Child Friendly Dentists
Bad Breath in Children
Bad breath will affect everyone at some point in their life – even in childhood. Bad breath is most common after eating certain foods such garlic and onion, it may appear after drinking of if you’re taking certain medications. Bad breath in children. If you’ve noticed that your child’s breath is not so pleasant, don’t…
Halloween Treats That Won’t Harm Kid’s Teeth!
Halloween is just around the corner! It’s that time of year again where the supermarket shelves fill up with sweet treats and kids go crazy from all of the sugary sweets. While giving kids treats in moderation is fine, at Halloween, things can get a bit out of hand! Why not also try and incorporate…
Your Children and the Dentist
We all want our children to have a great experience going to the dentist. What can we do to make sure we do this from an early age? We all want the best for our children As parents, we want nothing more than to see our children grow up to be healthy, happy and successful.…
Helping your child brush their teeth properly
Just how can you help your young child brush their teeth properly? It’s a problem most of us parents have. Does your child like brushing their teeth? It can be a task getting kids to take part in anything that is meant to keep them healthy. Eating vegetables and going to bed at the right…
Helping children with special needs at the dentist
Taking children with special needs to the dentist can be daunting. Children and the dentist For most children, their first visits to the dentist can be scary. The experience may be new to them. Children do not like the feeling of not knowing what is happening to them. Children may have heard adults saying that…
What To Do When Your Child Has A Dental Emergency
Do you know what to do when your child has a dental emergency? Dental emergencies aren’t fun for anyone, especially for kids. It may be because of a sporting accident. It could be an on-going problem or maybe a complete surprise. Children can experience dental emergencies just as frequently as adults. Be prepared You can…
Helping dentists solve patients’ dental problems during lockdown
How can dentists help their patients during lockdown? As dental professionals, we know you want to be there for your patients when they need you. During lockdown patients will still have dental problems. This is yet another reason why the current Covid-19 pandemic is particularly hard on the dental profession. Not only are you unable…
What to expect at your next dental appointment
What should you expect from your next dental appointment? Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the things we are able to do are looking a little different to life before lockdown. Many are calling it the ‘new normal’. No one knows how long these measures are going to be in place for. Whether it’s just for…
Shocking report says that 1 in 10 children leave school without knowing how to brush their teeth!
A shocking report was published recently by Tic Watches. Amongst its findings it revealed that 1 in 10 primary school children in England are unable to brush their own teeth properly. You can read the full report here. Boys are better than girls! Another shocking fact in the report was that girls are less likely…
UK Teachers Taking Children’s Oral Health Into Their Own Hands
Teachers across the UK are now taking steps to try to improve children’s oral health. Children’s oral health is a hot topic. One week it’s improving, the next it’s getting worse and now, it’s come to light that teachers in primary schools up and down the UK are getting involved in Children’s oral health. Teaching…
Is It Really Necessary To Cut Pudding Out Of School Dinners?
It seems that all eyes are on sugar at the moment. First it was breakfast cereals, then energy drinks, then soft drinks. Now it’s time for school dinners to take the floor. The Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow wants excess sugar to be cut from school dinners,…
Is Cereal Really The Biggest Culprit of Tooth Decay in Kids?
What is your favourite cereal? Recently in the news, it would seem that all eyes are on children and what they eat – sweets, energy drinks, cereal… Child obesity is a really hot topic right now – it’s on the rise and without intervention, rates of child obesity are set to soar. The most important…
Bruxism in Children – How Common Is It?
Is your child grinding their teeth? Teeth grinding – which is also known as bruxism – is very common in young children, especially among toddlers and those in the early years of primary school. It affects around 20-30% of children, and the majority of this percentage outgrow it by the time they reach their teens.…
Children Are Being Forced To Wait Over 6 Months For Dental Operations
How long is too long to wait for a dental operation? The number of children in England waiting longer than six months for a dental operation under general anaesthesia has risen by 52% over the past three years, data provided by NHS trusts suggests. Children are being forced to suffer due to continuous cuts to NHS dentistry.…
Brighton Kids In The Midst Of Dental Crisis
MANY children starting primary school in Brighton and Hove have suffered tooth decay, new figures from Public Health England show. Hundreds of children in Brighton & Hove are suffering from tooth decay, with many often needing emergency hospital trips for surgery under general anaesthetic. In almost 50% of cases, these children aren’t even of primary…
Are You Putting Your Child’s Oral Health At Risk?
