At Janower & Monkman Dentistry, we aim to make your child’s visit as enjoyable as possible. We realize that the dental office isn’t the first place a child wants to go, but we strive to make our office a place your child can feel safe and receive quality dental care.

Nitrous Oxide / Laughing Gas: We also offer this if needed to further aid in a comfortable experience.

First Visit: Bring your child along to watch mom and dad’s cleaning as early as you wish! Make them comfortable in the office before they even sit in the chair. At their first “real” visit, our highly trained hygienists count and polish their teeth in a laid back environment. They even get to pick out their own new character tooth brush! We also can discuss eating habits, fluoride and other ways to protect their new developing dentition.

New Teeth: Usually we expect the first teeth to make their appearance between 6 -12 months of age. This can vary widely so don’t get too worried if you don’t see them early one. When these teeth start erupting the teething can be unpleasant. The use of teething rings, ice cubes in a nylon mesh, or simply massaging them with a clean cloth may help elevate the pain. Some people use baby Anbesol but make sure you use small amounts as directed as some cases of overdose have been noted.

Proper Hygiene and Eating: Good hygiene and eating habits are the best way to prevent tooth decay. The main culprit is food high in simple sugars, which the bacteria use to make acid which in turn leads to cavities. The best way to combat this is to limit in between meal snacking which gives the mouth a break. Saliva does a great job of neutralizing bacteria if we give it a chance. There are also foods that don’t promote decay as much. Foods like String Cheese, Yogurt and Nuts make a great snack if needed. Brushing after breakfast and before bed is imperative; ideally we brush after each meal. When brushing teeth make sure you assist your child for a long time to make sure proper teeth cleaning has occurred. For children younger than 2, we suggest not using fluoridate toothpaste since we can’t control how much they swallow.

Dental Visits: We suggest that you bring your child in every 6 months for a checkup. Even though we work with our children to eat and brush better; we know it takes a while to incorporate these into the day to day routine. For this reason we suggest seeing them on a regular basis to catch simple filling when they are small.