Dental care needs change as a patient ages. As Raleigh’s best family-oriented dental office, New Hope Dental Care works hard to meeting the needs of all our patients, from the youngest to the most age-blessed. We also work with our Raleigh, NC patients at any age who have special requirements, like dentures or even cosmetic dentistry.
Over the next couple of months, we’re going to give you some insight into developmentally appropriate dental care and what Dr. Ladimer and our staff do to treat each of our patients with the utmost care, regardless of age.
Blog posts in this series
When does oral care really become important for children?
According to the experts (the folks at the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics, just to name a few), good oral care is important even before infants have teeth! From massaging gums with water, to considering baby toothpaste, to scheduling that first well visit, new parents have a lot to think about when it comes to oral care and their children. And those concerns don’t stop once the teeth start coming in. We’ve seen lots of concerned moms, dads, and guardians who are just so worried they’ve missed something important when those first baby teeth start naturally falling out. Really, friends, they are supposed to do that eventually! Everything is OK. We will be there with you to walk through these exciting times, and we’re happy to fill you in on the going rates for the Tooth Fairy these days. Inflation has hit her just as hard as it has everyone else.
How we make younger (and smaller) patients more comfortable
As a family-focused dental clinic, Dr. Ladimer and the staff at New Hope Dental Care work hard to make patients of all ages and sizes comfortable in the office. For our younger patients, we use smaller tools, add boosters to seats, and may even use a silly voice to calm nerves. We also only use x-ray technology when appropriate. We know there’s no sense in exposing children to radiation if it’s not absolutely necessary.
Now, we know we need to address the enamel elephant in the room. Extractions. Oh, and fillings. And spacers. OK. There are several enamel elephants in the room. These procedures can all be stressful to children. Even some adults struggle with the thought of having needles and drills in their mouths. Fortunately, as experienced professionals in the field led by Dr. Ladimer and his extensive knowledge and patient-centered heart, we are able to sooth even the most anxious of kiddos.
Of course, our care does not end when you and your child leave our practice following your procedure. We provide you with detailed instructions on how you can take care of the extraction site or affected area at home, and we are always just a phone call away! During follow-up visits, we monitor healing and make any adjustments necessary to keep your child as comfortable as possible.
What can I do at home to help my child form good oral care habits?
Let’s start with the most obvious. Make sure your child is brushing thoroughly twice a day with good toothpaste that contains fluoride. Introduce flossing early, as soon as teeth start to fit closely together! Watch them brush and floss to make sure they are actually doing it and doing it well!
And here are some other tips:
- Drink tap or bottled water that contains fluoride.
- Ask us (your dental care office) about putting fluoride varnish on your child’s teeth
- Ask us about dental sealants.
- Ask us about ANY concerns you may have (we’re sure you saw that pattern forming)
- Bring your child in for regular visits!
- Let your child see YOU visit the dentist. You help children form good habits by showing them in action. Watching a brave adult get through a cleaning successfully also goes a long way toward calming any fears they may have about their own appointments.
New Hope Dental Care, Raleigh’s best family dentist, cares about the health, oral and otherwise, of its community. We look forward to serving you in our office soon, and we can’t wait to continue this series next month with information on oral care for teens and adults!