Are Adult And Child Dental Cleanings Different?

Posted on: 12 May 2022

Many parents know the importance of taking care of their child's teeth. It is ideal to begin taking your child to the dentist at an early age to help them get acclimated with regular dental cleanings in addition to daily brushing and flossing at home. Dental cleanings for children are quite different for children than for adults. If you have ever wondered about the differences, here are some things you need to know.

Teaching the Child About Proper Oral Care

One difference in adult and children's dental cleanings is the amount of education provided by the dentist and hygienist. Most adults are already aware of the reasons why brushing and flossing are vital to good oral care. At each visit, your child will hear about how they should be brushing and flossing. Some children are more receptive to learning from others besides their parents, so this extra oral education can be helpful. The dentist and hygienist can also teach your children how to brush and floss properly based on the outcome of the cleaning. If there are areas in the mouth where the child is not brushing, the dental staff can show your child what they need to do in order to fully clean their teeth.

Determine if Flossing Is Necessary

Another difference in adult and child dental cleanings is the need to floss. Although it is important for adults to floss daily, some children may not need to floss regularly. Baby teeth are often so spaced out that flossing is not as effective as it is for adults. As the permanent teeth come in and the teeth merge closer together, flossing then becomes a regular part of a child's dental cleaning.

Checking for Erupted Teeth

When an adult goes in for a dental cleaning, the dentist does not need to check for new or erupting teeth. A child's dental cleaning will include x-rays that check for how the teeth are coming in and if there are any issues with them as they erupt. If your child is really young and does not yet have all their baby teeth, the dentist can give you some guidance and tips on how to handle the eruptions as they can often be painful, particularly with molars.

For the best results, take your child to a pediatric dentist. A pediatric dentist goes through additional education and training to become qualified to care for children's teeth. Pediatric dental practices are also equipped to make your child as comfortable as possible, especially since young children become fearful when they go to the dentist.

For more information on a children's dental cleaning, contact a professional near you.

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About Marcel and the Dentist

Hi, my name is Marcel. Welcome to my site! I started it to help others learn about children's dentistry. Most of us don't remember dentist trips from our early childhood. Maybe we didn't even really care about our teeth until we started losing baby teeth. In my case, I became interested in children's dentistry as a young father. When my kids were young, I was a student, and our insurance did not cover visits to the dentist. Although my wife and I tried to teach our kids good hygiene on our own, it was difficult. When we we finally able to take them to the dentist, my little girls were scared and didn't know what was going on. Luckily, they appreciate the dentist now that they are older, but their first experiences helped teach me more about the importance of children's dentistry. Hopefully you can learn from my experiences!