Children’s Dentistry

Child Dental Benefits Schedule is available for eligible children.

Oral health is a journey that ideally starts at a very young age with your child’s first visit to Malvern East Family Dental. As your child gets older, new considerations arise, yet regular professional checkups and cleanings combined with effective at-home care should be constant.

Dental for baby

Baby bottle decay is a significant threat to your infant’s teeth. Putting your child to bed with a bottle of sugary drinks, including fruit juices, promotes erosion of the tooth structure. Dipping dummies in sugar water or juice to appease baby also promotes decay, and prolonged use can be detrimental to teeth development.

Anytime a child sucks repeatedly on an object, the upper teeth may tip out. Early loss of teeth can also affect the way permanent teeth develop. These conditions are highly preventable.
In 71 percent of cases in which baby has developed cavities, the mother has been the source. Mum can transfer the Streptococcus mutans bacteria to an infant even before teeth emerge.

Dental for school-aged kids

Sealants may have been recommended for baby teeth before pre-school, especially if baby’s teeth were deeply pitted and grooved. These thin coatings protect back teeth from the decay that can threaten the baby teeth and the development of permanent teeth.

Generally, it is recommended kids get sealants on their permanent molars as soon as those teeth erupt If your child takes up sports, the Malvern East Family Dental staff can discuss the best ways to prevent injuries. For instance, mouthguards may be customized to prevent teeth from being fractured and knocked out. Mouthguards reduce the force of blows that can cause jaw fractures, concussions, and neck trauma.

Dental for teens

Kids are busier than ever in high school. They may be tempted to skimp on good oral care between homework, sports, and other activities. Children may be at greater risk of tooth decay in their teen years than any other time.

Keep in mind you are your child’s best role model, so make good oral health a family affair. Your oral health also affects children’s oral health in some surprising ways.
We will discuss any child related dental health issues, including

• Fissure sealants to protect teeth from decay
• Mouthguards to protect teeth from trauma during contact sports
• Dietary advice to keep sugar intake low
• Brushing and flossing tips, easy for children to understand and implement
• Fluoride treatments
• Monitoring the occlusion and referral for Orthodontics (Early 8-12 years & Adolescent 13-18 years)
• Wisdom teeth eruption

Fissure sealants

To prevent plaque from damaging the pits and fissures in your child’s teeth, we can apply acrylic coatings called fissure sealants. Natural pits and fissures on your child’s adult molars are tiny imperfections, in which food and germs can become trapped. Cavities can easily then occur, because brushing and flossing cannot fully clean these pits and fissures.

Tooth decay in the adult molars will destroy the structure of the tooth, and each time a tooth is filled or a filling is replaced, additional tooth structure is lost. That’s why fissure sealants are a great alternative, offering effective protection against decay by filling in these areas.

Fissure sealant is a liquid that is applied to the molars, becoming hard like plastic as it sets. A reassuring part of your child’s sealant therapy is that it is non-invasive, with no drilling, and doesn’t require a local anaesthetic.

Diet

A healthy, balanced diet for your child is just as important for their teeth and gums as it is for their overall wellbeing. Foods and drinks that contain starch and sugar will react to the mouth’s bacteria to produce acid, which attacks your child’s tooth enamel, causing decay and potential tooth loss.

Reducing your child’s intake of sugary and starchy drinks and snacks will help them to maintain the best oral health. Try giving your child delicious alternatives such as cheese, nuts and fresh fruit and vegetables instead of sugary, sweet snacks or cola. Rinsing with water after eating can also help dilute harmful acid.

Mouthguards

If your child plays a contact sport, we highly recommend you provide them with a custom-made mouthguard. Dental injuries are the most common type of oral facial injury sustained in sports, and can be painful, disfiguring and expensive to treat. Your child may also need time off school to recover, as well as lengthy and expensive dental treatment. We recommend a custom-fitted mouthguard as this will offer far more protection and comfort than an over-the-counter version. Worn every time your child plays or trains, a custom-made mouthguard acts as your ‘insurance policy’ against dental injuries.