A healthy smile is important, and keeping those pearly whites in shape requires good habits from infancy into the twilight years. Promoting good hygiene is key for good dental health, and today's dentists are eager to help their youngest patients start out on the right foot.
A youngster should come in for a first visit around age three but parents need to pay attention to their children's teeth long before that. From the time those first buds appear, parents should wipe the area with a clean cloth or gauze to remove food or milk after meals.
"It's really important because if there is any plaque or food that sits on the teeth and starts to ferment, these carbohydrates will start to cause cavities after a while," says Dr. Mustafa Esmail, a dentist at Rocky Ridge Dental in Calgary. Dentists also ask that parents never send babies to bed with a bottle of milk or juice or allow toddlers to carry around a bottle. The sugar in the liquid sits in the baby's mouth and coats the teeth, which can lead to tooth decay.
"Parents need to know about nursing bottle cavities, which is what the really little ones get if they take a bottle to bed," says Dr. Jennifer Moore, who with Dr. Julie Labbe has a family dental practice in the city's south end.
As the time for a toddler's first visits nears, it can be helpful for children to accompany a parent or older sibling to an appointment to get an idea of what the dentist is all about.
"Then it's much easier for us when we put them through that experience for the first time," says Esmail.
That first time, kids are invited to hop up and ride the chair, examine the equipment and instruments dentists use, and maybe even squirt the air and water syringes so they get an understanding of what is involved in a visit.
The dentist will often take a look inside a child's mouth and count the teeth before sending the patient to the treasure box for a prize, and in some practices an induction into the No Cavity Club.
"We call their first visit a Happy Visit," says Moore. "We keep it light and airy."
Subsequent visits have children sitting in the chair for gentle cleanings and reminders about how to chase away sugar bugs (a.k.a. plaque) by practising proper brushing and flossing techniques.
Egg timers or timers that play music for two minutes are great ways to encourage children to brush long enough.
But early dental visits do more than just keep children's teeth clean; they can detect potential orthodontic issues like crowding or bite problems and allow dentists to plan a course of care accordingly.
For children, teens and adults alike, there are easy ways to make a trip to the dentist a breeze. Most obvious of these strategies is developing diligent oral hygiene, which involves brushing at least twice a day and flossing daily to keep plaque at bay.
Flossing is a critical yet often neglected practice that can help prevent cavities that develop between the teeth where brushes can't reach.
"If people would floss, honestly, it would make such a huge difference," says Esmail.
He predicts dentists would see a drastically reduced number of cavities if people took the time to floss.
Good brushing and flossing technique is important for all ages but diet also plays a huge role in oral health.
A diet that's low in sugar and devoid of candy is best, especially sticky jujube-type candies and even raisins or fruit-based snacks that adhere to the grooves of the teeth. All kids will encounter these foods, so chewing sugar-free gum or having a piece of cheese afterward can help combat sweet and sticky treats by neutralizing the acidity these foods cause.
But some sneaky foods that fall outside the "candy" category can cause havoc too. While an apple a day may keep the doctor away, it can make you more acquainted with dentists, who see many people fooled by the destructive potential of fruit and juices.
"Fruit has natural sugar so when you have any kind of sugar, be it refined or natural, it affects the pH in the mouth and it changes to an environment that is more friendly for the bacteria that cause cavities," says Moore.
Limiting juice for children and being aware of frequency of sugar intake throughout the day can help keep teeth healthy.
With kid-friendly dentists and hygienists, fun polish and rinse flavours, televisions, and cool prizes, today's dental offices are warm environments that encourage children to get excited about dental care and to turn that enthusiasm into a smile that will last a lifetime.