Kids Dentist in Holland Village: Children & Family Dentistry

Primary teeth help your child chew easily, speak clearly and feel good about their smile. Untreated decay can affect general health, and baby teeth hold the spaces that permanent teeth erupt into.

Visiting only when there is a problem teaches children that dentistry means discomfort. Early, routine visits do the opposite.

Between two and five years of age lets us prevent and anticipate problems rather than treat them.

• Caries risk assessment tailored to your child
• Habit review — thumb sucking, mouth breathing, bottle use
• A personalised prevention programme for home care

Our dentists are trained to see kids and provide a wide range of paediatric care. However, if we find that your child has many problems or they need special attention, a specialist referral may be required. Nevertheless, let our dentists take a look to assess your child first.

• Bribe your child into going to the dentist or use a dental visit as a punishment
• Communicate your own fears to your child
• Let anyone tell your child scary stories about dental visits

• Be a role model to your child in terms of dental behavior, diet and oral hygiene
• Accompany your child at least for the first visit instead of relegating this to relatives and caregivers
• In making your first appointment, tell the dental staff about your child including any special needs or medical problems.

• Uncontrollable bleeding
• Loss of consciousness
• Facial swelling affecting breathing or the eyes
• Possible broken jaw

• Knocked out baby tooth — next working day or urgent care
• Knocked out permanent tooth — immediately, call on the way
• Severe toothache waking your child at night
• Broken brace wire or bracket

Stop bedtime bottle feeding after twelve months and brush after the final feed. Water only, once teeth are cleaned.

Custom-fitted guards for any activity with a fall risk — cycling, skateboarding, gymnastics, soccer. Custom laminate guards outperform boil-and-bite, which in turn outperform stock guards.

Discourage opening packaging, ripping tags or cracking hard objects with teeth — and model it yourself.

You should not be searching for a dentist while your child is in pain. For emergencies during business hours, call the clinic directly.

Silver diamine fluoride is a colourless liquid that we paint onto early cavities. It combines silver (which kills bacteria), fluoride (which remineralises enamel) and ammonia to keep a small lesion from growing.

When we use it:

• Very young children who are not yet ready for a traditional filling
• Children with high anxiety or special healthcare needs
• Deep grooves or early white-spot lesions between teeth
• As a temporary measure while we plan definitive treatment

What to expect: the appointment is quick — usually just a few minutes — and no drilling is needed. The treated area may darken slightly over time; this is how we know the decay has been arrested. We will always discuss whether SDF is the right choice for your child before applying it.

Milk bottle caries is rapid tooth decay in infants and toddlers. It usually begins on the upper front teeth after long, frequent exposure to milk, formula or juice — especially from a bottle or breast at bedtime.

Why it happens: during sleep, saliva flow drops. Liquids pool around the teeth, feeding bacteria that produce acid. The upper front teeth are affected first because the lower lip and tongue shield the lower teeth.

Prevention checklist:

• No bottle in bed after the final brush — water only
• Transition to a cup by 12–18 months
• Brush twice daily with a smear of fluoride toothpaste
• Limit juice and sweetened snacks to mealtimes
• Start dental visits early so we can spot white-spot lesions before they become cavities

If you already notice chalky white lines, brown spots or pitting on your child's front teeth, book an exam promptly. Early intervention can save both baby and adult teeth.

Myobrace combines a series of removable trainers with exercises for the tongue, lips and swallowing pattern. Its focus is on improving oral habits and supporting dental arch development, rather than using brackets and wires to move individual teeth.

Habits such as thumb sucking, tongue thrusting and an open-mouth resting posture can influence how teeth and the bite develop. The programme encourages the tongue to rest on the palate, the lips to close comfortably and nasal breathing where the airway allows. Persistent nasal blockage needs assessment; an appliance alone will not resolve every cause of mouth breathing.

Unlike braces, the trainer is removed for meals and brushing. Success depends on consistent wear, exercises and follow-up appointments — it is a programme your child and family take part in, not simply an appliance to put on.

