Tips for Your Child's Dental Visit!

Encourage Age-Appropriate Dental Habits at Home

The best kind of checkup is a cavity-free checkup. Moms and dads can help make this happen by encouraging kids to brush twice a day for two minutes and floss once a day. Here’s Dr. Hayes’ age-by-age advice:

Ages 6 and Under
At this age, your child might want to do all the brushing herself but doesn’t have the fine motor skills needed to do a thorough job. Let them start and jump in when needed. “During that age, the mouth is changing so much that children who are 5 or 6 are often brushing their teeth in the way they were when they were 2 or 3,” Dr. Hayes says. “They’re not accommodating the new molars, and they’re not accommodating the fact that the mouth is growing.”

Ages 7-12
By now, your child knows what to do, she just might not want to. Keep encouraging healthy brushing and flossing habits. “Be aware of the fact that sometimes you have to take over a little bit more,” she says. “By the time they’re teenagers, they’re starting to understand self-care, accountability for their actions and such.”

Ages 12-18
Dr. Hayes says this is a critical time for dental health. “When you look at research for when caries appear in kids, it tends to be in young kids. But another bump-up time is teenage years and early adulthood,” she says. “Part of this has to do with the fact that teenagers may have gone for many years and never had a cavity. They don’t necessarily take care of their teeth because they don’t see the consequence of not.”

Don’t let your teen’s habits become out of sight, out of mind. “The behaviors of the teenager are going to translate into the 20-year-old. We want to be able to support them and be respectful of them because they’re not kids anymore.”

Timing Is Everything

Time of day can make or break your child’s appointment. “It’s important for a child of any age who’s used to a nap to not schedule during naptime,” she says. If your child is always cranky after waking up, factor that in too. 

For older children, avoid cramming in a dentist appointment right after day camp or school. “Not all kids have the energy to do that,” she says. “I will have parents who want to do very elaborate operative work after school because that’s when the kids can come out. But if the child has already been exhausted or had a bad day or had tests, they just don’t have the stamina to make it through the appointment successfully.”

Make One Child a Model

If you’ve scheduled back-to-back appointments for your children, there’s a simple way to decide who goes first: Choose the child who’s had the most positive experiences at the dentist. “Every child is going to be a little bit different in their temperament about how they approach a visit,” she says. “You generally want the ones first who are more successful because the others get to see how it goes.” 

A Hungry Child Is Not a Happy Patient

Feed your child a light meal before the appointment. “Hungry people are grouchy people. You want them to be comfortable,” she says. “It’s also generally a good idea not to feed them in the waiting room before you see the dentist because there’s all that food in [their mouth].”

Eating light is also better for a child with a healthy gag reflex. “Some children gag a lot just because they gag with everything,” she says. “As they age and they get more control over swallowing, kids tend to gag less.” 

Bonus points if your child brushes before an appointment. “It’s polite,” Dr. Hayes says.

Leave Your Anxiety at the Door

If your heart races at the very thought of the dentist, your child can probably tell. “Kids pick up on parents’ anxiety,” Dr. Hayes says. “It’s important with kids, especially at 4, 5 and 6, because I believe the phobic adults are the ones who had bad experiences when they were that age.”

The younger your kids are, the more you need to be aware of how you’re communicating with them. For example, if your child asks about getting a cavity filled, don’t say, “It will only hurt for a little bit.” Instead, encourage your child to ask the dentist. “With any child, you want them to be able to feel successful at accomplishing a good visit and link that positive feeling with the idea that their teeth are strong and healthy so they have that message going forward for the rest of their lives.”

Keep Cool If Your Child Won’t Cooperate

If your child gets upset during her visit, the worst thing you can do is swoop them out of the chair and leave. “The next visit is going to be harder,” Dr. Hayes says. “You still have to help them get through part of the visit.”

