Children’s Dentistry at Blockhouse Bay Dental Centre
Experience has shown us that a child, who receives professional dental care regularly, and preferably while they are still very young, is far less likely to grow up with dental fears or anxieties. Although most young children will see dental nurses and oral health therapists at their school clinic, if you prefer, we can arrange for our dentist to treat your child privately.
Once your child reaches Form 3 (age 12 or 13), they are enrolled in the Adolescent Dental Benefits Scheme which provides an annual dental examination with at Blockhouse Bay Dental Centre and it covers basic dental treatment until age 18.
Our aim is to ensure that every young patient grows up, with all the information and preventative dental care needed for great oral health, hopefully enjoying a lifetime of healthy smiles.
First Dental Visit – What Age?
The importance of your child’s first few dental visits cannot be overstressed. It is during this time that the child establishes it’s impressions of dentistry. These can affect the child’s attitude to dentistry and its consequence on oral health for a lifetime.
At Blockhouse Bay Dental Centre we encourage mothers to bring along their children from age 1. Not for an examination for the child. Rather, each time mum has a routine six monthly examination the child can watch mum in the dental chair. After each visit the child gets more familiar with the routine so that by age 18 months to 2 years they go for rides in mum’s lap on the chair.
By age 2 to 3 we (mum and the dentist) try to have a look at the teeth with a dental mirror. If the child is at all resistant to this we stop and try again six months later. Usually by age 3 the child is happy to sit in the chair by themselves with mum’s supervision and allow us to check their teeth.
Once they have discovered the buttons that make the chair go up and down and the “water pistol” they need no encouragement! Of course we give all our young patients (and some not so young!) stickies to collect.
At these early visits we will stress the importance of prevention to you and give you advice on the child’s diet and brushing tips. Together we are aiming never to have to do a filling.
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These first visits are crucial and will set your child up for a lifetime of positive attitudes to dentistry and the oral health benefits that this brings.
