Get them comfortable at the dentist
One of the best habits you can establish in your children is regular health check-ups. This will help to see them safely through their entire lives.
A good way to ensure they visit their dentist regularly, is to make sure they get off to a good start. If a child’s first visit to the dentist involves having a filling or extraction, it’s a safe bet that they’ll view future dental visits with fear.
At Northern Beaches Dental Practice, we’re focussed on providing family care for life. We recommend bring your child for their first visit as soon as they start to get their “baby” teeth. Our friendly dentists and dental hygienists will make it a fun experience, letting the ride in the chair, counting their teeth and giving them a clean while explaining everything and showing them the instruments we use.
Not only will this establish a positive relationship with dental care, where they view us as friendly people who they can trust, it also ensures that no problems get started that will require treatment.
But baby teeth will fall out anyway
Nothing could be further from the truth. If decay starts in “baby” teeth, it can work its way down into the adult teeth underneath and damage them before they even come through. Damaged baby teeth can also result in health problems, pain, bad breath, and an unattractive smile that could make your child self-conscious and even result in bullying.
But your child’s teeth are just one part of their health that we look after. We also monitor their facial growth and dental development while they are growing. This can help to prevent teeth becoming crowded and jaw problems. We also assess large tonsils, sleep apnoea or snoring, mouth breathing, and thumb sucking.
Teenage tooth care
The teenage years are when your child is developing quickly towards adulthood. Their jaws are also growing to adult size and it is the time when we need to monitor their oral health closely to ensure that everything is developing as it should.
Mouthguards
Teenagers are active people, with many playing a variety of sports. It’s great for their overall health but can be disastrous for their teeth – especially if they play contact sports.
What is a mouthguard?
A mouthguard is made from clear or coloured plastic that is moulded to fit over the teeth to protect them from impact. They’re often compulsory is some contact sports such as rugby league and union, hockey and boxing. Even if they’re not, we strongly recommend using one.
If another player hits your child, they fall or get struck by a ball or other piece of sporting equipment, it can not only result in a tooth being knocked out, but damage to the root or jaw bone that results in the tooth dying or becoming loose. Using a mouthguard can prevent these types of injuries.
Custom-fitted mouthguards
You can buy mouthguards from most pharmacies, then mould them to shape after softening the plastic (usually with hot water). But for a truly comfortable fit that ensures the mouthguard will not fall out mid game and will protect your teeth, you may want to consider talking to your dentist about having a mouthguard professionally fitted in our surgery. It’s a small investment to ensure the protection of your child’s teeth.
Mouthguard care
Your mouth is vulnerable to germs, which can then spread to the rest of your body. It’s important to keep your mouthguard free of bacteria by washing it thoroughly after each use. Treat it the way you would your teeth by rinsing it with cold water and giving it a brush with toothpaste.
Sugary sports drinks
Teenagers and sugary drinks have gone hand in glove for decades. These days, energy and sports drinks are another source of food acid and sugar that can eat away at the enamel of their teeth, resulting in damage and decay. If you can, try to discourage your teenager from drinking sugary, sports or energy drinks – or at least limit it. Yes, we know it’s hard and they’ll get cranky. Just do the best you can to encourage them to drink plenty of water.
Child Dental Benefits Schedule
We support the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) and we bulk bill all eligible children aged up to the age of 17.
The Government-funded Child Dental Benefits Schedule is now available for families with children aged 2-17. Families must receive Government Benefits to qualify. The CDBS has a means test, which requires a receipt of Family Tax Benefit Part A or a relevant Australian Government payment. If children are eligible, they receive up to $1000 over two calendar years for preventative and restorative dentistry.
Eligible services include:
Note that the CDBS scheme does not cover cosmetic dental work or orthodontics.
To check if you are eligible or check your remaining funds, please contact Medicare or us.
Services
Our children’s dental care services include:
