Preventative dental care for children in Harley Street

Preventative dental care is really important for the overall oral and physical health of your child. Much like adults, children’s teeth can be affected by decay or gum disease, leading to a multitude of problems. This is why preventative care is so important for your child, and their developing teeth.

At Harley Street Dental Clinic, we believe that prevention is better than cure and we urge our patients to bring their children into the practice for dental check-ups regularly. Even if children have access to good dental care, some areas in the mouth are impossible to reach. For this reason, we provide helpful paediatric dentistry treatments such as fluoride applications and dental sealants to keep cavities at bay.

Childrens Dentistry in Harley StreetFluoride applications

Fluoride is a mineral that works in a number of ways to prevent tooth decay. As long as small quantities of fluoride are present in the mouth and on the surface of the teeth, tooth decay can be prevented. Fluoride applications are recommended for children whose teeth are prone to cavities and tooth decay.

An experienced dentist will paint small amounts of fluoride on their teeth, in order to prevent the formation of cavities. In some cases, treatment with fluoride can also prevent existing tooth decay from getting worse and reverse it. Treatment with fluoride should always be administered by a well-trained dentist, since excess fluoride use is not beneficial and can cause dental problems.

Our dentists will also provide information about fluoride and proper oral hygiene including discussing the use of fluoridated water and brushing with proper toothpaste.

Dental sealants

Just like fluoride applications, dental sealants can prevent cavities from forming on the surface of your children’s teeth. Dental sealants are thin plastic shells that are applied to the grooves on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth (mostly the molars) to protect them from tooth decay and cavities.

It has been shown, that most tooth decay in children and teens occurs on these surfaces. This is because these teeth are hard to reach and brush properly. Sealants protect the chewing surfaces from forming cavities by keeping bacteria and food particles out of these furrows.