How Parents Can Help

Getting Involved in Your Child’s Dental Health

At Burg Children’s Dentistry, we feel that parental involvement is crucial in ensuring the oral health of children. Establishing healthy oral hygiene habits for your child at a young age is important in the prevention of cavities and tooth decay. We encourage parents to take an active role in the oral health of their children. Children often learn by watching their parents. We suggest making tooth brushing and flossing a fun family event. In addition to at-home care, we recommend that a professional cleaning and examination appointment be scheduled for your child every six months.

Suggestions for preparing your child for his/her first dental visit:

• Play pretend dentist with your child
• Let your child count your teeth
• Read children books about dentistry to your child. See our list of Recommended Books
• Be positive about the dental experience.

At the end of each appointment, parents are encouraged to reward their child with words of praise for a job well done.

At Burg Children’s Dentistry, we value the long-lasting relationships and trusting friendships we build with each of our patients and their parents. We provide nutritional counseling to parents and provide nutritious sack lunch and snack ideas. We also provide ideas for preventing dental decay and help parents determine what may be the cause of cavities for their child.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

• Arthur’s Loose Tooth (An I Can Read Book)
  Lillian Hoban (Illustrator), Terry Christie (Reader)
• Arthur’s Tooth
  Mark Brown
• Barney Goes to the Dentist
  Linda Cress Dowdy, Dennis Full (Illustrator)
• The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist
  Stan and Jan Berenstain
• Brush Your Teeth Please
  Leslie McGuire, Jean Pidgeon, and Dina Anastasio
• Clifford’s Loose Tooth (Big Red Reader)
  Wendy Cheyette Lewison, Norman Bridwell, John Kurtz, and Sandrina Kurtz
• Cousin Ruth’s Tooth
  Amy MacDonald
• The Crocodile and the Dentist
  Taro Gomi, Earl Pully, and Steve Blane
• David Decides about Thumbsucking: A Story for Children, A Guide for Parents
  Susan Heitler, Ph.D.
• Doctor De Soto
  William Steig
• Doctor De Soto Goes to Africa
  William Steig
• Dog Breath
  Dav Pilkey
• Freddie Visits the Dentist (Little Barron’s Toddler Books)
  Nicola Smee
• Going to the Dentist (First Experiences)
  Anne Civardi
• Have You Ever Seen a Moose Brushing His Teeth?
  Jamie McClaine
• I Know Why I Brush My Teeth (Sam’s Science)
  Kate Rowan, Katharine McEwen (Illustrator)
• Just Going to the Dentist: Golden Look-Look Book
  Mercer Mayer (Illustrator)