You may be surprised to learn that good oral hygiene in your baby begins before their first tooth appears. Just because you don’t see any teeth in your baby’s mouth, it doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Teeth begin to form in your baby’s mouth during the second trimester of pregnancy. In fact, your baby already has 20 primary teeth at birth, with some teeth fully developed in the jaw.</>

Here are a few tips from our Houston dentists on how to care for your young child or baby’s teeth:

• Before your baby starts teething, clear away any harmful bacteria in their mouth by wiping their gums with a clean, moist washcloth.

• When your baby begins to have teeth, use an infant toothbrush with a small amount of fluoride toothpaste (about the size of a grain of rice) to brush them. You want to use such a small amount of toothpaste in order to minimize the amount your baby may swallow. Remember to use fluoride toothpaste that carries the American Dental Association's (ADA) seal of acceptance.

• At about age 2, teach your kid to spit while brushing. Do not give your child water to rinse out their mouth, as this increases the chances of them swallowing toothpaste.

• Once your child reaches 3 years old, increase the amount of fluoride toothpaste to about the size of a pea. Again, you want to minimize their chances of swallowing too much toothpaste.

• Before they are at least 8 years old, make sure to always supervise your kid when they brush, as before this age they are more likely to swallow toothpaste.

Reminder From Our Houston Kids Dentists: Practice Good Feeding Habits!

If good feeding habits are not practiced, even babies can develop tooth decay. For instance, putting a baby to sleep with a bottle can harm the baby's teeth, as sugars from juice or milk can remain on a baby's teeth for long periods of time. These sugars can eat away at the enamel, thus creating a condition known as bottle mouth. Babies with bottle mouth often have pocked, pitted, or discolored front teeth. Severe cases of bottle mouth can develop cavities that require extraction of their front baby teeth.

Start Off Right With A Visit To Our Southwest Houston Dental Clinic

We recommend that you bring your child into our dental clinic in southwest Houston once they turn 1-year old. At this first visit, our kids dentist will conduct a mouth exam designed for babies and explain proper brushing and flossing techniques.

Visits to our Houston dental office allows our kids dentists to detect any problems early, while helping your kid get used to seeing the dentist. Our kids dentists are trained professionals in kids' oral health. Therefore, you can be sure your kid is in good hands. Contact our southwest Houston dental office today to set up an appointment.

For many, fear of going to the dentist is a real thing. In fact, approximately 10 to 20 percent of U.S. adults have dental anxiety. This fear can impact not just the condition of a person’s teeth and gums, but their overall health as well. That’s why it’s so important for parents to alleviate any fears of going to the dentist in their kids at a young age. The following tips will help ease your child’s anxieties and pave the way for stress-free visits to our southwest Houston dental office:

Bring Them To Our Kids Dentist Early In Life

Children should see a kids dentist as soon as their first tooth appears and no later than their first birthday. Bringing in your kids while they are still babies gets them familiar with the environment and procedures of our Houston dental clinic. In addition, starting dental visits at a young age not only benefits their oral health, but builds trust with our kids dentist as well.

Prepare Them For Their Visit To Our Houston Dental Office Ahead of Time

A great game to play with your child to help them get ready for their dental visit is “dentist”. Role-play with your child, and let them examine your teeth and pretend to clean them and vice versa. By playing “dentist" at home with your child, you can help them better understand what will happen when they arrive at our dental office.

Motivate Them By Offering Small Rewards For Listening To Our Kids Dentist

As a parent, you are aware that rewarding good behavior motivates kids to be cooperative. Offering a small reward such as: a new small toy, their favorite healthy snack, or extra playtime can go a long way in making sure your child behaves in the dental chair and listens to our kids dentist. Also, making their dental visit an excursion by going to the park or movie before or after seeing us can help get them excited about their dental visits.

Here at Centra Dental in southwest Houston, our Houston dentists are ready to work with you to help alleviate any anxieties your child may have about seeing the dentist. Call us today to set up an appointment.

