Children's Dentistry | Dentist for Kids and Teenagers

Children's Dentistry in Eagan, MN

Now Care Dental offers treatment for children, kids, and teenagers.

At Now Care Dental, our skilled dentists are experienced in pediatric dentistry and specialize in general dentistry for kids. Preventative care is our No. 1 priority. In our children's dentistry practice, we use the latest in dental sealant technology to protect your child's teeth—just one of the ways we help build a foundation for a lifetime of good oral health.

Regular pediatric dental care: your child's first visit

We recommend regular children's dental care should begin right after their third birthday. The first trip to the dentist is usually short and involves very little treatment. We will review how to clean and care for your child's teeth and make sure they are receiving adequate fluoride at home.

To help build a relationship between your child and the dentist, we may ask you to sit in the dental chair and hold your child during the examination. Or we may ask you to wait in the reception area during part of the visit.

During the first visit, we may also:

Gently examine your child's teeth and gums.
Clean your child's teeth and apply topical fluoride to help protect the teeth against decay.
Take X-rays to reveal decay and check on the progress of your child's permanent teeth under the gums.

Talking to your child about the dentist

You can prepare your child for their first visit to dentist in the same way you would before their first haircut or trip to the shoe store. Review with them what the dentist will be doing during the first visit—the dentist will look in your mouth and teach you about cleaning your teeth and gums.

Here are some first visit tips:

Take your child for a "preview" of the office.
Read books with them about going to the dentist.
Speak positively about your own dental experiences.

Kids dental care and cavity prevention

Cavities often result from sugary food diets and a lack of brushing. Good dentistry for kids means limiting their sugar intake and encouraging them to brush regularly. The longer it takes your child to chew their food—the longer the residue stays on their teeth and the greater the chances of getting cavities.

That's because when you eat, an acid reaction occurs inside the mouth as bacteria digests the sugars. This reaction lasts about 20 minutes, during which the acid environment can destroy the tooth structure, eventually leading to cavities.

Here are some cavity prevention tips:

Choose nutritious snacks.
Make treats part of meals.
Watch what your child drinks.
Limit frequency of meals and snacks.
Avoid giving your child sticky foods.
Encourage brushing, flossing and rinsing.

Children's dentistry: what about baby teeth?

Baby teeth not only hold space for permanent teeth, but are critical for your child's chewing, biting, speech and appearance. For this reason, regular children's dentistry care is important for kids to maintain a daily healthy diet and good oral hygiene.

The two bottom front teeth are the first baby teeth to come into the mouth—usually when your baby is about 6–8 months old. Next are the four upper front teeth. The rest of your baby's teeth will appear periodically and usually in pairs along the sides of the jaw until the child is about two-and-a-half years old—when they should have all 20 teeth.

Between the ages of five and six, the first permanent teeth will begin to erupt. Some of the permanent teeth replace baby teeth and some don't. Don't worry if some teeth are a few months early or late as all children are different.

Find a dentist for kids at Now Care Dental

Dentistry for children is one of our specialties. To schedule a pediatric dentistry appointment for your child, call our Eagan, MN office at (651) 686-6800. Answering services are available 24/7. Clinic hours are 10am to 8pm, seven days a week.

Parents typically provide oral hygiene care until the child is old enough to take personal responsibility for the daily dental health routine of brushing and flossing. A proper regimen of home preventive care is important from the day your child is born.

Clean your infant’s gums with a clean, damp cloth. Ask your dentist if you may rub a tiny dab of toothpaste on the gums.

As soon as the first teeth come in, begin brushing them with a small, soft-bristled toothbrush and a pea-sized dab of fluoride toothpaste. Remember, most children are also getting fluoride from the community water supply.

To avoid baby bottle tooth decay and teeth misalignment due to sucking, try to wean your child off of the breast and bottle by one year of age, and monitor excessive sucking of pacifiers, fingers and thumbs. Never give your child a bottle of milk, juice or sweetened liquid as a pacifier at naptime or bedtime.

Help a young child brush at night–the most important time to brush, due to lower salivary flow and higher susceptibility to cavities and plaque. Perhaps let the child brush their teeth first to build self-confidence, then the parent can follow up to ensure that all plaque is removed. Usually by age 5 or so, the child can learn to brush his or her own teeth with proper parental instruction.

The best way to teach a child how to brush is to lead by good example. Allowing your child to watch you brush your teeth teaches the importance of good oral hygiene.

Call (651) 686-6800 to schedule an appointment or complete our appointment request form.