Just like any parent preoccupied with every detail of their child’s development, it can be easy to forget all about dental care. After all, the Tooth Fairy hasn’t even paid your kid a visit yet, so why should you go to the dentist so early? Truth is, even little choppers demand as much care as big choppers do. In fact, early dental-check ups are important in order to identify and prevent potential issues with later development and permanent teeth.
How Early?
It’s never too early to have a dental health check for your kid. In fact, paediatricians recommend that as soon as the child turns 1, he/she should be brought to the dentist’s office for an evaluation on teeth growth. Even if the child has just recently started growing teeth, having a detailed examination early on can help detect and prevent problems early on. What’s more, the first visit can be a great chance for your little one to get used to the dentist chair and the white coat which can help prevent fear. The dentist can also offer advice on how to best take care of your child’s teeth and which foods to avoid. As a parent, you can help your child prepare for the first dental visit by explaining what will happen and remaining positive.
Ensure Healthy Development of Teeth
It’s recommended that after the first visit, children should have a dental health check every six months. Whether they still have their baby teeth or have started replacing them, examining the state of their teeth at each stage of the development is of crucial importance. Even though they’ll eventually fall off, healthy baby teeth are important as the basis for healthy adult teeth to grow. When baby teeth are healthy, the permanent teeth will also grow stronger and straighter. As soon as the first permanents appear, dental check-ups should become more frequent in order to prevent improper growth and crooked teeth early on.
Prevent Serious Problems
Of course, a child will always be a child and thus eat plenty of sugary food. And the higher the sugar intake, the higher the risk of cavities. Finding caries and cavities before it becomes worse, means easier and painless treatment for the child and less time and money spend. And once a child has permanent teeth, neglecting cavities altogether can result in permanent damage to the tooth structure and needing advanced dental procedures such as fillings or extractions. In a worst case scenario, untreated cavities can lead to infection and gum disease, and no-one should experience such health issues this early on.
