Child Dentistry

We treat everyone!

At Gresham Family Dentistry we treat your entire family, including children. Pediatric Dentistry is the branch of dentistry which deals with the oral health of children from birth through adolescence. The first baby teeth to erupt in the mouth are the two bottom teeth. They may be present at birth or appear within the first 6 to 8 months. Do not panic if your child is early or a few months late getting his/her teeth. As every parent knows, every child is different and has their own timeline. By the age of two-and-a-half your child should have all 20 of their baby teeth. The first permanent teeth come in between the ages of 5 to 6. We recommend at the age of 3 you bring your child in for their first dental visit, unless of course there is an emergency or cavities (black/brown holes) are seen earlier.

What you can expect and what we hope to achieve at your child’s first visit

  • Exam of the teeth, gums and bite
  • X-rays to show any decay as well as look at the permanent teeth under the gums
  • Fluoride treatment
  • Evaluation of any adverse habits such as thumb sucking or overuse of a pacifier
  • Teaching the child about dental hygiene and answering any questions you may have

The first visit may be a short appointment as we try and introduce your child to all the new instruments and the new environment.

Tips for the first dental visit

  • Speak positively about the dentist and how great it is to have nice, healthy teeth
  • Read books about going to the dentist (Little Critter, Dora, Berenstain Bears)
  • Let them know what the dentist will be doing at the first visit
  • Bring them with you to your appointment or a siblings appointment to “preview” the office

Maintaining good oral health for your child helps not only to prevent future pain, but also maintains the space needed for the permanent teeth to erupt, speech, chewing, biting ,appearance, and forming good habits for future dental health. We place an emphasis on the prevention of tooth decay, especially since there are studies which have shown that poor oral health in children can not only lead to impaired school performance, but also poor social relationships.

Tips for maintaining good oral health

  • Healthy balanced meals
  • Limit the frequency of snacks between meals
  • Give treats with meals
  • Avoid sticky foods
  • Limit sugary drinks (juice, milk, soda pop)

When you eat, the bacteria in your mouth releases an acid to break down the sugars in your food. Those acids last about 20 minutes after your done eating your meal. During this time the acid is creating an environment that breaks down tooth structure and eventually causes cavities.  Therefore, eating sugary foods or foods that have a lot of carbohydrates in them increases the chances of getting a cavity. When you snack through out the day, you are continuing to keep your teeth in a cavity prone environment.