Family & Children’s Dental

We all want healthy-looking teeth as adults, and that starts with having healthy teeth as children. At Galway Dental Clinic, we aim to provide parents and carers of young children with some basic knowledge on when to start brushing their child’s teeth and how to do so. By helping children to take good care of their teeth, we are starting habits that will last them always, and will improve both their oral and general health as adults.

Cleaning Teeth for 0-2 Years Old

As soon as a baby’s first tooth appears you can start to brush them.
Brush teeth with a soft toothbrush and some water. Do not use toothpaste at this stage.
Cleaning them regularly will help prevent tooth decay.

Cleaning Teeth for 2-7 Years Old

Once the child turns 2 years old, you can start to use a small pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.
Assist and supervise their toothbrushing at all times. It’s especially important to brush at night time and again at another time during the day.
Never rinse out after brushing, just spit out.
Make sure that they never eat or swallow any of the toothpaste.
They should spend 2-3 minutes brushing their teeth.
Sometimes it works well to play a favourite song while brushing their teeth or to use an egg timer so they know how long they are to brush for.

Fissure Sealants

What are fissure sealants?

Fissure sealants are a very simple way to protect your children’s teeth from tooth decay. They are recommended from about the age of 6, as soon as permanent molars and permanent premolars erupt.

It is a plastic coating which flows into and fills the little pits and fissures on the tooth surface of the back adult teeth where it hardens and protects. Most tooth decay in children occurs in the back teeth as they are the more difficult areas to reach when toothbrushing.

No needles or drilling is required which helps provide a positive dental experience for the child.

Once placed it is still important that they brush their teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, having the sealants will make their tooth surfaces much easier to keep clean.

How is a fissure sealant applied?

It is very simple to apply. It can be done by the dentist or the hygienist and only takes a couple of minutes per tooth. The tooth will be cleaned and prepared with a special gel, then the tooth is dried with some air and the sealant is applied which sets hard on the tooth with a special light.

How long do they last?

They can last for many years. Your dentist or hygienist at Galway Dental Clinic will check them at each check-up visit. They can wear down over time so they can be added to or replaced if required.

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