• Supports arch development in suitable growing children, with the aim of creating space for developing teeth.
• Builds healthier oral habits through guided tongue, lip and swallowing exercises.
• Encourages a comfortable resting posture with the tongue on the palate and lips together when nasal breathing is possible.
• Fits around everyday care because the trainer comes out for eating and toothbrushing.
• Offers an early-intervention option that may simplify later orthodontic treatment for some children.

These are treatment goals, not guaranteed results. Myobrace is not a substitute for braces in every case, and it does not guarantee a particular facial appearance or permanent tooth alignment.

An early orthodontic assessment is worthwhile if you notice any of these signs. They do not automatically mean your child needs Myobrace:

• Breathing through the mouth instead of the nose
• Crowding, gaps, or an overbite, underbite, crossbite or open bite
• Thumb or finger sucking
• Tongue pushing against the teeth when swallowing
• Lips that do not meet comfortably at rest
• Teeth grinding
• Snoring or restless sleep

Myobrace is commonly considered for children aged five to fifteen, but dental development, the type of bite problem and your child's readiness matter more than age alone. Significant jaw discrepancies or complex tooth movements may need other appliances, braces or specialist care.

Snoring, restless sleep or persistent mouth breathing also deserve a medical assessment, especially if you notice pauses in breathing. Myobrace should not be presented as a treatment for sleep apnoea.

Following an examination, Dr Shauna Cho will discuss a staged plan tailored to your child. The four broad stages build on one another; their timing depends on growth, progress and the habits being addressed.

1. Habit correction: learn exercises for tongue posture, lip seal and swallowing, and address habits such as thumb sucking. Check that nasal breathing is comfortable before encouraging it.
2. Arch development: support the developing dental arches and monitor space for incoming teeth. Additional treatment may be recommended if the trainer alone is not sufficient.
3. Dental alignment: assess how teeth are erupting and whether alignment is improving. Braces or aligners may still be needed for precise tooth movement and bite correction.
4. Retention: maintain healthier habits and use retention as advised to reduce the risk of teeth moving back. Ongoing reviews help protect progress as your child grows.

At each review, we check appliance fit, wear, exercises and changes in the bite, adjusting the plan rather than assuming every child progresses at the same pace.

Your child will usually wear the trainer for a prescribed period during the day and overnight, alongside short daily exercises. Follow Dr Shauna Cho's instructions for the specific appliance and stage rather than a one-size-fits-all schedule. Remove it for meals, clean it as instructed and bring it to reviews.

Treatment can extend over several months to a few years. Your child's growth, starting bite and consistency with the programme all influence the timeline. Initial adjustment or mild discomfort can occur; contact us if there is pain, irritation or difficulty tolerating the appliance.

• Myobrace: focuses on oral habits and developing arches in suitable children. Daily exercises and consistent appliance wear are essential.
• Fixed braces: use brackets and wires for controlled tooth movement and bite correction, including cases that need more precise alignment.
• Invisalign and clear aligners: use a sequence of removable trays to move teeth according to a planned prescription. Suitability and wear requirements depend on the individual case.

None is universally better. Dr Shauna Cho can explain whether early habit-focused care, braces, aligners or a combination best fits your child. Adults seeking straighter teeth generally need an individual orthodontic assessment rather than expecting the same growth-related benefits as children.

Explore braces and clear aligners at Le Dentistry.

Possibly. Early habit correction may help some children, but it cannot guarantee that braces, extractions or other treatment will be avoided. Results depend on the underlying problem, growth and participation in the programme.

Teeth can move after treatment. Continued healthy habits, reviews and any prescribed retainers are part of maintaining the result; no orthodontic treatment should be described as permanently relapse-proof.

At Le Dentistry, Dr Shauna Cho will review your concerns, examine your child's teeth and bite, and discuss oral habits and growth. Records or further assessments may be recommended where needed before deciding on treatment.

Fees depend on the appliances, reviews and scope of care your child needs. We will explain the proposed plan and its costs before you decide, including whether any later orthodontic treatment would be separate.