Kids have a lot of questions. Their inquisitive nature often comes out when they visit the dentist. From asking questions about why are wisdom teeth called wisdom teeth (and do they make you smarter), to asking us how floss works. At All Star Dental in Chicago, it is always our goal to make sure to answer every question we are asked by all of our patients. If your little one is asking questions about the dentist or dentistry, we would be happy to answer them. Here are a few of the more common ones and our own answers.
This may be one of the most common questions. And of course, it makes sense. Brushing and flossing can be a new chore for young kids and they might have some questions about its importance. We often hear kids asking us whether or not they need to brush daily. To that, we always tell kids about how important is to brush after meals. Whenever your child eats or drinks, tiny food particles get stuck between their gums and their teeth. You can show this to a kid by having them look at their teeth in the mirror after eating. Although brushing is a great way to get a lot of the food pieces out of their teeth, flossing is the only way to get the tiny gaps between each pair of teeth.
Sometimes kids will ask us about toothpaste, which ones work better, and how much they need to use. What’s important for kids to understand is that every toothpaste is a little different. More importantly, toothpaste is designed to clean teeth and make teeth stronger. Some toothpaste make the enamel or the outside of your teeth stronger, and some toothpaste makes your teeth even whiter. We also remind kids to never swallow toothpaste because it can make their stomachs hurt.
As kids get older and experience their first “wiggly tooth” they are bound to have questions about why their teeth are falling out. Most kids are happy to hear that they have adult teeth that will replace their baby teeth. Their adult teeth are larger and stronger. Unlike our bodies, our teeth never actually grow, so that is why we have two sets of them, one for when we are kids and one for when we are adults.
The All Star Dental team would be happy to answer any other questions your little ones have about their teeth. Routine cleaning is the best way for parents to help their kids prevent dental issues like cavities or gingivitis. Contact us today to get an appointment.
