What distinguishes children’s dental care from the regular professional oral care you enjoy? One important service your dentist provides during your child’s visits is to educate them on the value of good oral health. Essentially, because children are still learning the how’s and why’s of oral hygiene, they can be more at risk for problems. Your dentist will spend a routine visit taking care of their teeth, and watching out for problems that demand restorative dental care, but they can also offer guidance on how your child can take better care of their smile. Children also often receive fluoride treatments and dental sealants, which offer an added measure of cavity defense.
Questions:
True Or False: Your child does not need to see your dentist regularly until at least half of their secondary (“adult”) teeth have erupted.
True Or False: If a cavity forms on a primary (“baby”) tooth, there is no problem with just waiting for that tooth to be lost.
True Or False: Fluoride and dental sealants are provided to help improve your child’s odds of staying cavity-free.
Answers:
False! Regular dental visits can be recommended for children as young as three years old. Bringing younger children with you during your own dental checkups can help them feel more at ease when it is time to start regular visits of their own.
False! If tooth decay takes hold of a primary tooth, bacteria can spread into the pulp, and cause discomfort in your child. Bacteria that spreads through the tooth’s root can create more trouble.
True! Fluoride treatments and dental sealants both help offer extra protection to your child’s teeth, so that they can stay cavity-free while they learn to take the best care of their smiles.
