Part of maintaining a healthy mouth and good oral hygiene is getting an early start! We recommend starting to bring your children to the dentist around the age of 3 or 4, unless you notice something of concern when helping your children with their at home dental care. On a child’s first visit, we will introduce them to all the materials and instruments we will be using to clean their teeth. We have our special “spinning toothbrush” that “tickles” their teeth clean and “Mr.Thirsty” that helps suck up any water “Mr.Squirty” gets in their mouth so they don’t have to swallow it! After their teeth are all sparkly clean, we will floss in between their teeth and show them how to do it on their own using a tooth flosser. Next, the child has the choice of several yummy flavors of fluoride we will either brush on their teeth or place in a tray that goes in the child’s mouth. The fluoride is like vitamins for their teeth to help them grow strong and healthy! Then it’s the Dentist’s turn to take at look at your child’s nice clean smile! He will usually count their teeth for 
them, checking for any signs of decay as he goes. After the Dentist is done, the child gets their very own toothbrush bag with new toothbrush, floss, kid flosser, and toothpaste! The best part is next! PRIZES! We have a special token we give to the child to put into our prize machine for being such a great helper!
We like to see children every 6 months, just as we do adults, to clean and check all the teeth and catch anything as early as possible before it becomes a problem. Between the ages of 5 and 6 we will take a few digital films of the child’s teeth to detect any decay that may be starting between the teeth. We can’t see these areas by visually looking in their mouth, so films help to catch decay early. In between cleanings, we recommend you help your children at home with their brushing and flossing. Try to encourage 2 minutes of brushing at least once in the morning and once at night, followed by flossing at night to remove debris from between the teeth. We also recommend a 
daily fluoride mouth rinse if your child is able to swish and spit it out. A good brand for kids is ACT Anticavity for Kids. For more information on the ACT mouth rinse, click on the image of the bottle to go to their website.
daily fluoride mouth rinse if your child is able to swish and spit it out. A good brand for kids is ACT Anticavity for Kids. For more information on the ACT mouth rinse, click on the image of the bottle to go to their website.
Some children may be a little apprehensive at first when coming to the Dentist because it’s new and unfamiliar. Try practicing with your children at home before their appointment. Have them practice opening and closing their mouth and count their teeth informing them that when the Dentist looks he will count their teeth too. Talk to your children about your visits to the Dentist and how you get your teeth cleaned too so they know it’s easy. Most 
importantly, be positive when talking with them and try not to use any scary words such as drill, needles, or shots. We always avoid those words and usually come up with some silly names for the instruments we use so things don’t seem so scary. Remember, good oral health care habits start at home so help your children to understand the importance of oral health and having their teeth checked by the Dentist regularly. If you ever have any questions, call us at (208) 524-1700 and we will be happy to help!
importantly, be positive when talking with them and try not to use any scary words such as drill, needles, or shots. We always avoid those words and usually come up with some silly names for the instruments we use so things don’t seem so scary. Remember, good oral health care habits start at home so help your children to understand the importance of oral health and having their teeth checked by the Dentist regularly. If you ever have any questions, call us at (208) 524-1700 and we will be happy to help!