If you want to build a sturdy house, the first thing you need is a strong foundation. That same concept applies to your child’s smile: if you want to provide them with the essentials for a lifetime of excellent oral health, it’s important to protect their teeth and gums from the start. Here are six reasons why visiting the dentist is so important for children as they grow!
Early Diagnoses & Intervention
When it comes to your child’s smile, what you don’t know definitely can hurt them. In fact, many common oral health problems aren’t always detectable to the untrained eye. Cavities, receding gums, and even tiny fractures in the teeth could require a dentist to spot, let alone diagnose. Thus, visiting the dentist every six months from around age one is an excellent way to identify these issues before they have a chance to get worse, protecting your child’s smile right now, and preventing painful and expensive problems later.
Routine Building
Any change in routine can be stressful for children. Whether it’s a different school, a new house, or an increase in homework, adapting to disruptions to their daily life can be a challenge. When you bring them to the dentist from a young age and are consistent with their at-home and clinical oral health routines, they become less fearful of taking care of their smile and will be more likely to do it on their own without supervision or intervention as they grow.
An Ounce of Prevention
Sometimes, even if you’re doing everything right for your child’s smile, there can still be problems. Hard to reach back teeth can develop cavities, and some kids are simply more prone to gingivitis than others. However, when your child’s pediatric dentist can examine their teeth regularly, they can spot these issues early and help reverse or prevent oral health problems before they become painful and expensive to fix.
Educational Opportunities
Your child’s dentist is a wealth of oral health knowledge. From correct brushing and flossing techniques to explaining why a bad bite may require extremely careful brushing and flossing, they can help teach your family best practices to keep their teeth and gums healthy and strong!
The Comfort Zone
Your child’s dentist wants them to feel safe getting their teeth and gums examined, and the earlier you begin bringing them in for routine care, the more comfortable they’ll feel. Thus, it’s important to get them started as early as possible to prevent things like dental anxiety or even avoidance maintaining their smile on their own.
Growth & Development
Finally, most dental insurance plans cover annual X-rays to monitor your child’s growing smile. These can make it much easier for their dentist to keep an eye on the progress of their adult teeth so that if any intervention such as orthodontic treatment or wisdom tooth extraction is needed, it can be done at the ideal time for optimal growth and healing. Intervening and treating growth-related problems early ensures that their permanent teeth are able to erupt on schedule and in the correct positions, potentially reducing the level of intervention needed later on.
Remember, taking your child to the dentist from an early age won’t just keep their teeth looking whiter and brighter- it can also help them prevent a variety of oral health problems and ensure their smile is healthy and strong for a lifetime!
About Our Practice
At Coral Kids Dentistry & Braces, our trio of talented and caring dentists want to make sure your child’s smile stays healthy and strong for a lifetime. Dental exams should begin at around age one, or whenever their first tooth emerges. If it’s time to get your little one started on a consistent oral health routine, don’t delay. Schedule a preventive exam and cleaning today and help them build a strong foundation for a beautiful, healthy smile. To schedule an appointment for general dentistry, visit our website or call us today at 289-855-5437 in Hamilton or 905-581-7966 in St. Catharines.