Frequently Asked Questions

When your child’s teeth begin to come in, you will need to switch from a cloth to a baby toothbrush. Find one that has a grip big enough for your hand, but a head that is small enough to maneuver easily in your infant’s mouth.

Fluoride or no fluoride, what’s the big deal? We recommend suing a “smear” amount of fluoride toothpaste as soon as the first couple of baby teeth poke through the gums. You can use a finger or finger toothbrush to apply. When your child can spit toothpaste out successfully without swallowing, you can increase that amount to a pea size!

By around six years of age, your child will probably rinse and spit without your help. At that point, you may want to introduce a child-friendly fluoride mouthwash!

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) suggests that parents should make an initial appointment with a pediatric dentist approximately six months after the emergence of the first tooth, or no later than the child’s first birthday.

Pediatric dentists complete additional years of training in advanced diagnostics and treatment for kids and teens only along with child psychology and clinical management.

It depends on the origin so always give us a call at (850)477-1722 if you are worried! For a toothache caused by deep cavities, Tylenol rotated with Motrin, warm salt water rinses and sometimes a cold ice pack can help until your child can be seen!

Sucking on thumbs and pacifiers long-term may interfere with the healthy growth of a child’s mouth, the roof of the mouth, and tooth alignment. The extent of harm usually depends on how aggressively the child sucks on the thumb or pacifier.
As children grow and mature, they develop new ways to self-soothe, relax, and entertain themselves, but some children need the help of their parents and their pediatric dentist to stop their sucking habits.

In general, kids should visit the dentist at least once every 6 months. Our reason for this is typically it takes about 6 months for a cavity to form. This allows for regular dental care to be performed by the pediatric dentist, including a dental exam, cleaning, fluoride treatment, and x-rays if needed.

Most children should plan to receive fluoride treatment every three to six months, depending on the child’s risk of developing cavities in the future. The first sign of fluoride deficiency in children is an increase in cavities. A lack of fluoride causes tooth enamel to become weakened, leaving teeth more prone to decay.

The best thing is to rinse the tooth in milk or water and reimplant the tooth back in the socket! If you don’t feel comfortable doing so, visit a dentist or ER to have them re-implant. Always keep the tooth in milk for transport.

What should I do if my child knocks out a baby tooth?

We never re-implant baby teeth because of the risk of damage to adult teeth. It is always important to visit the dentist to check for damage to bones adjacent to teeth.

Start good oral habits early! Teach your kids to brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and to floss regularly. Fluoride is also very important in preventing tooth decay. Regular use of fluoride toughens the enamel, making it harder for acid to penetrate. Most toothpastes contain fluoride but toothpaste alone will not fully protect a child’s teeth. Be careful, however, since too much fluoride can cause tooth discoloration. Check with your dentist before supplementing! Also, sugary foods, juices, candy (especially sticky gummy candy, gummy vitamins, or fruit leather or “roll-ups”) can erode enamel and cause cavities. If your kids eat these foods, have them rinse their mouth or brush their teeth after eating to wash away the sugar. The same goes for taking sweetened liquid medicines: always have kids rinse or brush afterward.

A pediatric dentist is trained to spot early signs of the need for braces and will refer to the orthodontist when the time comes. Typically, it is either around 8 years old for early phase 1 or 12 when all adult teeth come in.