First, assess why your child is acting out. Are they truly afraid, or are they trying to test the situation? “One of the reasons I think a 4, 5 or 6-year-old gets upset is because they think they’re going to be asked to do something they can’t be successful at,” she says. “They’re in an environment they feel they can’t control and that makes them upset, so we try to break it down into small steps.”

Then, work as a team with your dentist to keep the visit going. Let the dentist lead the conversation. Jump in where you think it helps most, while still allowing the dentist and your child to build a good relationship. “Give the dentist every opportunity to turn the visit around,” she says. 

Take a Card (or Three) on Your Way Out

Accidents can happen whether your child is in sports camp, gym class or just walking down the street. In case of emergency, make sure your child’s teachers and coaches have all the medical contact information they need – including your dentist’s number. Grab business cards for your wallet, your child’s backpack and your school’s files. “Parents should be very aware of accidents and make sure that wherever they go that they bring the number of their dentist so that if a child has an accident, they can certainly call the office,” Dr. Hayes says.

Originally published by the APPD

Healthy Diet, Healthy Teeth!

Brushing and flossing remain to be the best protection against bad breath, decay, and yellowish teeth. However, a healthy and well-balanced meal can also help to whiten teeth and make gums healthier. Fruits and vegetables have many nutrients that include calcium, vitamin C and vitamin D to name a few.

Here is the top five list of foods to eat to help whiten teeth and brighten one’s smile.

CHEESE and MILK

WebMD writes that as dairy food options like cheese and milk can protect the enamel of the teeth and prevent them from getting any cavities by encouraging saliva production to help neutralize the acid in the mouth. Furthermore, the calcium, phosphorous and protein in the dairy foods protect the teeth enamel from erosion and decay. There are also studies that indicate dairy increases the strength of the minerals in the surface of the teeth.

APPLES

Eating Well shares that chewing on apples can scrub away the dirt and slime off teeth, making them whiter and cleaner. These delicious fruits have high malic acid concentration, which is similarly found in toothpaste. This acid is known to help remove the stain and increase saliva production for cleaning the teeth.

SEEDS and NUTS

According to Dr. Matthew Messina from the American Dental Association, chewing on nuts, seeds and other lightly abrasive foods can help rub off the plaque and stains from the surface of the teeth, MSN Health writes. Eating almonds or munching on cashews can be a good afternoon snack because besides being rich in protein and good fats, they can make teeth white and bright.

FISH and FLAX

WebMD adds that for teeth to maintain its health and whiteness, gum disease must be avoided at all times because it can collect bacteria in the pockets which lead to inflammation and connective tissue damage. This is why it is also important to feast on foods that can help in reducing inflammation, such as omega-3 fatty acids.

These fatty acids are rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients and can be found in fish, flaxseed and fish oil. If individuals continue to eat diets high in omega-3 they become more resistant to infection and sickness, thus making them resistant to gum problems as well.

BROCCOLI

This vegetable is rich in fiber, making it help reduce the inflammation and infection in the mouth and gums, Eating Well adds. Munching on the crisp and raw broccoli can cleanse and polish teeth and mouth. Furthermore, the iron in these vegetables can also add protection to the teeth by fighting against acid that cause bacteria, preventing cavities and stains.

Originally posted here.

With Ghosts and Goblins Soon to Come, Don't Let Cavities Follow

With all the little monsters and gremlins running around on Halloween night, be careful of the ones that run between your teeth. Learn which treats are best for your teeth and tips to reduce your risk of cavities.

 

Beware of the Mouth Monsters’ Favorite Treats!

After a night of candy collecting, kids love to dive into their stash and begin sorting. Before they get started, remember that not all sweet treats impact teeth in the same way. Download the grid below to help guide kids towards more tooth-friendly treats through sorting goodies according to which are best and worst for your kids’ pearly whites, including:

Finally, for those who are passing out tricks and treats, remember non-food favorites like temporary tattoos, stickers and glow-sticks are great alternatives.

Swish and Brush!

