Making the best health decisions for our children can be overwhelming. Couple the normal parental anxiety with an abundance of opinions and advice readily available online, and parents of very young children are often left more confused and worried that they are doing the right things for their kids.
Once in a while an idea, good or bad, takes root virally and pretty soon, (often despite lack of medical evidence, or even evidence to the contrary), a group of people begin to believe it.
One such situation is the idea that it is better to wait until children are of school age before bringing them to the dentist for the first time. That notion is categorically false. It is extremely important that children, from the time they have their first baby teeth, have regular dental checkups.
Here are just a few young children should have regular dental visits:
1. Baby teeth are important. When baby teeth erupt, the position, the room in the mouth, and the health of the teeth is all important to the dentist.
2. Dental offices are not scary. If your child is a frequent visitor to the dental office, it won’t be a scary place to them. It is important to gain familiarity and comfort with the office, the process and the staff, so that regular cleanings and if necessary, emergency care are trauma-free.
3. Setting good habits. Setting good habits for dental care will set the foundation for a lifetime. The dentist can show you how to brush your child’s teeth properly and your child will see that there is an importance in keeping appointments at the dentist.
4. Pacifier, bottle and thumb-sucking issues. Dentists will be on the lookout for damage to baby teeth from formula-drinking while sleeping, or alignment issues because of a pacifier or thumb-sucking.
5. Monitoring of tooth heath. In just a few minutes, the dentist will be able to determine the overall oral health of the child and make note of any issue to monitor.
Visiting the dentist for young children, even as toddlers is extremely important. As soon as your child’s first tooth erupts, please contact us at Cobblestone Dental Care in Gilbert to make your appointment.
