Dentistry for children in Mermaid Waters, Gold Coast One of the most common questions asked by parents is: “when should we bring our child to the dentist?” The best time to bring your child is either at two years of age, or when their first tooth erupts. By bringing your child to the dentist when their first tooth erupts, we can assess their oral health to ensure it’s on the right track. However, this appointment is often just a check-up without x-rays or tools. It’s more about helping acclimatise your child to the dentist. What you can do for your child’s oral health at home For babies, we recommend not putting them to bed with a bottle of juice or milk. Because the sugar can negatively affect their teeth. Yes, the teeth that haven’t erupted yet can be affected. This is one of the reasons why you should wipe your baby’s gums with a damp cloth after each feeding. And why you should avoid exposing their gums to too much sugar. Did you know that decayed baby teeth can adversely affect the health of adult teeth? Decay in baby teeth can affect the growth and eruption of adult teeth. In extreme cases it can cause adult teeth to erupt with complications. Which is why its so important to take care of your child’s baby teeth as they come through. Fissure sealants And part of maintaining good oral health for kids involves fissure sealants. Which are used to help protect back teeth from decay. Fissure sealants are tooth coloured and placed on the grooves of the back teeth. This is a great option to help your kids keep their teeth healthy for longer. Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) The Child Dental Benefit Schedule provides eligible children with $1000 over 2 calendar years. This includes general dental work but does not extend to cosmetic or orthodontic work. You can see if your child is eligible for the CDBS by visiting this site. Treatments covered by the CDBS include: Fissure sealants Cleanings Check-ups X-rays Root canals Extractions Treatments not covered by the CDBS include: Cosmetic dentistry Orthodontics Dental work carried out in a hospital Who is eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule? Children between the age of 2 and 17 who are receiving Family Tax Benefit Part A and are eligible for Medicare. For the full list of requirements click here. If you would like to learn more about children’s dentistry, or to book an appointment, please contact us today. Don’t forget to share this via Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and LinkedIn.