K&W Dental at Forest Hills

Dental care is important for all stages of life! Even when you don't have any teeth anymore! Read about these important milestones that we should all be aware of. *All moms should read this! #dentalhealth #publichealth #dentalpatient #moms #brushingyourteeth #smile Important Dental Milestones It is important to know that there are different dental challenges as we age. For example, a child’s first dental visit should be at 1 year of age or 6 months after their first bab...y tooth erupts in the mouth. As the child ages, it is important to follow recommendations by the pediatric dentist, as this may include supplemental fluoride intake (especially if the water in the community is not fluoridated). In addition to this, the child may require in-office fluoride treatments and other preventive procedures such as sealants or noninvasive fillings. Applying or ingesting a recommended, small amount of fluoride has been proven to be very beneficial for developing healthy teeth in young children. Fluoridation of drinking water has been hailed as a Top Ten Great Public Health Achievement in the US in modern human history by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, excessive intake of fluoride can have negative side effects so ask your local dentist about the appropriate recommendations for your community as this can change from one place to another. As the child gets older to around 8-10 years of age, a consultation for orthodontic treatment may be recommended by the pediatric dentist. During the teenage years, it is important for the child to return for regular bi-annual dental visits. It is often during this time that orthodontic treatment is completed and retainers are provided to make sure the teeth do not shift again. Compliance is usually hard in this age group so the guardians will need to closely monitor the child’s oral health conditions during this time. A consultation for possible removal of the child’s wisdom teeth are also recommended at around 16-18 years old, usually before they leave for college. It is estimated that 62% of all emergency department visits in the hospital for dental reasons were from the age group of 18-44 years old, with a large percentage of the reason for the ER visit being related to an infected wisdom tooth.

Recommendations for Pediatric Oral Hygiene Brushing your child’s teeth is very important, and it’s very important to start it as soon as possible. Once your child has baby teeth coming in (usually between 6-14 months), initiate the oral hygiene regimen right away. During these earlier ages, you can use a damp paper towel or napkin and just wipe their teeth clean after each meal. When they are a little bit older (2-3 years old), you can buy them a soft silicone toothbrush/t...oy toothbrush and they can imitate brushing their teeth while the parents are brushing their own teeth. After they pretend brush their teeth, the parent should use a child-size toothbrush and brush the child’s teeth and gums using small circular motions for 2 minutes. If the child will not cooperate for 2 minutes in the beginning, try shorter durations and increase the time a little bit every day. Also note that toothpastes with fluoride should not be used until the child knows how to spit and not swallow the fluoride containing toothpaste (usually around 3 years old); before this, plain water can be used to wet the toothbrush to aid in brushing. If the child is starting to brush on his/her own, it is important for the parent to inspect their teeth after they are done brushing and help brush the areas that may have been missed. There are products available that can reveal remaining plaque as a visual aid to help the child brush better. It may be useful to teach older children how to floss, however, they usually have difficulty with the string floss so using floss picks will help tremendously. Good habits start early, so it is important to establish good oral hygiene practices early in the child’s life! See more

Our office utilizes the state of the art dental technology such as the dental operating microscope and 3D X-ray (CBCT). We specialist in periodontics (gum surgery and implants) and endodontics (root canals and saving teeth)!

Drs. Kim and Wang is available to see patients Monday - Sunday! Call us at Tel: 718-263-0423 or email us at [email protected]