816 East Franklin Blvd., Gastonia, North Carolina 28054
Location
Checking status...
icons (2)

The Importance of Your Child’s Dental Health Care

Here at Gaston Dental Associates, we know how difficult it can be to determine what the right thing to do for your children is. When should I schedule my child’s first dental appointment? Should my toddler be flossing? How do I determine if my child needs to be seen by an orthodontist? These are all very important questions we are here to answer!

Book Appointment

When Should I Start Brushing My Child’s Teeth?

Great dental hygiene and health care routine can and should start before your child’s first baby tooth comes in! You see, just because a tooth isn’t visible inside of your child’s mouth, does not mean it isn’t there. Baby teeth begin to grow during the second trimester of pregnancy, meaning, by the time your baby is born, they already have 20 primary teeth.

Here are some of our top tips for caring for young, new teeth:

  • Use a clean, damp washcloth to gently rub away harmful bacteria build up on your baby’s gums each night
  • Once teeth start to erupt through the surface, use an infant toothbrush with a rice-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Once these teeth touch, you can start flossing gently  between them
  • Around age 2 or 3, your child should learn to spit while you are brushing their teeth, teaching them not to swallow toothpaste once they begin to brush themselves

When is it Time for Your Child to Visit Gaston Dental Associates?

According to the American Dental Association, children should be seen by a dentist by their 1st birthday. This is so our team can uncover any potential problems and prevent them from becoming worse later down the road. Visiting this early and exposing your child to a dentist regularly will help your child become used to the dentist office, various tools, and their dentist so they feel comfortable and confident when they come to visit. 

Maintaining Your Child’s Dental Healthcare

Depending on the path your child will be on for jaw and tooth development, our experts here at Gaston Dental Associates recommend regular check-ups every 3 – 6 months to monitor growth and ensure healthy and shining smiles. As a parent, make sure to regularly help your child brush and floss their teeth, and try to limit sugary foods as much as possible (we know this is hard) to help with lessening the chance of developing cavities later on. With these tactics and dental appointments, your child’s dental healthcare will be on a great path! Give us a call today at 704-396-6166 to schedule an appointment!

What our patients say

  • It was a really quick visit and he done great and so did Jennifer I'll be back soon for the... read more

    Tesla Walters Avatar Tesla W.
    March 29, 2025

    Great staff and the dentist was punctual along with very knowledgeable with her work and explaining everything to me, it... read more

    media thumbnail 0
    Joni McClain Avatar Joni M.
    June 29, 2025

    Me and my children have been coming here for 17 years. Staff has changed around but there are still... read more

    Lauren P Avatar Lauren P.
    January 1, 1970

    Amazing service and very friendly.My daughter is 10 with Autism and we were quickly fit into the schedule and an... read more

    Tekeber Debele Avatar Tekeber D.
    July 8, 2025
  • My First Appointment at Gaston Dental was Fantastic! The Dental Assistants were friendly and professional as well as the... read more

    Diana Cunningham Avatar Diana C.
    August 29, 2024

    My cleaning on April 23rd was an awesome visit. Thr check-in, hygienist and dentist had wonderful attitudes. The service was... read more

    Keizah Shouse Avatar Keizah S.
    April 29, 2025

    Outstanding Service and Caring Staff at Gaston Dental! I can't say enough good things about Gaston Dental! From the moment I... read more

    Ginger Barnett Avatar Ginger B.
    January 29, 2025

    I went to the dentist I had cracked a tooth they got me in the very next day to do... read more

    Richard Lingerfelt Avatar Richard L.
    July 15, 2025
  • The ladies in the office are nice and kind when you walk into the office there’s never a dull moment... read more

    Kristal Elliott-Powell Avatar Kristal E.
    January 1, 1970

    Yall have always been then beat! With me and my daughters! Thank y'all so very much for all y'all do!!... read more

    Jessica Davis Avatar Jessica D.
    April 29, 2025

    I was late for my appointment and I was still send and my experience was great I was not there... read more

    Cynthia Bryant Avatar Cynthia B.
    May 29, 2025

    The great folks at Gaston dental always are willing to work with me to accommodate my third shift schedule. ... read more

    Jerimy Black Avatar Jerimy B.
    March 1, 2025
  • I love this dentist they make me feel at home . I never have to wait in the lobby when... read more

    Stephanie Cavender Avatar Stephanie C.
    May 29, 2025

    I really enjoyed my experience here! Adrian was very friendly and thorough with my cleaning. The admin staff were helpful,... read more

    Miranda Votary Avatar Miranda V.
    March 1, 2025

    Genuinely the most pleasant dental experience I've ever had. The employees are not only extremely kind but also clearly very... read more

    Nicholas Byrnes Avatar Nicholas B.
    April 29, 2025

    Very nice staff. They are very clean and professional. They also clean people's teeth nicely.

    Ashley Lippman Avatar Ashley L.
    April 29, 2025
  • This place is the only one that I've taken my grandchildren to for many years. All the staff are very... read more

    Tammy Frisbee Avatar Tammy F.
    May 29, 2025

    I love it! I called in today Dec 2, 2024 as a new patient and I was able to be... read more

    Info Info Avatar Info I.
    December 29, 2024

    There's a bunch of care and expertise here. My teeth were in bad shape until I came here. They made... read more

    media thumbnail 0
    April White Avatar April W.
    January 1, 1970

    We love this dentist! All my kids go here & they are ALWAYS so kind and polite. This past time... read more

    Alejandra Whitman Avatar Alejandra W.
    March 29, 2025

Success stories that speak for themselves

Let’s Get You Scheduled

Name(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
phone-handsetmenu