Explaining Dental Teeth Cleaning Procedures to Your Kids

 

A crucial part of your child’s healthcare and development is a twice-yearly visit to the dentist for a thorough teeth cleaning. This process helps eliminate plaque and tartar buildup from your child’s teeth, preventing more cavities and more serious dental health problems down the road.

A trip to the dentist makes a lot of adults anxious, and that’s even more true for children since they don’t have the experience or necessary context to understand what the dentist and dental staff are doing. When children don’t know what to expect from teeth cleaning procedures, it can make them feel nervous and frightened. Explaining those procedures to your child helps them know what to expect and feel more comfortable.

What Procedures Do Dentists Use in Teeth Cleaning?

A thorough examination and dental cleaning procedure helps your child’s dentist get a full picture of your child’s oral health and dental hygiene habits. Because daily flossing and brushing habits are crucial to your child’s ongoing dental health, it’s important for your dentist to know exactly how well they’re keeping up with home habits.

To augment those daily brushings, a thorough dental cleaning procedure twice a year at your child’s dentist helps ensure a bright and healthy smile for years to come. Your child’s first regular cleaning should be scheduled when the first tooth comes in. At that, and all future visits, the dentist and support staff will generally follow a series of steps:

  1. A dental care provider will visually examine your child’s teeth and gums for any sign of potential issues, such as gum inflammation, cavities or plaque buildup.
  2. The dental hygienist or dentist will use special dental tools to scrape away tartar (a hardened layer of plaque) and will also floss in between your child’s teeth to remove particles.
  3. Next, the dentist will use a bit of toothpaste on a motorized brush tool to clean and polish your child’s teeth.
  4. If they haven’t already done so, at this point the dentist might order a set of X-rays to form a more complete image of your child’s oral health.
  5. Last, a dental professional may administer a gel-based fluoride treatment to further protect your child’s teeth.

Finding a Dentist Who Can Put Kids at Ease

Is your child ready for a professional teeth cleaning? Look for one of our qualified partners near you. With child-friendly practices and procedures and bright, cheerful waiting rooms, our partners can put an anxious child at ease.

Our partner general and pediatric dentists are located all over the country and most accept several forms of insurance, including CHIP, Medicaid, and more.

You can also ask other parents in your area for recommendations, and research independent reviews of dental practices near you through online review sites.

Once you’ve made an appointment, talk to your dentist’s office staff about accompanying your child into the treatment room or watching from a special observation area. This can further help young children feel more confident and assured during their visit to the dentist.

———-

Sources:

Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-oral-health/what-happens-during-a-tooth-cleaning