816 East Franklin Blvd., Gastonia, North Carolina 28054
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Maintaining Your Child’s Dental Healthcare

As a parent, it can be hard to determine when and what to do about your child’s dental healthcare. When should you first schedule an appointment for your child? Should you be flossing for your toddler? How will you know if your child needs orthodontic treatment? Here at Gaston Dental Associates, we have the tips and guidelines to help you answer all of these questions and more.

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When Should You Start Brushing Your Child’s Teeth?

A good dental healthcare routine should be established before the first baby tooth even grows in! Just because you cannot see a tooth on the surface, does not mean it isn’t there. They actually begin to grow during the second trimester of your pregnancy so by the time your baby is born he or she already has 20 primary teeth. Here are some tips for taking care of 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 to the surface, use an infant toothbrush with a rice-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste – once these teeth touch, you can start flossing gently in 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
  • Continue supervising your child’s dental health care routine until they turn 8 years old (when they are less likely to swallow instead of spitting)

When Is It Time To Visit Our Dentists?

According to the American Dental Association, children should be seen by a dentist by their 1st birthday. Visiting this early on in your child’s development can help uncover problems and prevent them from becoming worse later on. It will also help your child become used to regular dental visits so they are not afraid to go once they are older and may need more in depth treatments or procedures. Pediatrics will also diagnose signs of children at high risk for cavities and apply topical fluoride to help prevent cavities and many other common oral diseases. For older children our dentists will add sealant to each molar that acts as an extra protective coating as well.

Maintaining Your Child’s Dental Healthcare

Depending on each individual path your child may be on for jaw and tooth development, our experts here at Gaston Dental Associates will recommend regular check-ups every 3 – 6 months to monitor growth and ensure healthy mouths. Make sure you are regularly helping your child brush and floss their teeth and try to keep them away from sugary foods. 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

  • 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

    Wonderful experience from my check- up at Gaston Dental! Every person was very respectful of my comfort and time. Kudo’s... read more

    daryl hutchins Avatar daryl h.
    April 29, 2025

    Excellent bedside manner!!! Everyone was very kind and informative! Makes going to the dentist less traumatizing!

    khadija thomas Avatar khadija t.
    July 15, 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
  • 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

    Everyone was very kind, informative and eager to help. I had a great first experience with my hygienist and my... read more

    Maggie Amrhein Avatar Maggie A.
    March 1, 2025

    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
  • Best office I've ever been to! Everyone is so sweet and helpful. My dental hygienist spoke so much positivity over... read more

    Bluu Soul Avatar Bluu S.
    August 29, 2024

    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

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

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    Joni McClain Avatar Joni M.
    June 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 am very skeptical of dentists but I am very excited about Gaston Dental. They are very gentle and patient.... read more

    Thomas Hunter Avatar Thomas H.
    June 29, 2025

    I am usually satisfied with my dental appointment , however, my appointment today left me very disappointed and a little... read more

    Tamara Reid Avatar Tamara R.
    January 1, 1970

    I had a great experience at Gaston Dental Associates today! Everybody was very welcoming and made me feel so... read more

    Linda Wood Avatar Linda W.
    January 1, 1970

    I enjoy my visits to Gaston Dental Associates. The hygienists are excellent at their job, helpful and informative about ways... read more

    April Dawn Avatar April D.
    January 29, 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

    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

    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 really appreciate Adrian my hygienist for her professionalism, she is very compassionate and she has excellent bedside manner. Emily... read more

    Trina Byers Avatar Trina B.
    January 1, 1970

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