The Importance of Early Dental Care

Early dental care helps in promoting a lifetime of beautiful, healthy smile. The latest techniques and technologies help in avoiding decay and the likelihood of discomfort and pain later. Here is some information pertaining to baby teeth care:

The first visit
The child’s first appointment with the dentist must be scheduled somewhere close to his/her first birthday. This visit should be about getting comfortable with the dentist and the staff. A relaxed, pleasant, visit helps build trust and puts the infant at ease for further dental appointments.

Apart from regular doctor appointments, it is also important to adopt certain healthy habits to the child care routine. For instance, most babies are put to bed right after a bottle of milk or juice. These liquids consist of sugar, which might remain inside the mouth and generate bacteria overnight. For such reasons, it is important to feed water at bedtime. In addition, prolonged thumb sucking is also a problem. It can cause the front teeth to stick out, leading to several dental problems in the future. Hence, parents must help their children lose this habit.

Prevention is key between ages six to twelve, when the child’s milk teeth give way to adult teeth. Ask the dentist to suggest a sealant, a resin that can be bonded to the chewing surface of the tooth to prevent bacteria from making grooves. Toothpaste is not important initially, but a very soft baby toothbrush can be used to remove food debris and initial plaque in the mouth. Even using a wet washcloth to wipe the mouth is helpful.

The First Orthodontic Visit:
Around the age of seven, most children undergo orthodontic assessment. Orthodontics is basically about altering jaw growth; recognizing skeletal causes of chipped, crooked teeth early to ensure a beautiful, perfect smile later on.

At this stage children are also trained to get the basics right -- brushing two times a day with a fluoride toothpaste, flossing daily, reducing snacks high on sugar, and going for regular dental checkups. It is also a good idea to award children with gifts every now and then to keep them motivated to stay healthy.

Getting a child ready for his/her first dental appointment
It is very important to prepare the child for a trip to the dentist. Here are some tips that must be kept in mind:

• Be very brief. Parents have a tendency to over-talk about the upcoming dentist appointment to their children to prepare them, a tactic that normally backfires. It is best to let the child know about the appointment ahead of time and just leave it to that.
• Be very positive. Most parents who have suffered from bad dental treatments often presume that their children will, too. It’s not good to talk about fear as it sets up negative connotation with the dentist and dental treatments.
• Be calm. Several parents keep repeating the directives given to their children by the doctor or tend to meddle with the doctor’s ways during the visits. Hearing numerous voices puzzles the child and hinders a chance for bonding with the dentist.

Preventive care and early examination will ensure minimal problems with the child’s teeth. It is important that parents make the child’s first appointment between six to twelve months. Early cleanings will assist the child in forming good habits and realizing the significance of good oral health. Bear in mind – if a child is facing several dental health problems, sedation dentistry can provide an excellent solution for rectifying all the issues at once. It keeps the child from having problems in undergoing procedures that might seem scary or sitting still for extended periods of time.