Kids Dental Care in Glenview

At DentiStar, it would be our pleasure to have your child as our patient! Come Enjoy the Friendly play area for our smaller patients!

What to Expect for your child’s First Dental Visit:

As soon as your child’s first tooth appears, it’s time to schedule a dental visit. We recommend the first visit no later than a child’s first birthday. Don’t wait for them to start school or until there’s an emergency. Get your child comfortable today with healthy habits. The first visit’s main purpose of course is to examine your child’s mouth and to check growth and development, but more importantly, to help teach the parents on how to take care of your child’s growing teeth.
It’s also about your child being comfortable. To make the visit positive:

• Consider morning appointment when children tend to be better rested and cooperative.
• Please try to keep any anxiety or concerns you have to yourself. Children can pick up on your emotions.
• Please DO NOT use a dental visit as a punishment or threat.
• Please DO NOT bribe your child.
• Speak with your child about visiting the dentist.

During this visit, you can expect us to:

• Complete exam to check for possible injuries, cavities or other problems [if any].
• Inform whether your child is at risk of developing tooth decay.
• Clean your child’s teeth and provide tips for daily care.
• learn about the SHOW/TELL/DO technique
• Discuss teething, pacifier use, or finger/thumbsucking habits.
• Discuss treatment, if needed, and schedule the next check-up.

Q&A: Frequently Asked Questions: What is…

Teething

Teething is one of the first rituals of life. A baby’s front four teeth usually erupt or push through the gums at about six months of age, although some children don’t have their first tooth until 12 or 14 months. As their teeth erupt, some babies may become fussy, sleepless and irritable, lose their appetite or drool more than usual. Diarrhea, rashes and a fever are NOT normal symptoms for a teething baby. If your infant has a fever or diarrhea while teething or continues to be cranky and uncomfortable, call your physician.

Fluoride

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in all water. In the States, fluoride is also added to some community tap water, toothpastes and mouth rinses. Infants and toddlers who do not receive an adequate amount of fluoride may be at an increased risk for tooth decay. Fluoride helps remineralize tooth, which make tooth enamel more resistant to decay. It also helps repair weakened enamel. Bottled water may not contain fluoride; therefore, children who regularly drink bottled water or unfluoridated tap water may be missing the benefits of fluoride.

Pacifiers

Infants and young children may suck on thumbs, other fingers or pacifiers. Pacifiers dipped in sugar, honey, juice or sweetened drinks, can lead to tooth decay. Tooth decay can also begin when cavity-causing bacteria pass from saliva in a mother or caregiver’s mouth to the infant. When the mother or caregiver puts the baby’s feeding spoon in her mouth, or cleans a pacifier in her mouth, the bacteria can be passed to the baby.

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay or Early Childhood Caries

You can help prevent your baby from getting cavities or developing what is called Baby Bottle Tooth Decay or Early Childhood Caries, by beginning an oral hygiene routine from birth!!! Start by cleaning your baby’s mouth by wiping the gums with a clean gauze pad. This helps removes plaque that can harm erupting teeth. When your child’s teeth begin to come in, brush them gently with a child’s size toothbrush and water. For bottle feedings, place only formula, milk or breast milk inside and avoid using sugary beverages such as juice or soda. It’s recommended that infants finish their bedtime and naptime bottle before going to bed.

Thumbsucking

Sucking is a natural reflex and infants and young children may suck on thumbs, fingers, pacifiers and other objects. It may help them relax or make them feel safe or happy. Most children stop sucking before the age of 2. If your child continues to thumb suck after that, it can cause problems with tooth alignment and your child’s bite. The frequency, duration and intensity of a habit will determine whether or not dental problems may result. Children who rest their thumbs passively in their mouths are less likely to have difficulty than those who vigorously suck their thumbs. If you are worried about your child’s sucking habits, talk to your dentist.

Space Maintainers

Space maintainers help “hold space” for permanent teeth. Your child may need one if he or she loses a baby tooth prematurely, before the permanent tooth is ready to erupt. If a primary tooth is lost too early, adult teeth can erupt into the empty space instead of where they should be. When more adult teeth are ready to come into the mouth, there may not be enough room for them because of the lost space. To prevent this from happening, the we may recommend a space maintainer to hold open the space left by the prematurely removed or missing teeth.

Sealants

Sealants are a fast and easy way of protecting your child’s teeth that act as barriers to cavity-prone areas. They are usually applied to the chewing surfaces of back teeth and sometimes used to cover deep pits and grooves. As long as the sealant remains intact, the tooth surface will be protected from decay. Sealants hold up well under the force of normal chewing but may have to be reapplied if needed. Both primary and permanent teeth can benefit from sealants.

Mouthguards

Mouthguards can help protect your child from a dental emergency. They should be worn whenever your child is participating in sports and recreational activities. Mouthguards cushion blows that would otherwise cause broken teeth, injuries to the lips and face and sometimes even jaw fractures. If your child participates in such activities, please ask us about custom-fitted mouth protectors.

Malocclusion

Malocclusion, or bad bite, is a condition in which the teeth are crowded, crooked or out of alignment, or the jaws don’t meet properly. This may become particularly noticeable between the ages of 6 and 12, when a child’s permanent teeth are coming in. If not treated early, a bad bite can make it difficult to keep teeth and gums clean where teeth are crooked or crowded, increasing the risk for cavities and gum disease.

Bad bites can also:

• Affect proper development of the jaws.
• Make the protruding teeth at risk for chips and fractures.
• Affect eating and speaking.
• Make some teeth more likely to wear abnormally or faster than those that are properly aligned.