Let’s face it – most kids don’t look forward to Halloween for the sugar-free gum and dark chocolate. And that’s ok! If kids are indulging in any kind of candy, ensure they drink plenty of water after eating the treat. Encourage them to swish the water around in the mouth to help dislodge particles that can get stuck and encourage the Mouth Monsters to latch onto tiny teeth.
And whatever you do, don’t let your young ones go to bed before brushing and flossing if all sides of a tooth cannot be cleaned by brushing alone. It’s a busy, exciting time, but as is the case with every other day of the year, kids should brush their teeth for at least 2 minutes, twice a day.

Set a Limit!

Set the number of treats that your child can keep – you may even want to select a number they can keep from each of the three categories of the sorting grid – and encourage them to sell the rest to a local dentist candy buy-back program. Another option is a visit from the Halloween Fairy who comes in the night and takes extra candy.

What are your favorite candy limiting tips?

Originally posted by the AAPD.

Teeth of Children who Died in Famine Carry Hidden History

The Famine sculpture in Dublin. “Incremental dentine collagen analysis” can show what children’s diet was like during the Famine. File photographer: Frank Miller

 

The teeth of children who died during the Famine carry a hidden history of their short lives and tragic deaths. Chemical analysis of the teeth using a new technique can reveal diet and also the point when starvation set in.

The new method called “incremental dentine collagen analysis” involves looking for the signatures of chemicals such as nitrogen or carbon in growing teeth. These chemicals arise in the diet and are deposited in the dentine as the child’s teeth grow, explained Julia Beaumont of the University of Bradford who developed the technique with Janet Montgomery at the University of Durham.

They discussed the technique on Wednesday at the British Science Association Festival of Science in Bradford.

The scientists described their analysis of a young woman who lived 5,000 years ago and who died in her 20s. She developed severe rickets, a condition caused by lack of vitamin D. The analysis showed she was native to where she was found on the Hebridean island of Tiree and that although surrounded by water, she only ate terrestrial foods and none from the sea.

Dr Beaumont led a study published earlier this year of the baby teeth from children who died during the Famine of 1845-1852. The researchers used teeth of children buried at a workhouse in Kilkenny and another in London where many Famine victims were buried.

Baby teeth grow steadily from before birth up to age nine or 10, said Dr Beaumont, who worked for 30 years as a dentist before turning to research. The teeth are cut into slices and changes in the chemical signatures reveal information about what the children were eating.

“We know they were eating potatoes then you see the carbon balance changing when they started eating maize,” she said. But just before this signal the nitrogen values change, an indication that starvation had set in. Nitrogen deposition in the teeth rises as the child begins to recycle muscle and other tissues and they begin to waste away, Dr Beaumont said.

Powerful tool

The technique is a powerful tool in recreating conditions as they were in the past and was first described in a research paper in 2013. She can easily see periods in the child’s life down to nine months and in some conditions even as short as three months.

The age range is also extending given adult teeth continue to grow at the roots up to about age 23, she said.

It is even possible for her to look at what chemical levels were being deposited in infants’ teeth before birth. This gives information about the child but also the health of the baby’s mother.

The technique can reveal if the child had scurvy, a condition caused by lack of vitamin C or pellagra caused by lack of vitamin B.

She believes that the technique could help predict the future health of children born today.

“If we can show that baby teeth, which are lost naturally, provide markers for stress in the first months of life, we could have an important indicator of future health risks, such as diabetes and heart disease,” she said.

The original article can be found here.

Happy Birthday Dudley!

Today is Dudley the Dinosaur's 25th birthday! Many of you may know Dudley from when Dr. Leaf visited your school. Dudley knows all kinds of things about going to the dentist. Help us celebrate his birthday by watching this video or by coloring a special birthday coloring page.

Dudley the Dinosaur Coloring Page

Dudley the Dinosaur Video

Tooth Fairy Traditions!

The tooth fairy likes to reward children for clean, lost baby teeth in a variety of ways. Check out some fun tooth fairy traditions to try in your home!

