By Dr. Dharmin Sandhu, Lead Dentist · May 10, 2026 · Pediatric Care

Establishing healthy oral habits early in life lays the foundation for a lifetime of bright, confident smiles. Early childhood tooth decay, though common, is almost entirely preventable with proper education and care. Caring for baby teeth is critical — they act as space maintainers for permanent teeth and are essential for proper speech development and nutrition.

The Canadian Academy of Family Dentistry recommends that a child's first visit to the dentist occur within six months of the eruption of their first tooth, or by their first birthday. This initial appointment is less about cleaning and more about familiarizing your child with the clinic environment. It also allows us to inspect jaw development and guide parents on early cleaning techniques.

For infants, even before teeth emerge, you can wipe their gums with a clean, damp cloth after feedings. Once teeth appear, switch to a soft-bristled baby toothbrush and a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste (the size of a grain of rice). As they grow and learn to spit (usually around age 3), you can increase this to a pea-sized amount, supervising their brushing until they are 7 or 8.

Diet plays an enormous role in pediatric dental health. Limiting sugary juices, sticky candies, and avoiding putting a baby to sleep with a bottle of milk or juice helps prevent baby bottle tooth decay. Encouraging water between meals is a simple and effective habit that rinses away food debris and keeps saliva flowing.

At Grace Dental Centre, we specialize in making children's visits positive, fun, and completely anxiety-free. We use friendly, simple language to explain tools, offer dental sealants to protect chewing surfaces of permanent molars, and provide fluoride treatments to strengthen young enamel. Our goal is to ensure your child looks forward to their dentist visits.