Teaching your children how to take care of themselves from an early age is incredibly important. One of the first basic hygienic things they have to learn is how to brush their own teeth. And sometimes, it can seem like a large task to keep their teeth healthy. However, there are a lot of reasons that poor dental care can spell trouble for your child. If you think they are suffering from any of the following conditions you may need to schedule a dentist visit.
Proper oral hygiene can start as easy as your child’s teeth come in. This is usually around the four-month mark, and while it might seem a little silly to emphasize good health for those temporary baby teeth, this is an important step to establishing good dental care. However, you shouldn’t start with fluoride toothpaste. Dentists strongly advise against this until your child is at least two years old, to prevent any accidental ingestion. Instead, you can use a washcloth to start and then eventually a small toothbrush just to keep them clean.
If this good dental care is not established, it could lead to a number of troubles later down the road. Cavities are the obvious risk, with more than 40% of children having at least one before they reach kindergarten. And they are actually more common health concerns than diabetes or asthma, being twenty and five times more likely to develop tooth decay problems than these health problems respectively. For most children dentist visits are encouraged after they turn one year old to make sure that their teeth are strong and healthy.
But cavities aren’t the only problem. Sometimes when the teeth aren’t being brushed properly, they start to ache even though they aren’t showing any outward signs of decay. Children with this level of oral health are nearly three times more likely to have to miss school because of the tooth pain.
Other activities can also threaten your child’s oral health. If they participate in sports, they could be at risk for chipped or broken teeth as well. This doesn’t mean that you have to stop them from going out and playing, but emphasizing their oral health and showing your children dentists are nothing to be afraid of will make this a much smoother visit. If you think your child might be at risk for any of these problems, be sure to call a pediatric dentist office to make an appointment.
