When you first have children, no one tells you about all of the routine doctor visits that will be recommended. From their first newborn well check with their pediatrician to the yearly sports physicals – you may want to rethink that health savings plan. For many parents, an annual dental visit to their child’s pediatric dentist is a given, but what about all of the other dental appointments they will need?
Common and Essential
You may be one of the lucky few parents that only need to take their child to the dentist once per year for their annual exam and cleaning, but for the rest of us – chances are your child will need more than just a couple of visits. Dental procedures and treatments for children are incredibly common, and as dental research and advancements progress, dentists are able to correct and prevent issues from a younger and younger age. These treatments can become essential to your child’s overall oral health and can help improve their speech, eating, and even their comfort.
Bye Bye Baby
One of the most common dental incidents is losing a baby tooth prematurely. Kids have a lot of energy, and sometimes that energy ends with a dental trauma. Whether your child was playing too roughly and knocked the entire tooth out, or they hit it just enough to break it free from the root, they may end up losing it a year or two before it was meant to come out. While this is common for many children, it is important to see the dentist right away.
When a baby tooth is lost too early, the adult tooth may start to come in early and crowd the other baby teeth (or even adult teeth). These adult teeth can grow in the wrong spot as well. If there is no dental intervention, the chance your child will need serious orthodontic correction later on increases. Dentists can use a space maintainer to prevent these issues from happening.
Feeling Crowded
It’s no secret that a baby’s mouth is much smaller than an adult’s mouth. As your child loses their baby teeth and begins getting their adult teeth, their small mouths may start to feel a bit crowded. This happens especially when their adult teeth grow in quickly. Again, this situation is very common but may need dental intervention. Some baby teeth are stubborn and may need to be extracted to make room for the new adult teeth. If not extracted, the adult tooth may come in crooked or put pressure on other permanent teeth – which is definitely not wanted.
Sugar Bugs
All kids will have at least one cavity in their life, so have no fear if this ends up being your child! Fortunately, in addition to educating you and your child about best brushing and flossing practices (even as young as age one), our dentists at Discovery Kids Pediatric Dentistry perform cavity fills and sealants every day. This is a completely normal and relatively pain-free procedure that will help prevent further tooth decay and tooth loss. In addition, we will recommend fluoride treatments to strengthen and reinforce your child’s teeth going forward.
We Care About Your Child’s Health
We would love to care for your child’s teeth. Our team is committed to the overall health of your child and we firmly believe that good dental health can lead to excellent health for the entire body. Schedule an appointment for your child today! We recommend bringing your child to the dentist as young as age one to establish positive feelings about the dentist and to create good dental habits. We look forward to meeting you!