PEDIATRIC DENTIST IN SAN FRANCISCO

AGES 0-3

• The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends a child's first dental visit by age 1, or within 6 months of the appearance of the first baby tooth.
• Teething usually begins around 6 months and continues until 2-3 years old, starting with front teeth, followed by back molars; canines fill the gaps by 18 months. Delays are generally not a major concern.
• Before teeth erupt, clean your baby's mouth and gums with a soft cloth or infant toothbrush, ideally while lying them on their back.
• Once the first tooth emerges, clean your baby's teeth with a toothbrush or a clean wipe like "Spiffy" wipes before they fall asleep.
• When your baby starts eating solid food, nursing may cause cavities. Wean your baby off of nighttime nursing or offer water from a sippy cup after each nursing session to clean their teeth.
• To prevent early transmission of cavity-causing bacteria and viruses, avoid sharing utensils or cups with your baby.
• Help your baby stop pacifier use, thumb, and finger sucking habits by age 2, as they can be difficult to break later on.
• Once your baby starts walking, protect their mouth and teeth from injury by placing barriers on sharp corners and hard surfaces.

AGES 4-5

• Brush your child’s teeth at least twice a day: once in the morning and once at night using a "pea sized" amount of fluoridated toothpaste. The most important time to brush teeth is right before bedtime.
• Schedule your child’s dental visits every 6 months. Routine teeth cleaning and regular check-ups help keep your child's mouth healthy.
• Before teeth erupt, clean your baby's mouth and gums with a soft cloth or infant toothbrush, ideally while lying them on their back.
• Keep an eye on snacking; ideally children should have no more than 3 snacks a day.
• Begin flossing for your children when any two teeth are touching.
• Avoid juices; limit the amount of juice to less than 6 oz per day.

AGES 6-11

• Parents should supervise the brushing of teeth for children until they are at least 7-8 years old.
• Parents should help floss their child’s teeth regularly once a day.
• Permanent teeth emerge around age 6. Ask your pediatric dentist about sealants.
• Some children might need interceptive orthodontics in this age group. Ask your pediatric dentist for referral to an orthodontist.
• Wear a mouthguard when activities involve a risk of falls, collisions, or contact. Pre-formed mouthguards can be purchased in sporting goods stores or online, customized mouthguards can be made by your pediatric dentist. Please call us for advice.

AGES 11-18

• Encourage your teenager to brush twice a day and floss regularly; encouragement in proper brushing is needed in this age group.
• Sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, and junk food are consumed by many teens; healthier options should be encouraged.
• Ask your pediatric dentist about sealants for the 12-year permanent molars.
• Comprehensive orthodontic treatment occurs during this age group; discuss with your pediatric dentist the potential need for a referral.
• Evaluation for possible wisdom teeth extraction occurs in later teen years.

EXPECTING MOMS

Congratulations! We are excited and happy for you and your growing family. As an expecting mom, your oral health is very important to you and your growing baby. Research has shown that gum disease has negative effects on the unborn baby and that bacteria that causes cavities and gum disease in an expecting mother can be passed to her baby once the baby is born. We encourage expecting moms to have:

• Regular dental cleanings.
• Complete any dental treatment needed prior to the start of a pregnancy if possible. If not, dental treatments are safe during the second trimester of pregnancy; of course, emergency dental treatment can be completed at any time.
• If you suffer from morning sickness, we encourage you not to brush your teeth right after to prevent further enamel erosion from the acidic effects.

SPECIAL NEEDS

Pediatric Dentists are specifically trained to treat the dental needs of young patients with special needs. Creating a dental home is key to your child’s oral health and prevention. Please let us know when making an appointment that your child has special needs. This allows our office to better prepare for your child’s visit. For some of our special needs patients who might benefit from an opportunity to become familiar with our office and staff, we may recommend a complimentary visit only for the first appointment. Please let our staff know when scheduling a first visit if you feel your child would benefit from a site visit.

DIET & NUTRITION

What and when your child eats has an effect not only on his or her general health, but also oral health. Now, more than ever, we are faced with an array of food choices, from fresh produce to sugar-laden processed convenience foods. Almost all foods have some type of sugar in them that cannot be eliminated from the diet. Since avoiding all sugars would be impossible, emphasis should be placed on how long and how often sugars are in the mouth. A steady diet of sugary foods and drinks can ruin teeth, especially when it appears in snacks.

What to do:

• Avoid frequent snacking: for our younger patients we recommend ideally no more than 3 snacks per day.
• Choose snacks that do not stick to the teeth. For example, raisins and fruit roll-ups linger on your child’s teeth for hours.
• When choosing a sweet option for your child, choose chocolates or ice creams instead of sticky sweets such as gummy bears, starbursts, or jelly beans.
• Good snack options are plain yogurt, cheese, whole fruits, vegetables, and nut butters if no allergies. Avoid dried fruits, gummy snacks, chocolate milk, fruit juice, and starchy snacks such as crackers, goldfish, and chips.
• Promote water between meals versus juice or carbonated drinks.
• Sippy cups should not have anything but water in them throughout the day. We recommend water any time, milk during meal times, and juice for special occasions.
• Do not let your child sip on milk or juice while falling asleep.

SPORTS DENTISTRY

We strongly recommend that your child wear a mouthguard when activities involve a risk of falls, collisions, or contact. Pre-formed mouthguards can be purchased in sporting goods stores or online; customized mouthguards can be made by our office. Please call us for further advice.