important to allow the dentist and the child to communicate directly to each other if you are in the treatment room with them.

During the first and second grades your children generally lose eight baby teeth and gain twelve adult teeth. Permanent molars arrive in the back of the mouth without replacing baby teeth so they are often unnoticed. Most dental decay occurs in the deep grooves of the back teeth. Your dentist can help protect the teeth by covering these grooves with plastic coatings called sealants.

The first visit to the orthodontist is at age seven because many conditions are best treated at that time.  Children normally have large gaps between their front teeth at this age. These gaps usually close when the permanent canine teeth erupt.

The remaining twelve baby teeth usually fall out between the fifth and eighth grades. Sixteen teeth grow in at this time as the “twelve year” permanent molars arrive in the back. Placing sealants on the back teeth as soon as possible gives these teeth the best chance of avoiding cavities. Oral hygiene can decline as adolescents become more distracted. Consider purchasing a quality electric toothbrush such as a Sonicare. It will pay for itself if it prevents one cavity.

The final four molars (wisdom teeth) will erupt by age nineteen or they are probably not erupting because they are impacted. When the time comes we can discuss the options of having the wisdom teeth removed. The longer you wait the more difficult they can be to remove.

On a final note, have a custom fitted athletic mouth guard made for anyone in your family who is involved in sports. The ones made by your dentist are much more comfortable and provide much more protection than mouth guards that you buy at the store.