Scheduling a biannual kids' dental checkup can help to keep a child healthy. Most parents understand that cavities are a common problem, but few realize how widespread it is. Tooth decay (cavities) are labeled as an infectious disease by the Center for Disease Control, and they contribute to children missing more days from school than anything other than a common cold. The number of children who suffer from cavities is increasing due to the high intake of sugar, soda, sour candy, and more. This means your job as a parent and our job as a dentist, is to be more diligent than ever in helping children be healthy throughout their lifetime.
The best way you can help your child is to brush and floss their teeth at home, help them eat a healthy diet, and bring them to our office twice a year. Doing these things will greatly reduce the likelihood of your child suffering a major infection or dealing with serious oral health problems.
Parents need to know that once a child develops cavities, the bacteria levels in their mouth will remain at a higher level. Once a child has his or her first cavity, there is at a greater risk for developing additional ones. The best thing we can do is prevent cavities from forming in the first place and immediately treating any that form. The only way this can be a possibility is if you bring your child in twice a year so we can identify early signs of decay before they become a major issue.
While here, we will examine the child's teeth, look for signs of decay, see if their gums are healthy and look for signs of an infection. If we identify a problem, we will either fix it right away or take X-rays to get more information. At that point, we will make a treatment recommendation so the child can begin to have improved oral health. In most cases, we can treat the child immediately, but it depends on the extent of their oral health issues.
During their appointment, we will also remove plaque and tartar, clean their teeth, polish them, and apply a fluoride treatment. This will help strengthen their teeth and reduce the likelihood of them developing cavities. In some cases, we may recommend additional solutions like a dental sealant, but this depends on the child.
Do not delay in scheduling a dental check-up for your children. The best way to prevent cavities and painful infections is to have one twice a year, so the importance of doing so cannot be overstated. Remember that if your children develop poor oral health at a young age, it is likely that their teeth will continue to suffer as they grow older. As a parent, you can directly influence whether this happens by taking them to the dentist on a regular basis. Start today by calling and scheduling their appointment for a checkup.
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