25 Sep Dental Care For Kids
When Your Child Should Visit the Dentist for the First Time
Parents don’t always know when their child should have their first dental appointment. For many of them, it is actually earlier than they may believe.
According to the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, young children should have their first dental appointment by the time of their first birthday, or six months following the emergence of the first tooth, whichever comes first.
A recent study of parents whose children were ages five and younger found that the majority of responders received no guidance from their child’s dentist or pediatrician about when they should begin visiting the dentist.
Among the majority group, one in six parents thought that their child should postpone dental visits until at least the age of four, which is significantly after tooth decay and other problems can set in.
Dental Care for Kids
Here are a few things that you need to know about dental care for young children.
For one, your child’s pediatrician should address their dental health. They should be aware of basic issues surrounding proper oral hygiene. For example, many pediatricians will provide fluoride to children at around the age of nine months. They can also refer infants to a family dentist if necessary.
But the care of a family doctor cannot substitute for a professional dental exam. A trained dentist is skilled in the diagnosis of early tooth decay. They can provide preventive dental care to stop the progression of dental diseases.
Early Detection
If your child visits the dentist at an early stage, trouble can be headed off before it becomes necessary to have a dental procedure. From the time that your child gets their first baby tooth, the risk of tooth decay and discoloration is present.
Another benefit of having your child visit the dentist early is that exposure to this environment helps to create a comfort level for them. We want your child to develop good oral habits and a level of comfort with the dental environment as early as possible so that they practice proper oral hygiene well into their adult years.
Early dental visits also give your dental team an opportunity to provide you with all of the resources and information that you will need to help your child develop healthy oral habits at home to help prevent tooth decay and gum disease.
When should my child begin brushing their teeth on their own?
By the time your child is two years old, you should still be brushing their teeth for them. You should then tell them to spit out all of the extra toothpaste so that they learn not to swallow it. Once they spit out the toothpaste, you can let them rinse their mouth out with water.
There is no consensus about exactly when a child should begin brushing their own teeth. This is largely due to the fact that children develop at different rates. By the age of three, some children are able to begin brushing their teeth with supervision. Others may take up to the age of six before they are ready. You just need to get a feel for when your own child is ready for this important responsibility.