Oral Care for Babies & Children

From baby bottle tooth decay and cavity prevention, to brushing and flossing guidance and regular dental examinations – you can trust the Hanin Dental Surrey hygiene team in Surrey to guide your children as they learn to maintain their oral health.

Caries Control & Your Child

The term 'caries control' refers to the treatment and prevention of dental decay, otherwise known as cavities. For babies and children, controlling cavity development is one of the most important element to maintaining their oral health in the long term. Caries control is usually our main focus for our younger patients.

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Children's teeth are susceptible to tooth decay as soon as they begin to erupt.

For this reason, it's important to start cleaning your baby's teeth and gums right away. In fact, you can and should clean your baby's gums before the teeth make an appearance.

Babies teeth need to be cleaned twice a day, just like adults' teeth do, and for just the same reasons.

Regular cleanings help remove bacteria, and prevent sugar from lingering on the teeth and gums.

If your baby doesn't have teeth yet, you can gently wipe down the gums with a clean, damp cloth after each feeding.

Water is always the best choice if you child gets thirsty in the night. For babies who prefers to sleep with their bottles, the bedtime bottle should be filled with water rather than milk or juice. This will help minimize the exposure to decay-producing acids.

How to Brush Babies' Teeth

Apply a small dab of child-friendly toothpaste to an ultra-soft toothbrush.

Toothpaste and toothbrushes designed specifically for babies are available at most pharmacies.

Gently but thoroughly brush your child's teeth and gums, cleaning the back, front and chewing surface of each tooth.

Once your child is old enough to know to spit out all of the toothpaste, you can switch to a fluoride toothpaste for further protection against cavities.

How to Floss Babies' Teeth

You can start flossing your child's teeth when all the baby teeth have erupted, or as soon as there are two teeth next to each other to floss between.

Please ask our staff about our special flossers for kids!

How often should children visit the dentist?

Children should attend a professional check-up and cleaning appointment at least twice a year. That said, each patient has different needs, and some children may require more frequent check-ups or cleanings.

For more information about decay prevention, contact the knowledgeable team at Hanin Dental Surrey.