Meet The Dentist event at Polished Dental, Pittsburgh.

We had an AMAZING event last week at our office, if you didn't get to stop by - here's a little sneak peek:

We invited local Pittsburgh moms to stop down with their kids to learn about starting dental health. How? When? What do we use? These were some common questions. Here's a little bit of what we learned:

When Do You Start To Brush Your Baby's Teeth?

As soon as you see a tooth pop up, you should be brushing your baby's teeth! Once a tooth shows up, milk and food start to stick to it, especially when you give a bottle right before bed. They make little baby toothbrushes you can put on your finger and gently stick in their mouths to brush.

DID YOU KNOW - YES! It is possible to get a cavity on a baby tooth. And guess what, that means we have to drill it - trust us, you DON'T want to have to do that.

When Should You Bring In Your Child For Their First Dental Appointment?

Once they have teeth! The younger they are, the easier they will adjust to coming to the dentist. If you wait until they are 4 or 5, they may be more afraid and it can be a scary experience. Dr. Joey usually has the parent sit in the chair and hold the child/toddler for the first few times to get them comfortable and adjust to being in the bright lights.

Are Pacifiers Really Bad For Your Teeth?

They can be. Dr. Joey recommends kicking the habit (that includes children who suck their thumbs) before the baby teeth fall out. Once their real teeth start coming in, pacifiers and thumbs can push teeth to grow in crooked! Yikes! (Permanent teeth usually come in around ages 5-6).

What Toothpaste Should You Use?

There are lots of different toddler/baby friendly brands out there - but we recommend a natural toothpaste, like Jack 'N Jill. Toddlers have a tendency to swallow more than spit out the toothpaste, so you want to make sure what they are ingesting is safe and natural. Be sure to look and see if it contains fluoride, you don't want your child to consume too much!

Give me that toothpaste!

How Can You Get Kids Excited About Brushing Their Teeth?

There are lots of fun games and activities for teaching kids to brush their teeth! One of our favorites is to take Play-doh, Mega blocks and some yarn. You push some of the Play-doh around the blocks (teeth) like plaque! Then you have them "floss" it out with yarn, showing them how they need to clean out food bits leftover in your teeth when you eat!

You can also have fun with food! We had the kids construct apples with peanut butter and marshmallows to make edible smiles!

Overall, we had a great time, and thank Dr. Joey for sharing his knowledge with us!

Do you have a question about kids for Dr. Joey? Want to make an appointment to bring in your baby or toddler? Call the office today at  412-281- 3546 or email us at polisheddental@gmail.com !