It's important to take care of your child's dental health at the start of a very young age and teaching them how to maintain good oral hygiene is a must. Children are required to visit a dentist for a regular scale and polish and at what age the child has a scale and polish done will depend on the child's situation.

Is it safe for young children to have a scale & polish?

It is not only adults that need a scale and polish, strictly speaking children also require a scale and polish. In most cases children at the age of 3 will already have accumulated materia alba, stains and discoloration. The main cause is poor oral hygiene, consuming too much sugar and drinking dark colored beverages.

A child’s scale and polish differs from an adult, for adults a ultrasonic scaler is used to remove dental calculus with the use of vibrations, but for a child a hand scaler is used and then polish is applied to the surface of the teeth to remove materia alba and stains. This method will not harm the child’s teeth so parents can be rest assured.

Costs of Scale & Polish for Children

How much does it cost for a child to have a scale and polish? The costs will depend on different circumstances, for example prices for a routine scale and polish will be lower in costs in comparison to a professional scale and polish. A routine scale and polish is suitable for children and is relatively simple. On the other hand, a professional scale and polish will be more effective with removing stains and discoloration.  

Tips

If the child’s teeth are stained or discolored, after the scale and polish the stains and discolored areas can be removed. However, if the scale and polish does not remove the stains and discolored areas, then it could be cavities and a visit to a pediatric dentist should be made to identify the problem.