Dental caries is a chronic dental concern in children, likely to affect your child’s primary teeth. Your child develops primary teeth within his initial six months after birth. The primary teeth also referred to as baby teeth, may start falling when the young one is around six or seven years, getting replaced by secondary or adult teeth. Though your child might not grow into adulthood with the primary teeth, your dentist advises you to start caring for their teeth early. According to Dr. Marvin Taylor, improper dental health is likely to result in dental decay or illnesses that may last a lifetime. Taking your young child for a pediatric dental appointment early in life minimizes your child’s chances of developing dental issues in the future. The medical expert has the qualifications and experience to care for your young one’s oral health throughout childhood.
What should you expect during a pediatric dentistry appointment?
A pediatric dentist, also known as a pedodontist, addresses children’s dental concerns (from infants to teenagers). Therefore the medical professional will most likely check your baby’s unique dental worries that might develop in his teeth, gums and jaws as the child continues to grow.
Since your doctor provides comprehensive pediatric dental care to the young one, your appointment might include:
- Oral health examination
- Discussing the youngster’s oral health habits
- Habit counseling
- Fluoride treatments or dental cleaning
- Detection of a wide range of dental conditions likely to result from asthma, diabetes and hay fever
- Fixing dental abnormalities (crooked teeth) and injuries (fractured teeth)
- Cavity removal
- Gum disease management
Unlike you, your child may not be cooperative during his appointment. Since your doctor understands the notion, he may make the treatment more comfortable. For instance, your health provider’s office has unique decorations and equipment to appeal to the minor. The type of treatment and the dental examination your dentist might recommend depends on your child’s age. However, your child may not need an X-ray on his baby teeth unless the pedodontist suspects decay or needs to examine the roots of the child’s teeth.
How does a pediatric dentist help your child take care of his oral health?
Since a pedodontist starts working on your child’s primary teeth, he mainly emphasizes oral health education. As a result, the healthcare provider may educate you and your child on the practices to uphold to help your child maintain his oral health. Your dentist may help the youngster establish healthy oral habits that he may follow through his youth and adult life. For instance, the healthcare provider may educate your child or teenager on effective dental techniques for flossing and brushing. Besides educating your child on oral practices, they may also write prescriptions for various medications and identify situations that might need orthodontics or a surgical procedure.
Your child is not a young adult. He may not sit still or cooperate during his appointment. However, not helping your young one get appropriate oral health may result in severe dental conditions that might affect your child’s overall health. Consult your dentist to know how the professional may help your child enjoy optimal oral health.