A visit from the tooth fairy can be a fun tradition to start once your child begins to lose his or her baby teeth. Families have different traditions related to tooth fairy visits. Have you and your children ever wondered what the tooth fairy does at your friends’ houses? Here are a couple fun tooth fairy traditions:

• Use a “tooth fairy dish” if your child is a light sleeper to leave the tooth by the child’s bed at night for the tooth fairy.
• A sprinkling of fairy dust or glitter on the windowsill or leading up to the door shows where the tooth fairy flew in.
• Leave a note for the tooth fairy… she might write back in 3-point font on a tiny scroll tied with floss!
• The tooth fairy likes to give gold dollars for the cleanest and shiniest teeth because she uses them to build a big castle in the sky. It pays to brush every morning and night!
• Instead of money, some children might find a fun toothbrush featuring their favorite cartoon character who will help remind them to keep the rest of those little teeth healthy.
• Try attaching a doll house door to the wall next to your child’s bed so the tooth fairy knows where to fly in the room.

Losing the first baby tooth is a big deal! There are plenty of ways to celebrate reaching this big kid milestone. Something unique, such as a $2 bill or small toy is a fun way to commemorate that first tooth. Or, a small personalized tooth box is a fun and useful gift for future tooth fairy visits!

What is your favorite tooth fairy tradition? Be sure to tell us in the comments below!

Originally posted by the AAPD.

A Big Century for Little Teeth

Healthy Teeth, Healthy Body

Francesco D’Aiuto, senior lecturer at the Eastman Dental Institute in London, chatted with The Guardian about what he refers to as the the "mouth-body connection," or the idea that a healthy body is strongly correlated with good dental hygiene. 

“The mouth is not disconnected from the rest of the body,” he explained. "People should not underestimate what the body senses when the mouth is neglected."

What exactly is D'Aiuto referring to when he talks about neglecting the mouth? Gum disease, for one, which ranges from minor inflammation of the gums to major damage to the gums and bones caused by plaque and tartar buildup, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

"In the middle of the day, [run your tongue] across your teeth right around the gum line. You'll find something sticky or fuzzy," Deepinder "Ruchi" Sahota, a dentist in Fremont, California, and a spokesperson for the American Dental Association, previously told The Huffington Post. "That's plaque."

The longer that plaque stays in place, the more likely it is to become tartar -- that hard, yellow material between your teeth that can cause inflammation and bleeding. While brushing your teeth disrupts the bacteria and gets rid of plaque before it can become tartar, once you've skipped out on brushing one too many times, your toothbrush may not be enough to protect you once you get gum disease.

Tartar build up can only be removed by a dental professional.

“When you have gum disease, the gums are effectively ulcerated inside, so they’re not forming a tight seal," Francis Hughes, a professor of periodontology at King’s College London, told The Guardian. "Every time you eat or brush your teeth, it pushes bacteria into the body and triggers inflammation."And it doesn't end with gum disease. Studies have shown that good dental hygiene is linked to lower risk of stroke and heart disease, pneumonia, unhealthy pregnancy, Alzheimers and erectile dysfunction. 

That's a long and scary list of conditions. Not totally sure that you're taking good enough care of your teeth? We'll keep it brief, but make sure your toothbrush has soft bristles and that you're not brushing too hard, as that can cause abrasions. Brush for a solid 2-3 minutes gently massaging your gums. Don't forget to floss regularly and use a fluoridated toothpaste.  

Reposted from Huffington Post.

Evidence of Rudimentary Dentistry from 14,000 Years Ago

Ancient humans were performing rudimentary dentistry on each other 14,000 years ago, Italian scientists have discovered – 5,000 years earlier than previously thought.

Researchers believe they have found evidence of an infected tooth being treated, probably with a sharp piece of flint, after studying the 14,000-year-old skeleton of a prehistoric man found in the Dolomites.

