When should my child first see a dentist?
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends a dental evaluation at approximately age one to assess diet and oral care among other things. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends around age two. Most children arrive at our office between ages of two and three. An early examination and preventive care will protect your child’s smile now and in the future as well as detect any oral and facial abnormalities.

Why should my child see a Children’s dentist instead of our regular family dentist?
Pediatric dentistry is a dental specialty that focuses on the oral health of young people.  Following the four years of dental school, a pediatric dentist has 2-3 years of additional specialty training in the unique needs of infants, children and adolescents, including those with special health needs.  At The Tooth Station, our staff is committed to making your child’s first dental experience an exciting and enjoyable experience.  Our patients love playing video games and watching movies during treatment!

How will Dr. Randolph and the staff of The Tooth Station help my child feel comfortable?
Pediatric dentists are trained in many methods to help children feel comfortable with dental treatment.  For example, in the “Tell-Show-Do” technique, Dr. Randolph might name a dental instrument, demonstrate the instrument by using it to count your child’s fingers, then apply the instrument in treatment.  But by far the most preferred technique is praise.  Every child does something right during a dental visit and Dr. Randolph, our hygienist, and our assistants will never hesitate to let them know that!

When should I start cleaning my baby’s teeth?
The sooner the better!  Starting at birth; clean your child’s gums with a soft infant toothbrush and water.  Remember that small children do not have the dexterity to brush their teeth effectively on their own.  If using a fluoridated tooth paste, use only an amount described as a ’smear’ on the brush or half pea size amount on the brush. This will help prevent the ingesting of too much fluoride. Once your child is able to spit out the tooth paste after application on their own, then the amount of paste used is less important.

When do the first teeth start to erupt?
At about 6 months, the two lower front teeth (central incisors) will erupt, followed shortly by the two upper incisors.  The remainder of the baby teeth appear during the next 18-24 months but not necessarily in an orderly sequence from front to back.  At 2-3 years, all of these 20 primary teeth should be present. An early examination and preventative care will protect your child’s smile now and in the future as well as detect any oral and facial abnormalities.

What is ‘baby bottle tooth decay’ and how can I prevent it?
Baby bottle tooth decay, or early childhood caries, is a pattern of rapid decay associated with prolonged nursing.  Tooth decay can occur when a child goes to sleep while breast-feeding and/or bottle feeding.  During sleep, the flow of saliva is reduced and the natural self-cleansing action of the mouth is diminished.  Avoid nursing children to sleep or putting anything other than water in a bed time bottle.  Encourage your child to drink from a cup as they approach their first birthday.  He/she should be weaned from the bottle at 12-24 months. A Sippy cup containing juice or milk can be very harmful to the health of your child’s teeth if he/she is taking small, frequent sips throughout the day.  Limit the drinking of milk and juice to mealtime and fill a sippy cup with water only to be used between meals.

My daughter loves juice – do the words “no sugar added” or “100% juice” on the label mean that it is safe for my child’s teeth and diet?
NO!! Many well-known manufacturers label their juice labels with the words “No sugar added”, but what they do not tell you is that natural fruit sugar (fructose) is already naturally present in very high quantities.  All fruit juice contains sugar – it just may not contain any other “added” high-fructose corn syrup. For example, grape juice (100% juice with no sugar added) contains as much as 60 grams of sugar per 12 oz. – that’s equivalent to 15 teaspoons of sugar!  Cavities are formed when the bacteria in the mouth feed on the sugar available in the foods we eat.  The bacteria does not care what type of sugar (lactose in milk, fructose in juice) it is, just that it is present.  The sugars in your food or drink cause the bacteria in plaque to produce acids that attack the tooth enamel.  With time and repeated acid attacks, the enamel breaks down and a cavity forms. Here at The Tooth Station, we recommend your child drinks milk or juice at mealtimes only.  Throughout the rest of the day, your child should be drinking water or drinks artificially sweetened with products such as Splenda. We love Aquafina Flavorsplash water and Crystal Light – they contain no sugar, no calories and taste fantastic!