When it comes to the health and care of our children we all want nothing but the best as we understand the importance of good health at this age. Hence, it is essential to understand the dental need of your infant and children as well. For practicing good oral hygiene for your children, there is no better time than now.
The baby teeth only stay in your mouth for a limited amount of time, but it's equally critical to take care of these teeth as it is for adult teeth. Baby teeth have their own set of importance. They help your infant in chewing, biting and even speaking clearly. Dentistry has specific options available for the dental care of your child. However, there are also a few treatments for the adults that can be received by the children.
Dental Treatment |
When to make the first dental visit?
You can start providing your child with good oral hygiene as early as infancy. It doesn't matter if your baby is in the nursing stage or the bottle feeding stage, starting a good dental hygiene regimen better if early.
You can take care of your infant’s oral hygiene even before the first tooth appears. Use a soft, wet and clean washcloth to wipe the gums. You can use some tools as the teeth start to erupt. There are small and delicate toothbrushes available for babies.
The ideal time to make your child's dental visit is by his/her first birthday. The kids tend to get their first teeth within the first six months of their life. There are many benefits associated with making your child’s first dental visit early. The dentist will evaluate your child’s teeth on each visit which will avoid any severe decay or loss of the tooth. You will be educated about the correct ways of taking care of your child’s oral hygiene at home.
Making early dental visits can also help your dentist to understand the growth pattern of the child. It also helps them as they can obtain all the past dental and medical records and are familiar with the child’s dental and general health.
Woodbridge Dentist, Dr. April Toyer recommends that it is essential to find a good dentist or pediatrician for your children as their first dental visit can have a massive impact on their future visits. They should be able to lose the fear of dental visits that most kids have. The dental office should efficiently have a friendly and comfortable environment during each visit so the child can create a good relationship with the dentist.
Who is a pediatrician?
Pediatric dentistry is an American Dental Association recognized, a branch of dentistry that focuses on the dental care of children from birth to their adolescence. Pediatricians or pediatric dentists specialize in the pediatric field of dentistry after completing their dental school. Their prime objective is to maintain the oral health of children up to their teenage years.
Children start losing their baby teeth naturally at the age of 6-7 years, and permanent ones replace the temporary teeth. However, improper dental care can lead to loss of the temporary teeth before they are supposed to fall out, which can lead to further complications.
Services offered
A pediatrician will provide you with a comprehensive oral care. Their responsibilities include:
- Diagnosis: The oral health of infants and children is assessed for any decay or disease.
- Caries risk assessment: The dentist will also inform about the risk of caries in the child as well as the mother.
- Preventive care: Services like the application of fluoride and sealants are done to prevent decay.
- Promotive care: The child and parents are counseled about the diet and nutrition habits suitable for the child.
- Counselling: If the child has harmful oral habits they are counseled about it, and habit breaking appliances are provided if required.
- Treatment plans: Making a proper treatment plan suitable for the child is one of the responsibilities of the dentist.
- Monitoring: The growth and development of your child’s teeth and jaws are monitored from the child’s very first visit to check for any abnormality.
- Repair: In case of presence of tooth decay or defect the dentist will repair the tooth.
- Surgery: They are also authorized to perform surgeries on the teeth, bone and soft tissues of the child.
- Gum care: Along with the diagnosis and treatment of teeth, the dentist will also assess the gum for any diseases of defects.
- Dental injuries: They are also responsible for fixing the dental injuries that include, fractures, knocked out teeth and displaced teeth.
Related Article: Frequently Asked Questions About Dentistry
If you haven't made your child’s first visit yet, find them a kid-friendly pediatrician today and gift them a disease-free dentition along with positive dental experiences.
References:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pediatric_dentistry
- http://www.aapd.org/
- http://lifetimedentalcareva.com/pediatric-dentistry-education
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