The Top 3 Ways To Help Your Child Have A Lifetime Of Great Dental Health
An attractive set of pearly white teeth is an asset that your child will use all of his or her life. From making school friends to getting a good job to having success in romance, good teeth make a difference. To be sure your little one enjoys a lifetime of good dental health, support your child in these 3 ways:
1) When it comes to dental visits, go early and go often.
Children as young as 1 year of age can develop tooth decay. For this reason, dentists recommend that you bring your child to the office when he or she is between 1 and 2 years of age. Your child's dentist can get a good look at those early teeth and stop any decay before there is significant tooth loss or discoloration.
Early dental examinations also help the dentist notice any growth problems that may develop in the jaw or gums. For example, if a pacifier is causing deformity of the roof of the mouth or of any emerging teeth, the dentist can catch this and suggest softer pacifiers or a weaning program.
After the initial exams, it's wise to schedule visits and cleanings for your child every six months for optimum dental health.
Of course, before your child turns 1 year old, if any tooth is causing him or her severe pain, if any baby teeth are injured or if abnormal tooth or gum development interferes with your baby's ability to nurse or eat, you should notify your child's pediatrician and have your baby seen by a dentist as soon as possible.
2) Be a positive role model when it comes to going to the dentist.
Be proactive and take your child on a trip to the dentist's office without scheduling any exam or treatment. If the child will go to your family dentist, your baby can play in the waiting room with one parent while the other parent has an office visit. Perhaps afterward, the dentist will let the child check out an exam room to acclimate the little one to the looks, smells and sounds he or she will experience during an office visit.
If you choose to go to a pediatric dental practice, their office will normally have a program to let your child have a fun, non-threatening introductory tour of their facilities.
Talk about the dentist in positive ways, and set a good example by practicing good oral hygiene and having regular dental exams and cleanings.
3) Learn about all of the new dental treatments and research.
To make good choices for your child's dental future, know about all of the treatment options available today. There are new diagnostic instruments that can see cavity problems without touching teeth, new drills that operate with very low noise or pain and new sealing agents that will protect your child's teeth from cavities.
New research also has shown that bacteria plays a large role in tooth decay. The harmful bacteria runs in families, so sharing drinks, eating utensils and toothbrushes is a bad idea if you want to avoid cavities. The good news is, dentists have developed oral rinses to help clear these bacteria from older mouths, but the rinses are not recommended for very young children.
These are 3 simple but effective ways to ensure your child will have a lifetime of strong, beautiful, healthy teeth. Contact your local dentist, such as Adobe Dentistry, to find out about more ways to guide your child to a great smile.
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