Tips for Ages 12+

See your dentist if you notice:

• Small white spots on teeth.
• Swelling of the face.
• Tiny holes in enamel.
• Pain in mouth.
• Tooth sensitive to heat, cold, or sweets.
• Tooth painful or sensitive when chewing.

Visit the dentist every 6 months.

Teens are at high risk for tooth decay. The dentist will watch for any changes that may cause tooth decay. The dentist will only recommend x-rays when necessary.

The dentist will do an exam and decide how often to clean the teeth and how often to put fluoride on the teeth. Fluoride is usually used up to age 16.

As children become teenagers, the dentist will talk about hormone changes and how they affect the mouth. The dentist may also talk about smoking, oral piercings and other things teens might do.

The dentist will look at the mouth and how the teeth fit together. The dentist will recommend how to fix any problems.

The dentist may recommend sealants as the permanent back teeth come in. Dental sealants are a plastic resin that a dentist puts into the grooves of the chewing part of a tooth to help prevent tooth decay.

Wisdom teeth, also called third molars, can come in wrong. They can also cause the other teeth to be crowded. Because they are so far back it’s hard to brush them well. The dentist will look at these teeth and recommend if they should be removed.