It was known that early humans used toothpicks made from wood or bone for basic dental hygiene, digging out scraps of meat or fibre from between their teeth.

But this discovery reveals a more sophisticated element of Palaeolithic dentistry.

A team from the universities of Ferrara and Bologna analysed a molar from the skull of the 25-year-old hunter-gatherer, whose remains were found in a valley near the town of Belluno in the Dolomites in 1988.

The skeleton, found in a rock shelter, was laid in a shallow pit, surrounded by the hunter’s most prized possessions – a flint knife, a stone used as a hammer, a flint blade and a sharp piece of bone.

The skeleton was unusually well-preserved, and the burial mound was marked with stones decorated with designs painted in red ochre.

The scientists analysed one of the man’s molars and found evidence that it had once been infected and that rotten material had been dug out of the tooth with the aid of a stone implement, most likely a shard of flint.

The results “have important implications for our knowledge of the earliest forms of dentistry”, the scientists said in a statement.

“What the results show is that the tooth represents the oldest evidence of intervention on a cavity,” Stefano Benazzi, the leader of the research group, told an Italian newspaper, Il Resto del Carlino.

“The discovery suggests, moreover, that in the Upper Palaeolithic era, humans were aware of the damaging effects of cavity infections and of the necessity of treating them, using stone instruments to remove the infected material and to clean out the cavity.”

The discovery represented “the development, albeit incipient, of dental surgery practices,” said his colleague Marco Peresani, from Ferrara University.

This article was originally posted on Telegraph News. 

A New Hat

Dr. Leaf loves counting teeth, and he loves his new hat! Peter G. thank you so much for building a wonderful hat for Dr. Leaf to wear!

 

 

The Effects of Poor Dental Hygiene on Your Body

What Tooth Paste is Right For You?

Ever find yourself staring at all the colorful boxes of toothpaste on a store shelf wondering which one is best for you? Well, here are some tips to help you make better-informed toothpaste decisions.

When you’re looking for a  toothpaste, you’ll find they make various claims about cavity protection, gingivitis, plaque, sensitivity, tartar, whitening and breath-freshening. To choose a good toothpaste for you, Hadie Rifai, DDS offers simple advice.

“For the best protection, find a toothpaste with at least 1,000 parts per million fluoride and the American Dental Association stamp of approval. Everything else is a matter of personal preference,” he says.

He says it comes down to how well the toothpaste cleans your teeth and how fresh it makes your mouth feel. Of course, specific toothpaste brands claim to offer various benefits. It can be confusing. Here are some common questions patients ask Dr. Rifai:

Does whitening toothpaste really work?

“Whitening toothpaste does work, although most don’t have enough whitening ingredients to get noticeable results in the short-term,” Dr. Rifai says. “However, it may cause sensitivity with long-term use.”

 

Can over-the-counter toothpaste for sensitive teeth work as well as prescription toothpaste?

If you have sensitive teeth, you have a couple of options. There are over-the-counter (OTC) sensitive toothpastes that are a little more affordable. Or you could pay more for a sensitive toothpaste prescription from your dentist.

“OTC sensitive toothpastes are proven to work very well,” Dr. Rifai informs. “I recommend using these as a starting point. However, if you are not getting the results you want, then ask your dentist about switching to a prescription-strength toothpaste.”

For more on tooth sensitivity click here.

Shouldn’t I rinse with water after I brush?

For any toothpaste, including toothpaste for sensitivity, you reap the benefits by not rinsing after brushing because it will allow the ingredients to be fully absorbed into your teeth and gums. Yet, people usually want to rinse. In addition, sensitive toothpaste typically doesn’t taste as good as the regular toothpastes.

“With any toothpaste, rinsing afterwards minimizes benefits because you are washing away the fluoride that helps re-mineralize teeth and help diminish sensitivity,” Dr. Rifai says. “A good rule of thumb is no rinsing, eating or drinking until 30 minutes after brushing. I recommend brushing immediately before bed.”

