Children's dentistry
Gone are the days of putting our children to bed with a bottle of fruit juice or milk. Now that we have a greater dental awareness it is understood that this is the leading cause of dental decay in young children. This is why it is best to bring your child to the dentist from a young age. Waiting until they have a problem such as decay or a toothache can mean a dental visit is traumatic. This may have a negative effect on your child’s dental experiences in the future.
At Vision Dental we believe that prevention is better than cure. That’s why we encourage bringing your children to see the dentist from the age of 2-3.
We like to make the first dental appointment a fun experience. We give your child a ride in the dental chair, show them our instruments and when they leave, they’ll get to choose a ‘prize’ from our treasure chest. Not only does this make going to the dentist an enjoyable experience for children, it will familiarise them from an early age and set them up with a good attitude towards future dental visits.
From around the age of 5-6, when adult teeth begin coming through, children are placed on a regular preventive care program. This means seeing our hygienist every six months for a professional clean and fluoride treatment, thus helping to prevent decay and the need for restorative treatment. The hygienist will give your children oral hygiene and tooth brushing instruction, and if required dietary advice, which is monitored at every preventive care appointment. This will set your child up with good oral hygiene habits for life.
Our Dental Hygienists .....
It is also important to bring your child to see the dentist from a young age as we may detect things such as:
- Decay
- The need for early intervention orthodontics. Orthodontics .....
Problems with airways/breathing difficulties /sleep apnoea/growth and development of jaw structure
- Tongue tie or diastema - (diastema is a space between the two upper central teeth)
-
a diastemer or tongue tie is caused by a ‘short’ fraenum. The fraenum is a thin fold of tissue that attaches the under surface of the tongue to the floor of the mouth and the upper lip to the gum in between the upper central teeth. If the fraenum is short, this restricts the movement of the tongue which is called a ‘tongue tie’ and can effect speech. A short fraenum on the upper jaw can cause a space to form in between the two upper front teeth. In some cases the dentist may recommend a fraenectomy is done to prevent potential orthodontic problems arising. Dental laser .....
We strive to fulfil the dental needs of all children here in our surgery, including those with special needs. However it is sometimes necessary to refer patients if they need specialist care or where there are compliance issues the dentist may wish to complete treatment under sedation in the hospital. Sedation .....