Getting kids to take care of their teeth can sometimes be like, well, “pulling teeth”. When it comes to oral heath, some of the biggest challenges parents often face involve getting their kids to brush properly (if at all), floss daily, or to stay away from sugary drinks and snacks. Here are some pediatric dentistry tips from our southwest Houston dental office that encourage your kids to take better care of their teeth.

Encourage Your Kid to Choose Healthier Food Options

Food items such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, cheese, and lean meats are better for your child’s teeth than cookies, candy, or chips. Unfortunately, kids often need a lot of persuasion to choose from the healthier options. Young children are also hesitant when it comes to eating food that is unfamiliar to them. Here are some suggestions from our kids dentists on how to make eating healthy fun:

• Include your kid in purchasing your food, and have them help in the preparation of it.

• Allow your child to bring their favorite stuffed animal or doll to the dinner table on certain occasions. Young children often become more willing to try unfamiliar food when they first “feed” it to their furry friend.

• Have healthy food options such as carrot sticks, apple slices, or cheese cubes ready to eat whenever they need a snack. When children are hungry, the last thing they want to do is have to wait for you to prepare their snacks. Having healthy options immediately ready to satiate their hunger goes a long way in creating healthy eating habits.

Get Them To Look Forward To Seeing Our Houston Dentists

Getting your child into the habit of visiting our dental clinic in southwest Houston contributes greatly to their oral health, as our kids dentists can help educate your child on the importance of taking care of their teeth, while encouraging them to practice good oral hygiene habits. Here are some tips to help make them look forward to seeing us each time:

• Start early, so your child sees visits to our southwest Houston dental clinic as a normal part of life. Our Houston dentists recommend that you bring your child into our dental office as soon as their first tooth appears, or no later than their first birthday.

• Turn visits to our Houston dental office into fun excursions by going to the movies, the park, children’s museum, or some other fun place before of after their appointment.

• Before their appointment, read children’s books to your kid that talk about how going to the dentist is not only important, but fun as well.

Although encouraging kids to take better care of their oral health can often be challenging, our Houston dentists are here to help. Our priority is helping your child maintain a healthy mouth through good dental habits, while enjoying the process. Contact Centra Dental in southwest Houston today to set up an appointment.

Most two-year-old toddlers have never visited a dentist. In fact, only 25% of children have seen a kids dentist by the age of five. This fact is both surprising and disturbing, and it’s no wonder that the most common chronic childhood disease in the country is tooth decay.

We here at Centra Dental in southwest Houston strongly urge parents to stay on top of their child’s oral health. Pediatric dentistry is an important aspect of your child's health, as it has been proven that better oral health contributes to better overall health in a child.

Why Your Child Needs To See Our Kids Dentists ASAP

Beginning from when your child is just a baby, they are often exposed to food and liquids that can damage their oral health. Baby formula, certain foods, milk, and juice are all full of sugars that can promote tooth decay.

In addition, when young kids drink from baby bottles and sippy cups, chances of decay are increased, as drinking from these containers constantly expose sugar to the child’s teeth, especially the front teeth.

Tooth decay can lead to severe pain and even infection when left untreated. In fact, the decay can become so severe that the only treatment option is tooth extraction.

At our southwest Houston dental clinic, our dentists recommend that you reduce your kid’s exposure to sugary liquids, while keeping up with their dental maintenance. Bringing them into our dental office for regular checkups and cleanings will ensure that they have a healthy mouth and better overall health.

When to Bring Your Child to See Our Kids Dentists

Our Houston dentists recommend that you bring your child in for their first dental visit as soon as their first tooth begins to show, or no later than their first birthday.

When you bring your child into our Houston dental office, we will thoroughly examine your child’s mouth and look for any issues that may cause problems with their dental development. Our dental experts will also advise you on tooth decay protection and prepare a regular dental maintenance program.

Centra Dental is committed to giving your child a healthy mouth, as we understand a healthy mouth = a healthier child. Therefore, if you live in southwest Houston or the surrounding areas, contact our dental office today to set up an appointment for your kid.