Dentistry for Kids

We love to have groups take an educational tour of our office. Just call !

KIDS-Healthy Smiles for a Lifetime

The most important gift we can give a child is positive early experiences at the dental office.

The skills that we teach and the preventive care we provide can make a foundation for a lifetime of healthy and comfortable smiles.

Please do not go overboard in telling a young child about going to the dentist.. We would simply suggest you tell them, "We're going to see a new friend. Dr. Bill loves children and wants to be sure you have happy teeth. He will count them and you will get to ride in the Astronaut Chair. Maybe they'll take some pictures of your teeth with the Tooth Camera and tickle your teeth with the Tickle Toothbrush."

Try not to share your own concerns when talking to your child about the dentist's office.

Tell them the minimum and don't keep discussing this. Going to the dentist should be at the same level as going to the market.

We take dentistry at the child's pace. Healthy attitudes about dentistry come from the first appointments, so sometimes we take things more slowly with children, even if it means a few more visits.

Generally, we are comfortable with parents being with children during their time with us. We stress prevention for children, so it helps to have the adults present when we talk about nutrition, cleaning techniques, sealants and braces.

Please take the time to call us before your child's appointment if you have any concerns to discuss.

No Tooth Fairy?

Some cultures don't have a Tooth Fairy. In Singapore children stand straight with feet close together and throw their newly shed teeth up in the air so that the new ones will come in straight.

In Sweden a child says: "We put the tooth in a glass of water and next in the night a troll comes and buys it with a Kroner which he leaves in the glass."

In India the children take the teeth to the house of a newly married couple who have no children and hide them in the roof for luck.

In Hungary they just throw the teeth over the house.

In Japan the children toss their teeth into a rain barrel and say: "My teeth are weak, so I trade them for those of the devil."

Mixing Baby Formula--What Water Should I Use?

Q: What kind of water should I use to mix my baby's formula?  Should it have fluoride?

According to fluoride intake guidelines set by the Institute of Medicine, the amount of fluoride recommended for babies under a year old is less than that for older children and adults. Infants less than one year old may be getting more than the optimal amount of fluoride (which may increase their risk of enamel fluorosis) if their primary source of nutrition is powdered or liquid concentrate infant formula mixed with water containing fluoride.

The appropriate amount of fluoride is essential to prevent tooth decay, but fluoride intake above the recommended level for a child’s age creates a risk for enamel fluorosis in teeth during their development before eruption through the gums. Fluorosis can result in spots appearing on teeth or turning them brown and mis-shaped.

More research is needed before definitive recommendations can be made, but, in the meantime, if parents and caregivers are concerned, the ADA’s interim guidance provides steps to simply and effectively reduce fluoride intake during a baby’s first year of life.

Essentially, the ADA supports the pediatricians’ recommendations on the benefits of breast feeding and notes that using ready-to-feed formula for bottle-fed babies will keep their fluoride intake under safe limits. If using a product that needs to be reconstituted, parents and caregivers should consider using water that has no or low levels of fluoride.

The water in the Upland area IS low in fluoride.  But if you buy your water from, say, Arrowhead, just be certain that you use the non-fluoridated type for mixing formula.

If you live outside the Upland area, feel free to call us and we will check our lists on fluoride content of various water supplies.

Visit ADA.org for additional information on fluoride

We welcome small groups to tour our office!