happy baby getting Pediatric Oral Health Care

Pediatric Oral Health Care in Virginia Beach

Caring For Growing Smiles

At Beach Kids Dentistry, we believe that healthy smiles equal healthy kids! We are passionate about helping your child grow strong, healthy teeth and gums. In addition to providing dental checkups and cleanings, we educate patients and their parents on good pediatric oral health care and oral hygiene habits that they will carry with them throughout their lives.

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How Do Dentists Help Children’s Dental Health?

Our dentists provide pediatric oral health care to infants, children and adolescents and are passionate about addressing the unique oral health needs of young patients. They play a crucial role in promoting good oral hygiene habits, providing high-quality treatments and procedures and ensuring that our young patients develop and maintain healthy teeth and gums.

The Importance Of Pediatric Oral Health Care

Helping your child establish good pediatric oral health care from a young age is essential to a healthy mouth and, in turn, a healthy child. Children with tooth decay are more at risk for long-term oral health problems such as pain, problems with speech and chewing, infections, tooth discoloration and, in some cases, tooth loss. Educating your child on taking care of their smile is one of the best things you can do for their oral health!

What Are Cavities?

Cavities, also known as tooth decay or caries, are damaged areas on the teeth. Dental decay is the number one disease most common in children. Cavities are especially prevalent in hard-to-reach places, such as on the back molars or in between teeth. Tooth decay is very common in children, and over half of children between the ages of 6 and 8 have had a cavity in at least one of their baby teeth, according to the CDC. We help educate you and your child about cavity prevention in order to avoid potentially serious problems of untreated cavities, such as infection and gum disease. Here are a few tips for preventing tooth decay and cavities:

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, you shouldn’t give your child 100% fruit juice before the age of 1.
Always brush your child’s teeth after eating or drinking, including after breastfeeding.
Thoroughly wash pacifiers before passing them along to your child.

Pediatric Oral Health Care Tips

As a parent, you play an integral role in teaching your child good oral hygiene habits. Our tip is to make it fun! You can do this by using a fun toothbrush, playing a song to brush along to and participating enthusiastically in your child’s dental care. Good dental hygiene includes:

Brushing

Your child should brush their teeth twice a day. Parents should assist in brushing until the age of 8 or 9 and supervise their child’s brushing until the age of 10 or 11.

Flossing

Flossing once a day helps remove food debris from between the teeth. Encourage your child to use the “C-Shape” method when flossing. Have your child gently guide the floss in between the teeth, and in a “c shape,” move the floss back and forth up under the gums on each side of the tooth. Remember, if you can’t see between teeth, toothbrush bristles can’t clean in between them either—use floss to remove bacteria and food particles from between teeth.

Encouraging a balanced diet

Feeding your child a nutritious diet and limiting sugary food and drinks can help promote a healthy mouth by keeping tooth decay at bay. Instead of juice or soda, opt for water!

Limiting snacking throughout the day

Eating between meals puts children at a higher risk for cavities. Prevent tooth decay by discouraging excessive snacking.

Discouraging dangerous dental habits

Biting and ripping open packages with the teeth and chewing on hard objects are just some of the habits you should warn your child against to prevent dental trauma.

Ingesting the right amount of fluoride

Fluoride is a naturally occurring substance in tap water that helps strengthen the teeth and guard against cavities. Talk to our pediatric dentists about how much fluoride your child needs. We may recommend using toothpaste with fluoride or even fluoride tablets.

Visiting the dentist regularly

In order to keep your child’s teeth healthy, plan to come see our pediatric dentists for routine visits every six months, or as instructed!

Your Child’s Pediatric Oral Health Care Visit

Not sure what to expect at your child’s appointment? We recommend bringing your child in to visit us every six months, or as recommended by your child’s dentist. The visit acts as a dental check and allows us to spot changes and potential problems in your child’s smile, enabling us to treat them quickly. It is also a chance for your child to receive routine cleanings, ortho screenings, oral health care screenings and other recommended treatments as necessary. Education is one of our favorite parts of what we do, and we encourage you and your child to ask questions as you have them!

Specialized Dental Services For Children With Special Needs

Beach Kids Dentistry proudly serves all kinds of pediatric patients, including those with special needs. Our dentists have had additional training in treating children of all ages with different healthcare needs, including physical, developmental, mental, sensory, behavioral, cognitive, emotional or other conditions that meet the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry’s definition of special needs.

We offer dedicated sensory-day appointments for children with disabilities that allow for a calmer environment through:

Desensitization appointments in order for your child to slowly acclimate to the office
Dent-O-care mouth rests in treatment rooms
Instructing parents to bring comfort items from home

If your child requires any special accommodations, please make sure to let us know when scheduling your child’s appointment. Our goal is to help them—and you—feel as comfortable as possible!

Request An Appointment With Our Pediatric Dental Team

At Beach Kids Dentistry in Virginia Beach, our pediatric dentists help establish a positive and lifelong attitude toward dental health in children. Our goal is to provide them with the necessary care and guidance to maintain healthy teeth and gums as they grow into adulthood. To request an appointment with us, call us at (757) 467-7797 or complete our online form. We hope to see you soon!

Make a Splash
with Your Smile

Sea The Beach Kids Dentistry Difference

We believe that a lifetime of healthy smiles begins with a positive and fun dental experience. Our kid-friendly office and experienced pediatric dentists are here to provide compassionate, patient-focused and specialized pediatric dental care.

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