Preventive dentistry focuses on helping children establish healthy teeth and gums and reducing their risk of dental problems in the future.

At Child Smile, prevention begins with understanding your child’s individual risk factors and helping families establish practical oral health habits from an early age.

Our preventive services include:

• Establishing a Dental Home
• Developing a positive attitude towards dental care
• Oral hygiene education
• Preventive diet counselling
• Caries risk assessment
• Monitoring dental growth and development

Our goal is to identify potential problems early and, wherever possible, prevent dental disease before treatment becomes necessary.

A Dental Home is an ongoing relationship between your child, your family and their dental care team.

Rather than visiting the dentist only when your child has pain or a dental problem, establishing a Dental Home from an early age allows us to monitor your child’s oral health and dental development over time.

Regular visits allow us to:
Monitor the eruption of baby and permanent teeth
Identify early signs of tooth decay

• Monitor jaw and bite development
• Provide personalised prevention advice
• Establish good brushing and dietary habits
• Address dental concerns before they become more complex
• Help your child become familiar and comfortable with the dental environment

Early positive dental experiences can help children develop confidence in dental care that can continue into adolescence and adulthood.

A child’s first dental experiences can influence how they feel about dentistry for many years.
We therefore place considerable emphasis on making dental visits positive, age-appropriate and respectful of each child’s individual needs.

Our team uses child-friendly communication and behaviour guidance to help children understand what is happening and gradually develop trust.

For some children, particularly those who are very young or anxious, the first appointment may focus primarily on getting to know the dental team and becoming comfortable in the dental environment.

Our goal is to help children see dental care as a normal and manageable part of looking after their health.

Good oral health habits are easiest to establish when they begin early.
We provide personalised guidance on:

• Brushing twice daily
  Choosing an appropriate fluoride toothpaste
• Brushing effectively according to your child’s age
• Flossing or cleaning between teeth when appropriate
• Managing sugary foods and drinks
• Establishing healthy bedtime routines
  Regular dental visits
  Recognising early signs of dental problems

Parents and caregivers play an important role in helping younger children brush effectively. As children become more independent, we can provide age-appropriate guidance to help them take responsibility for their own oral health.

Diet is an important part of preventing tooth decay.
Preventive diet counselling looks at your child’s overall eating and drinking habits, rather than simply telling families to “avoid sugar”.

We may discuss:

• How frequently your child eats
• Snacking habits
• Sugary foods and drinks
• Fruit juice and other sweetened drinks
• School and nursery meals
• Bedtime drinks
• Foods that may increase the risk of tooth decay
• Practical tooth-friendly alternatives

Our recommendations are tailored to your child’s age, lifestyle and individual risk of dental disease.

A caries risk assessment evaluates your child’s likelihood of developing tooth decay.

We consider factors such as:

• Previous history of cavities
• Oral hygiene
• Dietary habits
• Frequency of sugar exposure
• Fluoride exposure
• Tooth anatomy
• Existing restorations
• Saliva and oral factors where clinically relevant
• Medical and developmental factors
• Family and environmental factors

Understanding your child’s individual risk allows us to develop a personalised prevention plan rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.