Can a toothpaste actually restore enamel?

A lot of brands on the shelves claim that their toothpaste can restore enamel. The truth is that it’s possible, but it depends on the condition of your teeth.

“As long as it is fluoridated toothpaste, the toothpaste will help restore enamel that has not yet decayed,” says Dr. Rifai. “Once decay is present, though, all bets are off.”

Should I try an aloe vera toothpaste?

You may also see various brands advertising that their toothpaste contains aloe vera. Again, you may wonder if that matters or adds any benefit to your oral health.

“There is little evidence that aloe vera helps reduce or fight plaque and gingivitis better than traditional toothpaste,” Dr. Rifai says. “Moreover, some of those brands lack fluoride, which is an essential component of toothpaste.”

Remember, along with flossing, using a good toothpaste is an essential part of your daily dental care routine. The pastes, gels or powders enhance the brushing and cleaning power of your toothbrush. Be sure they contain fluoride so that they will effectively remove plaque, the bacteria film that forms on your gums and teeth after you eat.

This article was originally posted on http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2015/03/how-to-choose-the-best-toothpaste-for-you/

Dehydration Affects Your Mouth Too

Being dehydrated can take a toll on your body and even your mind

It doesn’t take much to become dehydrated. Lose just 1.5% of the water in your body (the human body is usually about 60% H2O), and you’ve reached the tipping point of mild dehydration. It can be brought on by many things—and it can do much more to your body than just make you feel thirsty. Dehydration also brings on health effects ranging from fatigue and smelly breath to more dangerous consequences like distracted driving.

It gives you bad breath

It’s easy to forget to drink water during a busy workday, but at the end of the day you may find people standing unusually far from you when you open your mouth. “Dehydration can give you bad breath,” says Marshall Young, DDS, a dentist in Newport Beach, Calif. “Saliva has important antibacterial properties. When dehydrated, the decreased saliva in the mouth allows bacteria to thrive, resulting in bad breath.” So drink up for your own sake, and for those around you as well.

For more on bad breath click here. 

For more on the affects of dehydration click here.

This article is re-posted from Time. 

Time Explores Causes for Tooth Sensitivity

Sometimes teeth are just touchy. But certain sensitivities are signs of trouble.

You feel it when you sip a hot drink or bite into a cool dessert: an ache, an acute stab of pain. Even a sharp breath of cold air might trigger a twinge. “Any tooth sensitivity is trying to tell us something,” says Dr. Matt Messina, an Ohio-based dentist and spokesperson for the American Dental Association. “It may be easy to treat, but something is still causing it.”
For dentists, the most common (and least alarming) sensitivity is an all-over reaction to very cold stimuli, Messina says. Especially if that cold-induced pain is short-lived, you probably don’t have reason to worry. But if the pain is persistent and confined to a specific tooth or area of your mouth, that’s a problem. “That’s often the sign of a micro-crack, a degraded filling or a cavity,” Messina says.
Those conditions, all of which require a dentist’s attention, become more probable if the tooth or area is also sensitive to heat and biting pressure. “If you have reactions to all three—cold, hot, and biting pressure—we could also be talking about some sort of infection in the tooth,” Messina adds.
If you’re dealing with an all-over ache, your gums—not your teeth—may explain your pain. Exposing your gums to irritants or harsh treatment makes them recede. And when they do, they leave exposed the tender roots near the base of your teeth. “Your roots don’t have the same quality of protective enamel as your crowns, so they’re more sensitive,” says Dr. Eugene Ko of the University of Michigan’s department of oral pathology.

In this photo the receding gum makes
'V' shape, as compared to the typical
'U' shape.

