Shirley, NY, Healthy SmilesThe habits we learn at a young age can set us up for success in adulthood. When it comes to healthy smiles, introducing your little one to regular dental care establishes the importance of daily brushing and flossing. Kids who know they have upcoming dental visits know they need to take care of their smiles. That is why we recommend bringing your children to cleanings and exams with the same frequency we recommend for adults. Biannual visits combine professional cleaning services with examinations that identify active concerns and track the development of your child’s smile. This means detecting problems with tooth decay or gum disease when conservative options are available for treatment. To give kids an additional level of support, we provide services such as fluoride treatments and dental sealants that fight plaque accumulation while children are still learning to take care of themselves.

At your Shirley, NY pediatric dentist and orthodontist, we take pride in teaching children oral care habits that result in healthy smiles. We foster a welcoming environment that puts your child at ease when they attend their first visits. We believe when children enjoy their time at the dentist’s office, it increases their commitment to caring for their smile. This results in a win for parent, child, and dentist alike!

The Benefit Of Regular Cleanings And Examinations

We suggest bringing your little one in for a cleaning and exam on a semiannual basis for several reasons. Children take time to master the ability to clean the entire surface of their furthest back molars. By seeing them every six months, we can detect the arrival of their molars as soon as they appear and place protective dental sealants. This additional service provides a physical barrier that prevents plaque from accumulating on the surface of these hard-to-reach teeth. Similarly, creating a dental record for your young one allows us to predict whether or not they would benefit from corrective orthodontic treatment.

Your Child’s First Appointment

When is your baby ready for their first dental checkup? We suggest scheduling an appointment by their first birthday or whenever their first tooth appears, whichever happens first. This visit provides an opportunity to introduce ourselves to your little one with a simple knee-to-knee lap exam. We ask that you hold your child while we inspect their oral structures and see that they are coming in as expected. Then when your child turns two, we suggest placing them on a biannual checkup schedule for regular cleanings.

Schedule Your Child’s Next Dental Appointment In Shirley, NY

Taking care of a child’s smile begins as soon as their first tooth arrives! For more information or to schedule an appointment, call us at Shirley Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry in Shirley, NY at (631) 399-1600.