Paediatric Dentistry in Mundaring

A child’s first dental appointment is primarily about familiarising the child with the dentist’s chair and educating the parent about the best way to care for their child’s teeth. Your child’s first dental appointment may include a complete oral health examination, which generally lasts 30 minutes to an hour. 

This dental procedure may include checking your child’s teeth for signs of disease, removing stains, plaque, and tartar, and polishing them. The dentist will show you how to floss your child’s teeth properly and how you can use fluoride appropriately. They will most likely discuss your child’s dental hygiene practices, diet, and prevention of mouth injuries.

Taking care of your child’s oral health when their first tooth appears should be a priority. Although baby teeth eventually fall out, they create space for your child’s permanent teeth, and your child’s mouth must still be healthy when the adult teeth arrive. Even infant teeth might decay and develop various issues if they’re not taken care of properly. This includes painful teeth and gums, difficulty sleeping, gum disease, and embarrassment when speaking.

A common chronic dental disorder in children is caries (also called tooth decay or cavities). Cavities that go untreated can cause discomfort and infection, causing difficulty eating, speaking, and learning. Children with poor oral health are more likely to miss school and receive lower grades than those who do not. There are also other potential problems, such as mouth ulcers, gum disease, grinding of the teeth, misaligned teeth, cracked or chipped teeth, and missing teeth.

You can teach your child oral hygiene at home by following these tips:

1. Get your child started early. Encourage your children to brush with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day. Be sure your child brushes, flosses, and pays attention to the back teeth. Let them brush their teeth for at least 2 minutes a day, twice a day. Kids younger than eight can swallow toothpaste, so supervise them while brushing.
2. Show them the way. Children learn from observation. Hence, setting a good example is one of the most effective ways to teach kids good dental hygiene from the very beginning. Try brushing your teeth with your child present twice a day. Encourage them to watch and ask questions.
3. Recognise healthy habits. As a parent, you know the benefit of recognising and rewarding good behaviour. By rewarding your kids when they keep their teeth clean and healthy, you can teach them that hard work pays off.
4. Take them to the dentist every six months. It will make your child more comfortable at the dentist and more confident. The development of adult teeth will also be monitored with regular check-ups.

Sugars from foods and drinks are food for bacteria in the mouth. The acid produced by these bacteria damages the enamel. When the damage to a tooth is greater than what can be repaired through saliva, it leaves a cavity.

Baby teeth can be damaged by putting a baby to sleep with a milk bottle. Sugar from formula milk, or juice that remain on a baby’s teeth for hours can erode their enamel. If this happens, the front teeth can become discoloured, pocked, and pitted, a condition known as “baby bottle tooth decay.” Cavities may develop, and teeth might need to be removed in severe cases.

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) is a program through Medicare that covers an array of treatment procedures, such as examinations, routine cleaning, fillings, and root canal treatments. 

Medicare may pay a portion or all of the cost of dentistry services for eligible children. These benefits are available to children who meet all requirements and are eligible for Medicare, are 2-17 years old on at least one day of the calendar year, and are receiving or are members of a family receiving a government payment like Family Tax Benefit A.

Children are eligible for up to $1,000 per child over a two-year period.