Our Services

Our Oral Health Therapists,   are responsible for looking after the oral health of our adolescent patients.  Looking after teeth from an early age and creating great oral hygiene habits is the best way to prevent tooth and gum problems in the future.  Basic dental treatment is also free for adolescents from Year 9 until their 18^th birthday.  At Dentistry on Parkside we offer these patients a regular yearly check-up, including exam, x-rays, and clean, along with brushing and prevention advice, which we believe is paramount in inspiring your child to care for their teeth.

Keeping your children’s teeth healthy

Care of your children’s teeth should begin as soon as their baby teeth appear.  Preventing decay in the baby teeth will save your child from unnecessary  pain and treatment and keep their smile healthy.  Although the baby teeth will be lost and replaced by permanent teeth many parents think decay in the early years isn’t a problem, mostly because baby teeth fall out and are replaced by permanent teeth.  But research has clearly shown children who develop early cavities go on to have higher rates of decay in permanent teeth.

For this reason, outside of visiting the dental clinic it’s super important to ensure your children brush twice a day – before bed and in the morning. Bedtime is the most important time to brush.  A pea size amount of toothpaste is all that is required.  Have them spit out the toothpaste but not rinse with water.  Leave the rest of the toothpaste so the fluoride can keep working to protect the teeth.

Diet

Restrict sweet drinks and foods.  Fruit juice and fizzy drinks contain a lot of sugar and are high in acidity, which increases the susceptibility of the enamel to decay.  The more frequently a child snacks, the greater the chance for tooth decay – thus a short sweet feast is better than slowly sipping a bottle of juice or working through a handful of lollies throughout the day.

Night-time snacks are particularly damaging because the saliva flow, which helps clean the teeth, reduces significantly at night.  That’s why night-time brushing is so important.

Fluoride

The three main protective effects of fluoride are:

• Fluoride makes teeth more resistant to decay by strengthening tooth surface
• Fluoride interferes with the growth of bacteria which cause cavities
• Fluoride helps repair the early stages of tooth decay

At Dentistry on Parkside, we welcome our adolescent patients, offering them the level of care and comfort that will help them want to go to the dentist!  So once your child leaves the intermediate school and the Dental Nurse regular visits, we welcome your child to become registered within our practice and start their regular dental visits.

If you would like to arrange an initial consultation for your child, or simply wish to know more about our dental clinic services in Ashburton, please Contact Us.