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taking children to the dentist: necessary but not necessarily painful

Story and photos by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

Going to the dentist: Beth straddled the child-sized dental chair and held her son, Aaron’s hands as pediatric dentist, Dr. Kevin Beyersdorfer examined his teeth.
Aaron, 7, has been diagnosed with autism, and Dr. Beyersdorfer wants to make Aaron’s visit as painless as possible. He said special needs patients are among those he treats in his practice in O’Fallon.

Taking any child to the dentist can be a harrowing experience for the child, the parent and possibly the dentist, but if you take a youngster to a pediatric dentist, Dr. Thomas Feder said, it could lessen the trauma all around. Feder is a family dentist in Belleville who sees all age ranges, but said adults often take their children to a pediatric dentist with special training.

After seeing Beyersdorfer’s office with its walls painted with animals and fish and all sorts of interesting habitats, Feder’s words made sense. No child could resist looking around at the menagerie or diving into some of the age-appropriate reading material available.

Both dentists agreed that making the child feel comfortable and safe would go a long way in making sure everyone would have a good experience at the dentist’s office.

Parents generally start bringing their children to the dentist around 3 years of age, both said. However, Beyersdorfer said the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends bringing children in at 1 year, or as soon as the teeth begin to erupt.

Seeing youngsters early gives dentists a chance to talk to parents about a recurring problem, one they may not recognize: putting children to bed with a bottle of milk or other juice. That includes a “sippycup,” Beyersdorfer said.
The sugars in juice and in milk can stay on a child’s teeth throughout the night, encouraging decay, he said.

“The liquid can pool in the child’s mouth,” Feder said. “You shouldn’t send a child to bed with a bottle.”
Feder also suggested that parents limit the amount of candy or soda a child has, and that includes diet soda.
“The frequency of the acid in soda coming in contact with teeth is a problem as it isalso with sugar.”
Both Feder and Beyersdorfer stressed the importance of good oral hygiene that includes brushing and flossing as well as keeping an eye on diet.

Also, since some families live in rural areas or drink well water instead of city water, people should keep in mind the need for fluoridated water.

All city water in Illinois is fluoridated, he said. Bottled water does not have fluoride either, he added. “The fluoride makes teeth less likely to decay,” Feder said.

Both dentists said they take every opportunity to talk to parents about good dental care and the needs of their small patients.

Beyersdorfer said he explains to families that together with the child, they are a team working for their children.

For more information, please see the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry at www.aapd.org.