Dental Care for Children Ages 1-6
Dental Care for Children Ages 1-6
These are the foundation years, what they eat and how they sit and sleep, will affect their teeth, facial development, speech and cognitive development. 80% of the cranial development occurs by age 6.
Nutrition
Eating healthy food is obvious, but eating hard food is not. Kids these days do not eat enough hard chewy food, this develops facial muscles, which dictates how the jaw bones develop.
Sleep
Mouth breathing, dark circles under the eyes, messy sleepers, snoring, grinding teeth, bed wetting all point to sleep disordered breathing. This could be related to large tonsils/adenoids and or small airways. Working together with an ENT and sleep doctor, an optimal treatment can be made.
Posture
iPhone and tablets are creating poor postural issues in developing children. This age is the most susceptible to the detrimental effects of these devices. Children, have their mouths open, head forward, and backs arched. Children today are complaining of headaches, TMJ issues, and neck pain. How is oral health connected, having a bad bite ( cross bite, deep bite, open bite, crowded teeth), are making the children’s posture worse. How our teeth come together when we bite helps stabilize our heads in the correct position.
Treatment
Treatment at this age may include: nasal breathing protocol, posture training, oral muscle training, nutritional counseling, simple orthodontic devices, tongue tie evaluation, and referrals to other medical professional (ENT, osteopaths, chiropractors, etc.)
Dr. Mandeep Johal is a mother of two and a general dentist, who resides in Guelph. She is passionate about oral care for children. Dr. Johal had a tongue tie, along with her oldest son and her youngest son had a lip tie. The fact that she and her boys went undiagnosed for so long, even after being immersed in the dental field, helped her recognize that others were living limited lives because of their tongue ties too. Dr. Johal is on a mission to help people identify issues associated with their oral restrictions, so they can get the right treatment sooner.
Contact Dr. Johal and her team to see how they can help you and your child.
Note: We are a designated essential business in public health services. Our physical dental office location is open under guidance by the government and The Royal College of Dental Surgeons. We meet and exceed safety guidelines. Virtual Office Appointments are also available to serve our community.
Family Dental Centre
1482 Gordon Street, Guelph
519-767-2729
www.familydentalguelph.com