• Free Call 1300 315 540
  • Address

    Parramatta Clinic

    Parramatta Dental Clinic

    The Hall, 356 Church Street
    (Corner of Church and Palmer St)
    Parramatta, NSW, 2150

    Maroubra Clinic

    Maroubra Dental Clinic

    Office 1, 822 Anzac Parade
    Maroubra, NSW, 2035

  • Opening Hours
    • Mon to Wed 8am – 6pm
    • Thu 8am – 6pm
    • Fri 8am – 6pm
    • Sat 8am – 2pm

Dentist Journal

Caring For Your Child’s Oral Health

To protect your child’s beautiful smile, you should teach them the importance of dental care from an early age to prevent tooth decay. Dental hygiene is important for your child’s overall wellbeing as poor oral care can lead to cavities, gum infections and other forms of oral diseases. To help make dental hygiene fun, let your child pick a toothbrush with his or her favourite colour and make sure teeth are brushed for about 2 minutes each session using an hourglass or play their favourite song for time reference. Bear in mind that your child will likely need help with oral care until the age of around 7-8, where they can also start to use a slightly bigger brush. Make sure you change toothbrushes regularly, as frayed bristles do not clean as well. This can usually happen at 3-4 months. Make everyday flossing a habit as well. For this, you can get floss on a handle to make the activity easier for your child.

Cleaning your child’s teeth can start as soon as their first baby tooth comes in. Teaching oral hygiene should begin at the age of around 1-2 years with the help of a small, soft toothbrush used for cleaning your child’s teeth at least twice a day. This is also the age when you can teach your child how to run the toothbrush among teeth, gums and tongue. You can always pop in to our Parramatta Dental Clinic, and we can show you the right way.

It is furthermore advisable to schedule a dentist appointment once your child’s first tooth comes in. Alternatively, you can bring them in when it is past their first birthday. Not only will the health professional talk to you about proper oral care but also have the chance to look at your child’s teeth for early problems. Furthermore, the visit helps your child to get used to annual check-ups.

Sucking thumbs or a pacifier can cause problems with teeth alignment. If your child carries on with the activity beyond the age of four years and especially when the permanent teeth start to grow at around age 6, talk to your dentist in Parramatta if you are worried about the habit.

Cavities are quite common in children, as they tend to have a higher sugar intake in their diet due to sweets and sodas and unpractised dental hygiene. To avoid painful holes, teach your child to make healthy food choices and limit the access to sweetened drinks and snacks especially between meals. If your child cannot brush teeth after every meal, rinsing them with tap water can help reduce bacteria. In the many Australian States, fluoride is added to tap water to reduce the occurrence of decay in both primary and adult teeth. The chemical is known to harden the tooth enamel, which lessens the possibility of the tooth decaying after being exposed to bacterial acid, coming from starch and sugars.

In any case, it is essential to schedule a dentist appointment for your child at bi-annually to let an oral health professional check the condition of their teeth to avoid painful holes that need to get treated. Call us on 800 400 55 and the friendly team at Dental Avenue Parramatta will be more than happy to help!

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