Dental Care for Kids with Baby Teeth a Must

People often wonder why their children with baby teeth need routine dental care, since they will just lose those teeth anyway. There are several reasons to bring your preschoolers and toddlers to the dentist, and have an expert monitor the growth and health of their teeth. According to the American Dental Association, every child should have their first dental visit by age 1, or around the time their first tooth appears.

5 Reasons for Parents to Take Toddlers to the Dentist

1. An early dental visit gives a children’s dentist the chance to catch any bad habits that may have formed – like falling asleep with a bottle, which can lead to tooth decay from the milk sugars staying on the teeth.

2. New parents may not know how to get their toddler to let them brush or clean their teeth.

3. It is an opportunity to get small children comfortable with going to the dentist when the visit will be as simple as counting teeth and showing parents how to brush. At that age there will not likely be cavities, so the child will not equate a visit to the dentist with getting cavities filled.

4. For children who suck thumbs, it can be determined if teeth are shifting and an oral appliance should be placed to prevent a need for braces later in life.

5. Getting your children oral x-rays at a young age will help the dentist determine if permanent teeth are coming in properly and if everything appears to be in the right place. Even though you cannot see permanent teeth, they are developing under the primary teeth.

Benefits of Healthy Teeth for Young Children

1. Healthy teeth are strong and will help them chew food more easily, which helps them eat a variety of food and helps with proper digestion, as chewing is the first step to digestion

2. Children with health teeth tend to speak more clearly.

3. As children get older, they will smile with confidence if they do not struggle with cavities and fillings.

CDC Reports Rising Number of Cavities for Kids Under 12

Tooth decay for kids is reaching epidemic proportions, largely due to current nutritional trends and despite the great products on the market for oral care. More than 42% of children from 2 to 11 have cavities in their baby teeth, and 21% of children between 6 and 11 have tooth decay in permanent teeth. Having your child’s teeth checked by a dentist and cleaned properly will help prevent tooth decay, and can help catch these problems early do fillings are small and won’t result in a missing tooth or root canal. If you have a child who needs routine dental care, the friendly staff at Family SmileCare Center offers a comfortable dental care experience for children of all ages.