Benefits Of Early Dental Visits
Since the primary teeth eventually fall out, some parents choose to postpone pediatric dental visits until their child's permanent teeth start to present. Although the baby teeth do fall out over time, there are still multiple benefits associated with early dental care. Many dentists suggest that parents schedule their child's first dental visit as soon as the little one's first tooth erupts.
Here are a few benefits that early dental visits provide.
Decay Prevention
Tooth decay can occur at any age. If the decay is severe enough, it may spread from the primary teeth to the permanent teeth that have not yet erupted. Thus, decay prevention is important.
During early dental visits, your dental provider can offer preventive care that protects the health of your child's teeth, such as fluoride treatments and dental sealants. Fluoride treatments include the application of a fluoride product to remineralize the teeth and increase their ability to resist decay.
A fluoride treatment is painless and can be performed quickly.
Dental sealants are resin coatings that the dentist places on the chewing surfaces of your child's molars. The sealants serve as plastic barriers that prevent bacterial acids from dissolving your child's tooth enamel to cause cavities.
Professional Monitoring of Dental Development
Early dental visits allow your child's dental provider to monitor their dental development and address issues as they appear. Frequently, a child's teeth may become progressively misaligned from unhealthy habits, such as thumb-sucking.
As the dentist assesses your little one's mouth, the provider can make suggestions to help prevent misalignments associated with detrimental habits. Additionally, they can recommend braces if necessary.
Promotion of Good Dental Hygiene
During early dental visits, the pediatric provider frequently takes time to answer the questions of the young patients and their parents. In addition, they may demonstrate the proper technique needed to clean the teeth thoroughly.
Many dental offices have large models of the teeth and gums that they use to show youngsters how to clean their teeth properly. Children who have received guidance from their dentist concerning their dental hygiene are more likely to view brushing and flossing as important components of their hygiene regimen.
As your child learns to brush and floss on their own, it is important that they perform the actions correctly. The inadequate cleaning of plaque from the mouth can result in tooth decay and gum disease.
To schedule an early dental visit for your child, contact the office of a pediatric dentist in your local area.
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