Pediatric Dentistry

Serving Provo, Orem, American Fork, Pleasant Grove, Lehi and surrounding areas in Utah County

A child’s proper dental hygiene begins in infancy. It is a well known fact that tooth decay in small children can advance rapidly, so it is important that they are given proper dental care from the very beginning.

Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease. Tooth decay leads to infected or absessed teeth, causing severe pain in children, resulting in lost sleep, missing school, and costly visits to the emergency room. Tooth decay progresses rapidly in children, so it is important that children be seen by the age of two in order to get your child used to coming to the dentist, and so we can restore any teeth that might have cavities.

For some children sedation dentistry is necessary in order to treat their dental problems. The dentists at Young Family Dental are also on staff at local IHC hospitals and surgical centers.

Infant Dental Care

We recommend that you wipe your child’s mouth with a damp cloth before you put him or her to bed. Milk, juice or any other sweetened liquid will leave a residue on the child’s gums, resulting in early tooth decay. Avoid putting your child to bed with a sippee cup or bottle. When babies fall asleep with a bottle or sippy cup, the sleeping baby can not clear the liquid from their mouths. The sugars in the formula, milk, or juice are left in contact with the baby’s teeth for a long period of time during the night or naptime; this can cause rapid tooth decay.

Tips and Suggestions for healthy baby teeth:

• Use a damp, soft cloth or a soft-bristled toothbrush to clean your baby’s teeth at least twice a day
• Never put your baby to bed with a bottle filled with milk or juice
• When your child is asleep, stop nursing and clean teeth with a damp washcloth
• Read, sing, or rock your child to sleep in place of continuous feeding
• Don’t let your child use a sippy cup or bottle as a pacifier
• Teach your child to use a cup at an early age. Plan to stop using a bottle by the time your child is twelve to fourteen months old
• Do not dip your child’s pacifier in sugar or honey
• Starting at age six months, fluoride supplements may be used to help keep teeth strong

Pediatric Dental Care

From the time your child starts teething, establish the practice of brushing twice a day. This will help instill good habits in your child’s routine. Start by using a toothbrush with soft-bristles. You can start with only water or toothpaste that does not contain any fluoride. Fluoride can be used when the child is old enough to spit. Water contains different levels of fluoride depending on where you live. It is best to consult with your dentist to determine if an added supplement of fluoride is needed for your child.

Be patient while teaching your child to brush. They may throw a fit and cry when you try and brush their teeth, just be patient and persistent and you will prevail. Like anything else, if you stick with it they will eventually appreciate your tender care and attention to their teeth.

It is a good rule of thumb to only allow your child to drink water after they have brushed their teeth at night. Encourage your child not to share cups, pacifiers, spoons or toothbrushes with other siblings; this may encourage the spread of cavity producing bacteria.

Suggestions for making tooth brushing less of a battle:

• Let your child pick a fun character themed toothbrush to use
• Use a fun, flavored toothpaste
• Have multiple toothbrushes for your child so they can pick which one to use each time, which will give them a sense of control
• Make it a family event, have everyone brush at the same time
• Let your child brush your teeth
• Read fun books about tooth brushing to your child
• Let your child eat or drink something that will color his or her teeth and let him or her brush them clean
• Use a tooth brushing chart to help establish a routine
• Use child-friendly flossing aids
• Show your enthusiastic approval of your child’s sparkly clean teeth

If your infant or child is in need of dental care in Provo, Orem, American Fork, Pleasant Grove, Lehi, Saratoga Springs, or surrounding areas in Utah County, contact one of our three offices to schedule an appointment. At Young Family Dental your child will have a pleasant dental experience!