Exam & Cleaning

Every patient visit requires an exam by the dentist and the remainder of the appointment is determined by the patient’s age and level of comfort. We believe that regular six-monthly appointments will slowly build the patient’s trust and confidence, and instill the importance of a healthy mouth as an essential part of a healthy body. At most first or recall appointments the following can be expected:
 
0-18 months of age: At this age children are often too young to sit by themselves and a knee-to-knee approach is employed to complete a successful exam. This requires the dentist and the parent/guardian to sit facing each other with their knees touching. The child sits in the parent/guardian’s lap facing towards them and the head is slowly leaned back into the dentist’s lap. It is not unusual for kids to cry at this age even though the exam only involves looking with a mirror. The common topics discussed at this age are teeth present or yet to erupt, health of mouth overall, preventing baby bottle decay, pacifier/thumb sucking and creating a good oral hygiene routine.

18 months- 3 years: At this stage, some kids are willing to sit by themselves in the dental chair, while others may be more comfortable in a parent/guardian’s lap. A cleaning is usually attempted with either a regular toothbrush or the “spin” brush depending on the patient’s cooperation. This is followed by flossing and fluoride application.

4 years and above: Most children of this age are attending school and are often more comfortable meeting strangers and following directions. Using Tell-Show-Do techniques, we encourage patients to cooperate for the appointment to the best of their ability. A critical component of this appointment is the ability to obtain X-rays (radiographs), especially for the back teeth where smaller cavities can hide in between the molars. In accordance with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s (AAPD) guidelines, we do recommend biannual fluoride application on your child’s teeth to protect them from cavities. Please discuss this with the hygienist or dentist at the start of the appointment if you have any concerns. The dentist could recommend fluoride free alternatives. Please refer to AAPD for further details.

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https://www.aapd.org/globalassets/media/policies_guidelines/p_fluorideuse.pdf