Millions of British parents could be putting their children’s health at risk. By not knowing the facts about kids’ dental care, you could be putting your child’s oral health at risk. A whopping one quarter of adults don’t think it matters if their kids develop cavities in their baby teeth, because they’ll ‘fall out anyway’,…
Tooth Decay in Children Seeing a Steady Decline
For years, Tooth Decay in children has been on an incline. Tooth decay in children has been a hot topic over here on the Defacto Dentists blog for many months. For a long time, tooth decay has been the number one reason for planned hospital admissions among children. And the worst part? Tooth decay is…
CBeebies and Children’s Dental Health
CBBC programme is promoting good oral health in Children. Instilling a good oral health care routine in your children is vital. The younger they learn how to take good care of their teeth, the better. Habits that children learn from a very young age are habits they will keep for life. Kids TV shows are…
Painkillers In Place of Appointments?
Would you give you child pain killers instead of taking them to the dentist? A major survey has uncovered that parents are giving their child painkillers as an alternative to visiting the dentist when complaining of toothaches and pains. Only one in three of these patients had sought information from a dentist or dental professional…
Acidic Saliva in Babies Could Signify Potential Decay
Can a baby’s saliva really determine if decay is likely? Schools are banning all drinks except for milk and unflavoured water in an effort to quell sky high rates of tooth decay amongst young British children. But the ban is proving too late for many children, with many school head teachers noticing that far too many…
Is Your Teenager Avoiding Appointments?
Teenagers up to the age of 18 in the UK are entitled to free dental treatment on the NHS. Taking kids to the dentist when they are young is often easy. As a parent, you book their appointment and take them along to see the dentist. Sadly though, when they become a teenager and become…
Ensuring Healthy Development of Kid’s Teeth!
Promoting good oral health in children is vital. The younger they learn, the better! We really do take our teeth for granted. We need them to eat, they play a vital role in holding the structure of our face and they help us to look great in photos too. Ensuring good dental care from…
Healthy Snacks for Kids That Won’t Damage Their Teeth!
Kids will do anything to get their hands on sweet treats. We’ll admit it, sometimes handing our kids a chocolate bar is easier than dealing with a tantrum or two. Dishing out sweet treats is fine on occasion but we should try to limit how often we hand over sweets, biscuits, cakes or chocolate! Today…
Children Urged To Take Good Care of Their Teeth.
Children in the UK have access to free dental care on the NHS. Ensuring that children attend dental appointments from a young age is crucial to ensure that they develop good dental habits from a young age. If a child pays good attention to their teeth and gums when they are young, they can prevent…
Make A Point of Making Appointments!
Missing dental appointments is something you shouldn’t make a habit of. One missed appointment can easily become many year’s worth of missed appointments. The problem is, too many of us don’t make visiting the dentist a priority. Unfortunately, by doing this, we open the doors to more dental problems further down the line! No…
The City With A Sweet Tooth
Sweet treats are hard to resist. Whether it’s cakes, chocolates, sweets or ice cream, we’re all guilty of occasionally over indulging on our favourite treats. In a recent survey, it was discovered that out of all of the major cities in the UK that Belfast have the sweetest tooth, with over 80% of all residents…
Tooth Loss In Children
Tooth loss in children is expected. When a child’s first tooth falls out, it can be a pretty scary moment for both you and them but it is an exciting experience! This week, for part of our National Tooth Fairy Day celebrations, we looked at how to introduce The Tooth Fairy to young children. If…
Introducing The Tooth Fairy To Your Child
Yesterday was National Tooth Fairy Day and this week on the Defacto Dentists blog, we’re looking at all things tooth loss. It’s an exciting moment for your child when their first tooth starts to come loose. There’s the anticipation and constant updates of how wobbly it is, the panic when it feels like it’s about…
First Visit to the Dentist!
