Preventive Dentistry For Children

Children’s Dentistry at West Byfleet Dental & Implant Centre

Paediatric Dentistry is the speciality of dentistry centred around the oral health of children from birth to the age of 16. It encompasses all aspects of dental care from prevention to trauma management and includes the holistic care of anxious children and those with additional needs.

Your child’s first dental visit

All parents and guardians are advised that children should be taken to see a dentist as soon as their first tooth erupts and before their first birthday. dentalcheckbyone.co.uk By taking your child to see a specialist in paediatric dentistry you can be rest assured that they will spend time getting to know your child, provide you with oral health advice and start to acclimatise your child to the dental environment. Ensuring healthy dental habits early on is key to preventing cavities and complex treatment in the future.

What to expect from the first visit

At the first appointment, we will spend time getting to know your child and acclimatising them to the dental setting. Time will be spent discussing current oral hygiene practised at home and advising how to promote healthy dental habits. A detailed history will be taken and your child’s teeth and mouth will be examined. X-ray pictures may be taken and all options will be discussed fully. We ensure by listening to both you and your child we are able to recommend a plan tailored to your child.

Fissure sealants

A fissure sealant is a white plastic coating that is painted onto the biting surfaces of back teeth. It does not require any local anaesthetic or tooth preparation. The sealant helps to prevent tooth decay by covering the pits where food often gets stuck.

Silver crowns

Often with cavities on baby teeth, regular fillings do not work. In these cases, we use silver crowns. They are preformed crowns that fit over the whole tooth to prevent further decay and pain. Often these can be placed without local anaesthetic or preparation of the tooth meaning they can be used on children as young as 3.

Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) – an alternative to drilling and filling children’s teeth

What is Silver Diamine Fluoride?
Silver Diamine Fluoride is liquid medicine that is applied topically to teeth with a brush to treat active dental caries and prevent further progression of disease.

How does Silver Diamine Fluoride work?
Silver Diamine Fluoride has two active components: silver and fluoride. Silver acts as an antibacterial agent. Fluoride helps stop tooth decay and helps prevent additional decay from appearing.

When is Silver Diamine Fluoride recommended?

• Children who may have multiple decayed teeth
• Young children who have difficulty cooperating for treatment
• Special needs patients

Benefits:

• It is fast, non-invasive and affordable
• It can be more effective than fluoride varnish
• SDF can help stop tooth decay
• SDF can help relieve sensitivity

Risks related to SDF include, but are not limited to:

• The area treated will stain black permanently. Healthy tooth structure will not stain. Stained tooth structure can be replaced with a filling or crown in the future
• If accidentally applied to the skin or gums, a brown or white stain may appear that causes no harm and will disappear in one to three weeks
• Your child may notice a metallic taste that will go away quickly
• There is a risk that the procedure will not stop the decay and no guarantee of success is granted or implied
• If tooth decay is not arrested, the decay will progress. In that case, the tooth will require further treatment

When is SDF not recommended?
We cannot use this treatment if your child is allergic to silver. In addition, if decay is to the nerve of the tooth or if the infection is present, SDF cannot be used.

What is involved?
1. Cleaning the area: Your dentist will remove any debris or food from the tooth
2. Isolating the area: Vaseline will be applied to your child’s lips and gums. Cotton wool will be held next to the tooth which requires treatment to keep it dry
3. Applying SDF: Your dentist will dry the tooth and then paint on SDF with a small brush. Air may be applied to allow the liquid to dry.

Considerations
After having SDF treatment, your child should be reviewed in 4 weeks. Some children will need an additional application of SDF. Large holes will still be present in the tooth so further treatment (fillings or crowns) may be necessary.

Further Information

Please select a link from below to find out more information.

1. How do I help my children look after their teeth?
2. What brushing techniques can I show my child?
3. What is Fluoride and how do I know my child is getting the correct amount?
4. How important is diet to my child’s oral health?
5. What should I do if my child accidentally chips, breaks or knocks out a tooth?
6. What are fissure sealants and how do I know if my child needs them?
7. At what age should my child start orthodontics?
8. When do I start using toothpaste and which ones are the best?
9. What are your top 10 tips for school going children?