We recommend children are introduced to their first dental visit by the age of three. We can count their teeth and give them a ride in the chair for their first positive experience. This is reinforced by a helium balloon from our special balloon fairy, and all our great little patients can place their name in the apple to go into the draw for a monthly movie voucher!

It is important for kids to have a great attitude towards coming to the dentist so we can introduce them to preventative services from an early age. A number of mums and dads have concerns coming to the dentist and it is important these are not passed on to the next generation.

A healthy dental future begins with oral hygiene. Removing all the plaque regularly from your child's teeth will reduce the risk of dental decay and gum disease in the future.

Kids need to be taught to to brush effectively. This begins at home with parent supervised brushing, teaching kids how to clean every surface.

Once children are older and like to brush independently, it is important to still check their progress. This can be done with the use of disclosing tablets which stain the plaque, making it easier to see.

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Sugar is the enemy of dental health. Unfortunately it is a much more integral part of the modern child's diet than children of previous generations. Remember when sweet treats were exactly that… a treat? Nowadays kids have a greater sugar content in their every day diet.

Decay is caused when bacteria metabolise the sugar and acid is produced. This causes loss of minerals in the tooth surface. If this is repeated often enough the mineral loss causes collapse of that area of the tooth and a cavity is formed. It is not only the amount of sugar that is important but also the frequency. Small, frequent intakes of sugar are very damaging as the bacteria are constantly fed and producing acid. The constant acid attack with little relief produces decay more quickly. The type of sugar is also important – sticky retentive sugar (ie. lollies) are worse than sugar in solution (ie. cordial) but both are damaging with increased frequency.

In children's teeth the enamel is more immature, the dentinal tubules are wider and the pulps are larger which means that once started, decay progresses more quickly and affects the pulp (nerve) more often, leading to toothache/or abscess.
Good dietary and oral hygiene habits started early can hopefully prevent this and start your child on the path to dentnal health.

It is very important to limit the sugar intake for very young children. Milk has sugar in it called lactose. If you put your baby or toddler to bed with a bottle, or allow your baby to breastfeed constantly all night with you, you place the teeth at risk of decay. This is because the milk sugars are in contact with the teeth for a prolonged period. If your baby is used to a bottle for bed, first gradually dilute the milk to water then work on getting rid of the bottle altogether.

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Evaluation of a child's occlusion is an important part of their regular examination. We can identify developing problems to ensure that the child is referred to an orthodontist at the appropriate time for treatment.

We will look out for:

• Thumb sucking habits – These can cause proclination of the upper anterior and narrowing of the maxilla which may require expansion around the ages of 9-10.
• Canines – Impacting canines can be detected early by regular feeling over the bone to check if the "bulge" is present. If we cannot feel the adult canine teeth, we will take an OPG and may recommend early removal of the baby canines to encourage the adult canines to redirect.
• Tongue thrust and speech impediments – Tongue thrusts may produce an anterior open bite. This infantile swallowing pattern generally matures as the child grows, but, in some cases continues. Initial treatment may involve a speech therapist and, if unsuccessful, a referral to an orthodontist for a tongue deterrent.
• Crossbites – The narrow maxilla can lead to malocclusion and restriction of facial growth.

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This is a service primarily aimed at children either where the grooves in the molar teeth are deep and cannot be easily cleaned (predisposing them to decay) or in children with a high decay rate, to protect the teeth.

A fissure seal involves cleaning the grooves of the teeth then flowing a tooth coloured resin material into the grooves. This creates a smooth surface on the tooth which can be cleaned more easily with the toothbrush.

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It is crucial that all patients participating in contact (and some "non-contact" sports) wear a dentally fitted mouthguard. A mouthguard is a protective device for the mouth that covers the teeth and gums to reduce injury to the teeth, arches, lips and gums.

A poorly fitted "boil and bite" mouthguard does not provide the level of protection you and your kids teeth deserve!

A recent study into dental trauma from sport showed the top four sports are:

• swimming (who would have thought!!!)
• football (AFL)
• basketball
• soccer.

Football: It is common practice to see children wearing mouthguards in footy. As a mum and a dentist on the sidelines, I can tell which kids have the store bought mouthguards as they always take them out on the field. The fit is poor and kids have trouble breathing and often need to clamp their teeth together to hold them in.

Basketball and soccer: These so-called “non-contact” sports have plenty of contact. We see a number of injuries a year from accidental elbows, knees etc. Mouthguards should definitely be worn – we need to change the culture that “no-one else wears one so I won't”.

Here at Roslyn 38 Exceptional Dentistry we are firm believers in the value of mouthguards. We believe clear mouthguards are best to enable viewing through it in the event of a major injury. We offer a free leather footy for all full priced mouthguards to encourage wearers!! Make an appointment today to have an impression and upon fitting, receive your free footy!

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We will always endeavour to make your child's visit as happy and fun as possible. Sometimes kids have to have restorations placed.

At Roslyn 38 Exceptional Dentistry we can offer kids happy gas (nitrous oxide) to make the experience more pleasant. Other distractions such as a TV on the ceiling is often enough to make your child forget they are at the dentist!

We have a "needle-less" injection system for those kids who need anaesthesia but may be a little needle-phobic. (although a local anaesthesia given after numbing crème and administered very slowly is virtually painless.)

We are able to offer an option to have dentistry done in a hospital setting for those children that require it.

We are fortunate enough to have a great paedodontist in Geelong, Dr Sue Hinckfuss, for those who need more complex procedures or need hospital admission more quickly.

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