Children Look Forward to their Dental Visits

Your children will love coming to the dentist when their dentist is Dr. Papneja and Associates. Our office is focused on children having a pain-free, enjoyable and fun experience. When you and your child(ren) arrive at our office, we have a playroom with toys and videos for them to spend their time in before their appointment. When it is his/her time for their visit, they can watch their favourite channel on the ceiling televisions while they lie back in the chair. We have special intra-oral and extra-oral cameras that take pictures outside and inside the mouth to show their face and teeth, or any problems or cavities the dentist may have detected. After their cleaning, the children get spoiled with a loot bag filled with a toothbrush, floss, picture, report card, and sticker. A helium balloon is usually the highlight as "Windy" the clown blows up their chosen colour of balloon. Finally they enter their name into a draw to win one of the prizes displayed in the playroom. The children leave our office happy after having a great experience with the hygienist and dentist.

When to begin to take Children to the Dentist for their First Visit?

We recommend children start having regular exams and cleanings at approximately 3 years of age. In the event that a DARK SHADOW OR HOLE is noticed before 3 years, bring your child in IMMEDDIATELY. We understand that coming to the dentist for the first time can be scary for some children so we begin with a "fun visit" where we introduce your child to the office in an easygoing manner. They receive a ride in the chair, their face and teeth are viewed on the television monitor, and we count their teeth, and are able to get a feel for how ready the child is. Some children need a few "fun visits" until they are comfortable and ready. This is completely acceptable. If the hygienist or dentist feels your child is ready, we book them back for a complete exam and cleaning. It is important not to push or pressure children causing them to have a bad experience at the dentist. Their appointments should be viewed at a FUN TIME NOT A SCARY ONE. HOW YOU CAN PREPARE YOUR CHILD FOR THEIR FIRST VISIT AT THE DENTIST A few suggestions to get your child ready for their first dental visit are... 1. Role-playing a visit to the dentist. You could lay your son or daughter back and have them open wide and show you their teeth and you act as the dentist and check them, followed by you showing your child your teeth and they pretend to be the dentist and check your teeth. 2. Talk very positive about the dentist and never threaten your child that the dentist "will pull out your teeth" if you don't behave. 3. Read books or play videos that show their favorite character(s) going to the dentist and not having a bad experience. The more positive your outlook on the dentist is, the less likely your child will have any fear of the dentist before or on their first dental visit. HOW CAN YOU PREVENT YOUR CHILD FROM GETTING CAVITIES SUGAR is the number one reason children get cavities. Many parents are aware of this fact but what some parents don't realize is that it is NOT THE QUANTITY BUT THE FREQUENCY OF SUGAR INTAKE that causes the cavities. Every time your child eats or drinks anything with any amount of sugar, an ACID ATTACK occurs in the mouth for at least 30 MINUTES. During this acid attack is when the tooth becomes weaken. Enough acid attacks, a cavity will occur. EXAMPLE: If your child had a box of 10 small cookies and ate them all at one time he/she would have one acid attack for 30 minutes and the tooth would be strong enough to resist the acid. BUT if your child ate those 10 small cookies at ten different times throughout the day, and a 30 minute acid attack after each one, that would equal to 5 hours of acid eating away at the teeth, they would not be strong enough to resist this type of an ongoing attack, and your child will get cavities. SUGAR is the number one reason children get cavities. Many parents are aware of this fact but what some parents don't realize is that it is NOT THE QUANTITY BUT THE FREQUENCY OF SUGAR INTAKE that causes cavities. As a parent you already are well aware that children like to eat or snack frequently, which is necessary for them to get the nutrients and energy they require. It is important though to encourage them to eat and snack on foods that do not cause cavities. Snacks high in sugar or carbohydrates can cause cavities especially if the teeth have frequent exposure of for prolonged periods of time. (e.g. Sucking on candies/suckers, eating dried fruits-sticky-or sipping on sugary drinks.) Encourage your children to eat/drink foods that don't contain sugar in between meals and allow the sugar treats/drinks only at mealtimes when they can brush right after. (We can provide you with a list of safe snacks in our office) REMEMBER TO NEVER SEND YOUR CHILD TO SLEEP WITH A BOTTLE CONTAINING MILK, JUICE, OR A SUGARY BEVERAGE. This will result in your child getting BABY BOTTLE SYNDROME which is multiple cavities beginning on the top front teeth and spreading throughout the mouth WHEN DO YOU START BRUSHING YOUR CHILD'S TEETH Good oral hygiene should start early and be continually encouraged and monitored to develop good habits. As soon as teeth come through, it is attacked by bacteria plaque so cleaning even the baby teeth is important. As an infant you can use a damp cloth to wipe the teeth clean. As they grow you can start them on a soft baby toothbrush. We encourage the parents to brush their child's teeth until they are 6 years old (or longer if needed) since children are not able to be effective with the brush to remove all the bacteria plaque until then. Regular brushing after meals and especially before bedtime is essential to maintain good healthy teeth and gums.