Great oral health does not happen without daily care and periodic attention from your dental professional. Children should have their first dental checkup around twelve months of age. Regular visits with their pediatric dentist will provide them with every opportunity to receive the treatments available to keep teeth and gums healthy as they grow.
Baby teeth usually begin to erupt around six months of age and slowly continue to come in until all twenty primary teeth are in place. Caring for those baby teeth is important as they lay the groundwork for permanent teeth.
Caregivers are given the responsibility for caring for those precious teeth. This means not only cleaning them until your child is old enough to manage this task on their own, but also providing a nourishing diet, education, and making sure they see their pediatric dentist every six months.
During infancy and the toddler years your child should never be put to bed for a nap or the night with a bottle containing anything but water. Milk, juice, and formula contain sugar. If your child falls asleep with bottle contents in their mouth, bacteria growth is promoted leading to the possibility of decay formation.
You do not want your child’s first dental visit to be due to a cavity, especially when decay is preventable. That first appointment with the dentist usually involves an exam which will alert parents of any potential problems; this is also a perfect opportunity for parents to become educated and ask questions on how to best care for their children’s teeth as they grow.
Another advantage to early and regular dental visits, your child will become accustomed to the sounds, smells, and surroundings of the dental office making subsequent visits a familiar experience, rather than one of fear and trepidation.
Two preventative tools available from your pediatric dentist include fluoride treatments to help fortify dental enamel; and sealants that can be applied to the chewing surfaces of molar teeth to help prevent decay.
Teeth are crucial to the ability to chew and speak as well as a major contributor to your appearance. Your child’s great oral health will be rewarded for their lifetime if the proper care and attention is provided … daily brushing and flossing coupled with visits to the dentist every six months for cleaning and examination.
Contact our team at Richardson Dentistry today to get more tips!
