Can we chat about taking kids to the dentist? Growing up in the Middle East we visited the dentist occasionally. I personally don’t remember these visits being frequent or when I started going. Neither does my mom (but she says we went frequently)! I am fortunate to have pretty decent teeth and never needed braces despite sucking my thumb into my teens (yup! A trait I inherited from my paternal grandfather and yes, Chris did the same!). Chris on the other hand continues to have dental issues into adulthood (and old age!). Needless to say, he has been very particular about taking the kids to the dentist and it has been something he is completely in charge of (all about divide and conquer when it comes to most household tasks at our place!). I didn’t grow up with healthy dental habits but we’re making it a point to ensure that our kids do!
The Canadian Dental Association recommends that infants be seen by a dentist within 6 months of the eruption of the first tooth or by one year of age. Honestly, we didn’t follow that rule. Remember this video of us trying to get Little Monkey to brush her teeth? Her first visit to the dentist was when she was 3 years old. VERY late, I know! Baby Boy went in for his first visit when he was 3 as well. Technically we’re supposed to taken them in every 6 months but Little Monkey has only been going in once a year. Of course last year with our travels and given the cost of a dentist visit, we slacked off. Chris finally made an appointment at a Toronto dental clinic in our neighbourhood (one that he had taken the kids to once before) but on the actual day he was out with the man flu. Which meant that I had to take Little Monkey in and had no clue what I was doing! Luckily Chris was a phone call away to answer the various questions that came my way!
Little Monkey has never been afraid of her previous visits to the dentist but this time she started saying she didn’t want to go but hesitantly agreed. Of course when the day actually came, I was the one who had to deal with her obstinate personality as Chris was out sick! On arrival she was antsy about being made to wait and when we finally went in to meet with the dental hygienist, who was very kid friendly despite it not being a pediatric dental clinic (there’s one on the Danforth I was informed), Little Monkey was very nervous. We all tried to joke through the whole thing and the hygienist pointed out the two screens for Netflix – one on the ceiling and one on the main wall. Now that was a brilliant idea. I was so sure we would be all set once Little Monkey started watching Lalaloopsy. Sadly, that was not the case. Despite the hygienist’s friendly nature it was no easy task looking for “sugar bugs”. After much whining and hand holding (we even tried it with me not being in the same room), the task was done.
Next came the need for a dental x-ray and because this wasn’t a pediatric clinic their mouth pieces were way too large and was causing Little Monkey to gag. It is advisable to get x-rays done by this age so that the dentist can catch any problems early. After watching her gag a couple times it was agreed that we wait on the dentist to come in and determine next steps. Luckily he (was also super friendly despite Little Monkey’s VERY cold demeanor) decided that we didn’t have much to worry about and while he’d prefer to have the x-rays, he was also okay in waiting for her to grow up a bit. The whole reason for taking her to the dentist was to ensure that things are okay since she has started losing her teeth and one is growing in a most odd spot (that’s completely normal he informed me). In most cases a dental exam every six months will let your child’s dentist catch small problems early but in our case, we’ll wait until the next time.
Dental Tips for Young Kids :
- Brush twice a day for 2 minutes each
- Use a soft-bristle brush and a fluoride toothpaste (1,000 parts per million) under our supervision. Yes I said FLUORIDE! When the kids were born we were advised to use non-fluoride toothpaste but that rule has changed since cavities are so rampant in young kids these days. Use a pea sized amount and teach them to rinse properly. This is especially important if you drink bottled water. We’re mostly a tap water kinda family and Toronto tap water is fluoridated so that helps too
- Not to fuss about kids playing with their wriggly teeth, it’s totally normal. Some kids love to play with them while others ignore them out of fear.
- Floss nightly. Luckily Chris has been doing this since the kids were 3 years of age and he finds the small disposable ones work best. The rule ,I was advised, is to floss as soon as the teeth start to touch each other.
- Think about a sealant (a plastic resin that bonds to teeth’s chewing surfaces) once the molars come in. It will help keep cavity causing bacteria in the grooves.
- Come back in 6 months (of course!).
As a side note I totally credit my good teeth to sugarless gum. I chewed gum for most part of the day since I was 10 years old and as soon as I gave up the practice during my mid 20s, I started getting cavities! 2 and counting…
Now if only it didn’t cost $200 for a child to visit a dentist in Toronto!
