Watching your child develop is a beautiful experience!
And you must want to do everything in your power to ensure that he or she remains healthy and robust. As such, starting with early oral hygiene practices like cleaning the gums and tongue, can prevent future problems such as tooth decay.
But one question that many parents often ask is, “how frequently should their child visit a family dentist?” And we are going to answer this question right here.
Regular Teeth Check-Ups Are Important For Children
Generally, dentists recommend scheduling check-ups every six months. During those check-ups, the dentist will look for signs of tooth decay and other problems. By catching dental problems early, they can be treated before they become more serious.
Even if your child’s check-up reveals that they are perfectly healthy and there are no problems, you should still take them to the dentist at least once every year as a precautionary measure. Otherwise, the formation of cavities or plaque buildup may go undetected, leading to serious oral hygiene problems like tooth decay and inflammation.
Keeping Your Child’s Teeth Healthy
Dentists can evaluate the effectiveness of your child’s brushing techniques and tell you about the right way to go about it.
Now, you should know that kids could be brushing too hard or not hard enough. A good dentist will give you all the information and tell you whether there are any difficult-to-identify cavities during routine 6-month checks.
Another thing to remember is that healthy examinations do not indicate that your child should have fewer dental appointments. Rather, they show that your visits are important and that the fluoride treatments and routine cleanings are keeping your child’s teeth strong and free from problems.
Family dentists usually have evening and weekend hours to work around family schedules. So, you can easily book an appointment with them for your kid.
How To Prevent Teeth Damage?
To prevent recurring concerns with your child’s teeth, you should monitor their food, brushing habits, and get any pain or inflammation checked immediately by a dentist. Aside from that, avoid giving them sugary foods, especially before bedtime, and teach your kids to brush their teeth at least twice daily with fluoride toothpaste.
Your child should ideally start with brushing and other teeth cleaning procedures at the age of 2 or 3 years old. It is at this age that children usually start developing cavities and other dental problems, which can be prevented to a large extent with proper cleaning.
Wrapping Up
Dentists recommend that a child’s teeth be checked six months after the first tooth erupts and every six months thereafter. So, we’d suggest setting reminders to avoid missing out on the appointments.
Remember that the baby teeth are important, as they hold space in the jaw to help adult teeth come in properly. Hence, taking care of them through regular checkups and effective oral hygiene practices are a must.
So, get in touch with a dentist today if you haven’t already!
