Why Your Child Should See a Pediatric Dentist

A pediatric dentist is dedicated to looking after and preserving the oral health of children from the time they are infants through the various stages of childhood, all the way to their teen years. Over and above the usual four years of dental school, we have received additional training, thus are eminently qualified to focus on prevention, early detection, and treating dental diseases in infants, children, and adolescents. We also have an understanding of child psychology, behavior control, growth, and development and offer the latest techniques in dental and orthodontic care.

Why Is It Important For My Child To See A Pediatric Dentist?

 It is important to get your children an early start in dental care and instill a good oral hygiene routine in them. Your child's initial visit to our office should take place right after their first tooth comes in, but no later than their first birthday. Helping children plan visits to our office from the time they are very little will help establish his, or her, trust in the dentist and will set them on the path to taking good care of their teeth as they get older. Additionally, the earlier your child begins regular visits to the dentist, the earlier,  we will be able to detect, and treat, any budding problems, thus avoiding unnecessary cavities or extensive dental treatment. Cavities that are neglected often times lead to problems which affect permanent teeth that are developing. Without proper dental care, children face possible tooth decay and disease that can cause a lifetime of pain and complications.

Dental caries is now more common among young children that asthma or hay fever. Approximately 4 million preschoolers suffer from tooth decay, a number that has grown by more than 600,000 children in the last ten years, which is a significant increase. More alarmingly, studies have shown that children with poor oral health suffer in school, do not do well socially, and are less successful later in their lives.  Therefore, the importance of early and often visits to a pediatric dentist is critically important.

Prevention Is Key

In addition to seeing a pediatric dentist every six months, there are many basic things you can do at home to prevent your child from developing cavities. If you have an infant, use a clean, damp washcloth or a wet gauze to gently clean the plaque from their teeth and gums at least two or three times a day. If your children are older, brush their teeth at least twice a day. Maintain a healthy diet by avoiding sugary foods and drinks and introduce healthy snacks. Just as the rest of the body needs a well-balanced diet, so does the teeth, gums, soft tissue and bones in a child's mouth.

As a pediatric dentist, we may also recommend protective sealants which can be applied to your child's molars to prevent decay on hard to clean surfaces or fluoride treatments for your child. As pediatric dentists, we have been specially trained to work with young patients, and know how to make a child's visit to our office is, at the very least, a positive experience.

Here is Why You Need a Pediatric Dentist for Your Child

As a pediatric dentist office, we understand that pediatric dentistry is vital to the overall health and well-being of all infants, children, and young adults. We are dedicated to the oral health of children from infancy, through the toddler, pre-teens, and teenage years. Pediatric dentists have to go through an extra two to three years of specialized training after they finish dental school, which makes them highly qualified to address all your child's oral health care needs.

Unfortunately, tooth decay is the most common disease found in children and adolescents nationwide, and most go untreated due a lack of awareness or financial reasons. Many parents aren't aware that dental problems usually begin very early in life. For instance, dental caries is a serious condition caused by a child breastfeeding, thumb sucking, using a bottle or a sippy cup for too long. Unfortunately, many parents are unaware that their child is even suffering from any form of dental decay because in the early stages, the decay, is often times not visible without dental x-rays. Another problem that goes unnoticed is about  40% of children that are two to three years old have inflammation of their gum tissues. Instead of regular visits to a pediatric dentist, most children see a dentist only when they are forced to by a toothache, at which point they require more extensive treatment or even the removal of one or more teeth.

Preventative Dentistry For Infants, Children, And Adolescents
The earlier your child visits a pediatric dentist, the better the chances of preventing short and long term problems that can affect things like chewing, biting, speech and appearance. Dental issues identified early on and treated in childhood and adolescence can make a substantial difference in a lifetime of good dental health. Dentists believe that infants, children, and adolescents need more of a focus on preventative care, more so than adults do. Pediatric dentists recommend that, in addition to regular dental checkups, parents should use a wide range of preventative oral care measures at home in order to avoid tooth decay. Monitoring your child's diet, for instance, is one those preventative measures. Most cavities in children are caused by a lack of consistent brushing & flossing and a diet usually high in sugary foods.

Additionally, diets high in carbohydrates and sugars cause children to have thicker saliva, which in turn produces an acid that creates bacteria, causing cavities.  Thinner saliva can wash away food quickly. You should discourage your child from eating sugary foods like candy and fruit roll-ups that are low in nutritional value and avoid sugary juices or sports drinks as well.  It is important that you initiate a well-balanced diet for your child that consists of meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruit, dairy products and cereals low in sugar, so that their teeth develop appropriately. This will also positively affect the healthy gum tissue surrounding the teeth.

Preventative care is only one part of maintaining your child's overall oral health care. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends parents have their children visit a pediatric dentist every six months, beginning with their first birthday. Routine visits will start your child on a lifetime of good dental health habits.

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