Brushing too forcefully, chewing tobacco or allowing the buildup of plaque can all cause your gums to “run away” from your teeth, resulting in temperature sensitivity, Messina says. If you think gum recession might be the cause of your sensitivity, Ko says you may be able to look in a mirror and spot the issue. “The margin where your teeth and gums meet: there may be a change in color, almost like water elevation marks during a drought.”
Of course, there are many more reasons for temperature-sensitive teeth. Those include the excessive use of mouthwash or whitening products, dead or dying nerves, tooth grinding, recent dental work or serious gum issues like gingivitis or periodontal disease. Messina also says eating lots of acidic foods—things like soda, sports drinks, sour candy or citrus fruits and juices—can lead to a loss of tooth enamel that renders your teeth sensitive to temperature.

The blue lines represent microtubules
in your tooth. The sensitivity toothpaste
helps to block the opening of these tubules.

Apart from ditching those foods, Messina advises carefully reading and following instructions when using whiteners, mouth rinses, or other dental hygiene treatments. “More is not always better,” he warns.
When it comes to brushing, apply gentle pressure with a soft-bristle toothbrush. “You’re trying to massage you teeth all the way to the junction where they come together with your gums,” Messina says. “You should not be scrubbing like you would tub grout.” If changing your brushing technique
doesn’t do the trick, he says switching to a sensitive-teeth toothpaste can help. “These contain a chemical agent that fills tubules in teeth and blocks sensitivity,” he says.
No matter what, you should mention the temperature issue to your dentist during your next visit. “Big problems often start out as sensitivities,” Messina says. “The solutions are often simple, but only if we address the problem early.”

Article reposted from Time at http://time.com/3889122/sensitive-teeth/.

Do you Know What Causes Cavities?



What Age Should Kids Start Going to the Dentist?

If anyone could make flossing look like fun, it’s Beyoncé. Queen Bey recently posted an adorable GIF of herself and 3-year-old Blue Ivy in matching sunglasses wiggling identical flossing sticks in their mouths. The clip is a sweet reminder that the toddler years are the right time to start teaching good oral hygiene, and it’s up to parents to model the dental-care basics.

Here are the guidelines on when it’s time to introduce a toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss to your child—plus the right age to schedule that first trip to the dentist’s chair.

Brushing: 

When your child is an infant, you should brush their teeth nightly. There are several types of soft bristled, and rubber bristled brushes designed for parents to use on their infants. At this stage there is no need for toothpaste, warm water will work just fine to remove and debris. By starting your child early they will be used to having something in their mouth, and (hopefully) be less resistant to brushing later on. 

As your child's teeth begin to erupt, switch to using a toddler sized tooth brush. It is also time for toothpaste! The best option is to use a grain of rice size fluoridated toothpaste. When your child is age 2-5 years old use a pea size amount of toothpaste. Even though they may insist that they can brush themselves, make sure to help them out anyways. 

Flossing:

As soon as your child has two teeth that touch you should begin helping them floss. This helps remove plaque that is beneath the gum, or that the toothbrush cannot reach. Most children will not develop the dexterity to floss on their own until they are around 10 or 11 years old. There are several types of flossing agents that may help until them. 

Going to the Dentist: 

Your child should have their first dental visit by the time their first tooth erupts, or by their first birthday. This first visit helps establish a dental home for your child (read more about the importance of a dental home here). The dentist will also talk to you about proper preventative methods to help develop a strong dental foundation for your child and ensure that they are developing properly. 

The age of a child's first dental x-rays are varied based on their dental and medical history. Children typically need x-rays more frequently than adults because they are more prone to cavities and their teeth are constantly changing. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends children with high instances of cavities have x-rays taken every 6 months, while those with low risk should have x-rays less frequently. It is important to understand that digital x-rays have significantly less radiation than film or non-digital x-rays. Today's equipment also uses several measures to filter out unnecessary x-rays, helping to reduce exposure. 

References:

http://digital.ipcprintservices.com/publication/?m=17256&l=1

http://digital.ipcprintservices.com/publication/?m=17242&l=1

http://www.ada.org/en/Home-MouthHealthy/az-topics/f/flossing

https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/what-age-should-kids-start-going-to-the-dentist-116647797362.html