920 29th Street

Sacramento CA 95816

(916) 476-3972

Monday - Thursday 7:30am - 5:00pm

info@capitalpd.com

We respond within 1 business day.

Pediatric Dental Hygiene Techniques

New parents often wonder, how do you take care of a child’s oral hygiene?

It all starts by imparting good oral habits early in life. As a parent, you have brushing, dental check-ups, and flossing as your main tools to keep your child’s teeth healthy. These dental hygiene habits are all very important.

At Capital Pediatric Dentistry, we are here to help anytime. We work diligently and help parents with newborns to nine-year-old’s find ways to help their children maintain good oral health.

Working with a pediatric dentist who specializes in child dental care is important because children’s teeth and mouth are unique from adults.

How to Brush Your Child’s Teeth Properly

It’s very important for your child to start good dental hygiene at an early age. If you are a mom with an infant, you can clean your baby’s teeth after each feeding and before putting them to bed. Use a clean wet gauze or wet cloth to gently wipe your baby’s gum.
And when the child’s first teeth erupt, here are some dental hygiene techniques that can really help:

Use a soft-bristled and age-suitable toothbrush with water to brush your child’s teeth. 

Children aged six to eight years should be brushing by themselves. You should try and show your child how to brush teeth at least twice a day, in the morning and at night. Be a good role model for your children. Show your children how to brush up, bottom, and on the sides of the teeth.

Brush your child’s gums, on the teeth in tiny circles. Two minutes is enough, and don’t forget to focus on the back molars, which are likely to be exposed to cavities caused by bacteria that accumulates if you don’t brush back there often.

You can invest in battery-powered toothbrushes which can help in getting rid of plaque from your child’s teeth. Show your kid how to use this advanced toothbrush correctly. We are happy to help show you as well.

It’s important that kids know they should also brush their tongue. This helps get rid of germs and keeps their breath fresh.

Ensure your kid can freely spit out (expectorate) the toothpaste rather than swallow it. If your child uses fluoride toothpaste, make sure to rinse the mouth our after brushing. Too much fluoride is not good for a person.

Replace your child’s toothbrush at least every three to four months. Don’t wait until your child’s toothbrush is frayed or worn out.

The Best Techniques to Help Your Child Floss

Dental floss is a technique used to get rid of food and plaque from between teeth. Learning to floss is a great way to stop conditions such as gingivitis and gum disease, halitosis, or tooth decay.

Kids (and adults) should floss at least once a day. However, not many new parents make flossing exciting, as many parents do not floss either. The good news? Our office staff will teach you a few techniques to help your child floss hassle-free. They include:

Start by tearing off short pieces of dental floss and using the soft side on your kid’s gums. Make sure not to press too hard. When first starting, you may see a tiny bit of blood. This is okay, as you are strengthening the gums. After a few days, you should not see blood. If you do, please contact us.

Tie the loose ends of the floss around your child’s middle fingers to help the small hands to get used to flossing. Choose colors that your kid likes to help them get excited about flossing.

Train your child to use their thumb and index finger to glide the floss between the teeth. You can use a simple technique whereby you cup your child’s teeth with the floss and move it from the top of the teeth and under the gums, and on each side.

Let the Best Pediatric Dentist in Sacramento Help Care for Your Child’s Teeth

Teaching your children how to brush and floss is a rewarding experience. Yes you may have to tell them every night and every morning for 5 – 10 years, but eventually they will make it a habit!

You will proud that you raised children who know how to take care of their teeth and oral health. At Capital Pediatric Dentistry, we urge parents to visit us and learn more about brushing and flossing.

Watch a pediatric dental sedation visit by an actual patient!

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Complete safety & Comfort

Sedation dentistry is not just for anxiety.

All of your dental work can be done in a single visit in a safe & fun environment.

This type of dentistry is great for those who have anxiety, a low pain threshold, can’t sit still in a dentist’s chair, someone with very sensitive teeth, those with a strong gag reflex or anyone needing an extensive amount of dental work. Patients with special needs due to physical, medical, developmental or cognitive issues also need and deserve special consideration.