Children's Dentistry FAQ's

Four things are necessary for cavities to form -- A tooth, Bacteria Sugars or other carbohydrates and Time Dental plaque is a thin, sticky, colorless deposit of bacteria that constantly forms on everyone's teeth. When you eat, the sugars in your food cause the bacteria in plaque to produce acids that attack the tooth enamel. [...]

Primary, or "baby," teeth are important for many reasons. Not only do they help children speak clearly and chew naturally, they also aid in forming a path those permanent teeth can follow when they are ready to erupt. Some of them are necessary until a child is 12 years old or longer. Pain, infection of [...]

Sore gums when teeth erupt are part of the normal eruption process in babies. The discomfort is eased for some children by the use of a teething biscuit, a piece of toast, or a frozen teething ring. Your pharmacy should also have medications that can be rubbed on the gums to reduce the discomfort. One [...]

First of all, remain calm. If possible, find the tooth and hold it by the crown rather than the root. Replace the tooth in the socket and hold it there with clean gauze or a washcloth. If you can't put the tooth back in the socket, place the tooth in a clean container with milk [...]

Mouthguards are a top priority if your child is playing a sport. Mouth Guards protect the teeth, lips, gums from injury. We can custom fir the mouth guard as well so if you do want one please give us a call.

With contemporary safeguards, such as lead aprons and high-speed film, the amount of radiation received in a dental X-ray examination is extremely small. Even though there is very little risk, pediatric dentists are particularly careful to minimize the exposure of child patients to radiation. In fact, dental X-rays represent a far smaller risk than an [...]

Comfort your child, rinse his/her mouth with warm saltwater and apply a cold compress or ice wrapped in a cloth on your child's face if it is swollen. Do not put heat or aspirin on the sore area, but you may give the child, children’s Panadol for pain. See us as soon as possible.

It is recommended that toothpaste with fluoride should not be used until your child is 3 years of age. Before this age use either water or infant toothpaste which can be bought at the chemist or supermarket. (only us a very small amount when you do use infant toothpaste or even normal toothpaste if they [...]

Thumb and dummy sucking habits that go on for a long period of time can create crowded, crooked teeth or bite problems. If they are still sucking their thumbs or fingers when the permanent teeth arrive, a mouth appliance may be recommended by your dentist. Most children stop these habits on their own.

Baby bottle tooth decay is a pattern of rapid decay associated with prolonged nursing. It happens when a child goes to sleep while breastfeeding and/or bottle-feeding. During sleep, the flow of saliva is reduced and the natural self-cleansing action of the mouth is diminished. Avoid nursing children to sleep or putting anything other than water [...]