Today, at MOPS we had Dr. Yoo-Lee Yea, a pediatric dentist from Jon Dallman Clinic in Bothell. She was so informative and gave so many great tips. Below you will find some of the key points of her discussion:
* First visit to a dentist? 6months before FIRST tooth or by their 1st birthday. She cautioned - "Don't let your child's first visit to a dentist be an emergency room visit, as it can traumatize a child's dentist experience"
* How long should a child brush? 2 minutes or 2 songs on their favorite cd.
* Parents should brush their child's teeth, especially the night time brushing as it is the most crucial. And you should continue helping them brush until they have mastered cursive writing!!
* Parents should brush & floss in front of their children. Make it a family affair. Children mimick their parents and we want them to pick up good brushing habits.
Always brush in small, circular pattern.
* Should you brush their tongue? Yes, at least 1x a day as bacterial gets trapped there too.
"Sugar bugs" - the things on your child's teeth - a friendly way to get them to brush.
* Flouride? Introduce when a child can spit successfully on their own. Otherwise they will just swallow it and too much flouride can be harmful. Can actually weaken the teeth instead of help strengthen them.
* Flossing? When teeth next door to one another are touching you should begin having your child floss. Usually around 4-6 years of age, when the permanent back molars come in.
* When do you change your toothbrush? When the bristles are "wilted" they they aren't doing a good job getting into all the crevices like they should when they are new.
Soft vs Hard bristles - She recommended soft
* Thumb sucking - Till 4yrs old not a huge deal. Because they don't have permanent teeth and their alignment can still be corrected.
Binky sucking - same thing
* Falling asleep with a bottle? This is the prime reason they see cavities in children. The milk coats their teeth and then stays on their teeth all night long. Try to let a child fall asleep with water. Or sneak in & wipe their teeth with a cloth.
* Insurance? Most insurance companies cover pediatric dentistry. Check with your provider to see the exact coverages.
She also recommended the products that contain "Xylitol" - as these are sugar alcohol that taste good, good for teeth and good for you. The Spry Products are great and have toothpaste, flouride rinses, gum, mints etc.
Jon Dallman Clinic
425-486-6300
18807 Beardslee Blvd.
Suite #103
Bothell, WA 98011
***The clinic is accepting new patients***