Your child’s first visit to the dentist is a big milestone! It’s a new experience for both you and them and it can be quite nerve-wracking as it’s difficult to determine how they will react. Here are some of our top tips to ensure that your child’s first visit to the dentist runs as smoothly…
Common Dental Problems in Children
As a parent, it’s crucial that you encourage your kids into a brilliant dental hygiene routine. The earlier that you instil this into them, the more likely they are to maintain it throughout their childhood, teen years and into adulthood. Unfortunately, dental problems in children are the norm due to various factors. Here are a…
Caring for Kids’ Teeth
We wanted to share some top tips for keeping your kids’ teeth healthy! The more you teach a child to take care of their teeth from a young age, the less likely they are to encounter problems with their teeth as they reach their teens and progress through adulthood. Take your child to the dentist…
Dental Phobia in Children: What to do
Dental phobia in Children can happen easily. Alongside promoting 2 minutes of thorough brushing twice daily, taking a child to the dentist regularly from a very young age is necessary to instil brilliant dental hygiene habits in them but for some children, going to the dentist can seem like a scary thing. A child’s fear…
The State of Children’s Oral Health in the UK
Children’s oral health within the UK has improved drastically since the 1970’s. This is due to greater awareness of oral hygiene and the consequences of a lack of good oral hygiene. However, children in the UK are still facing common dental issues such as tooth decay, infections and abscesses. These require costly treatments, putting pressure…
How to Have a Good Dentist Appointment: What You Should and Shouldn’t Do
You might be approaching your six-month check up, or you might have just registered at a new practice. It’s common that we all want to have a good dentist appointment. But, it goes beyond excessive brushing beforehand. Actually that could be one of the things you don’t do. Brushing right before you go for your…
The Toothbrushing Programme Improving Children’s Oral Health
A pilot scheme in nurseries is paving the way for improving children’s oral health. A toothbrushing programme in early years settings has made children less reluctant to clean their teeth. The programme was piloted in 68 nurseries and with 20 childminders from April. The Smiles4Children programme explores the best ways of getting children under five…
Self-Help Guide Launched For Children With Dental Anxiety
A self-help guide has been launched to help children with dental anxiety deal with the issue themselves. The guide was launched with the hopes to help children with dental anxiety combat their fears. In turn reducing the number of children with phobias of the dentist. Academics at The University of Sheffield led the production of…
Anxiety in Children at an All Time High
The number of calls made regarding anxiety in children is at an all time high according to recent figures. Figures from the NSPCC’s Childline service suggest calls from anxious children have risen rapidly. Childline deals with calls from distressed children. However, they answered 11,706 calls dealing with anxiety in children in 2015-16. When compared to…
Improving Children’s Oral Health
To improve children’s oral health, issues need to be tackled in schools first. Children’s oral health has become more of an issue of late. With child tooth decay rising rapidly, it’s no surprise people want to see the problem addressed. In 2014/15 over 26,000 children aged between five and nine were admitted to hospital for…
40% of Children Not Seeing a Dentist
Over 40% of children didn’t attend the dentist last year. NHS statistics show that 4 in 10 children haven’t been for regular check ups. The British Dental Association calls the figure ‘embarrassing’. Tooth decay remains the most common reason young children go to hospital. The BDA say regular dental check-ups are the key to preventing…
How to Improve Your Child’s First Dental Visit
How can you improve your child’s first dental visit? We don’t know a lot of people who like going to the dentist. However, for us it’s routine, for children it could be intimidating. A strange place with loud noises and strangers doesn’t even sound comfortable for us. Although, there are ways you can improve your…
Children’s Teeth Damaged by Common Chemicals
Early exposure to two commonly found chemicals could cause irreversible damage to children’s teeth. A new study has noted that bisphenol A (BPA) and vinclozolin, which are found in food packaging and fungicides, may cause issues with the hormones involved in the growth of teeth. It seems that the most at risk component of your…
Nursery Staff Teaching Kids About Dental Hygiene
Tooth decay in young children is on the rise and nursery staff are trying to change that. The cost of removing teeth in hospital has risen by 66% since 2011 according to the British Dental Association. However, although there may be children going through the discomfort of having fillings or extractions, there are many other children…