It’s a well-known recommendation to visit your dentist at least twice yearly. However, there is little talk about when to start the visits. Your child’s first dental visit should be within the first 12 months of age or 6 months of the first tooth. It’s often a short visit with quick assessments. Subsequent visits are also quite essential and serve several purposes. Here are some reasons to bring your child in for early dental visits.
Prevention and Early Detection
The most important benefit of early dental visits is monitoring the growth and development of your child’s teeth. Monitoring enhances the identification of potential issues like cavities, bite problems, and misalignment at an early stage. This gives room for early interventions and the prevention of complications. Furthermore, early detection in dentistry improves the success rate of simple interventions.
Education and Oral Hygiene
Oral hygiene practices for children are different and less familiar than for adults. As a result, many parents get them wrong and propagate the wrong habits. Children’s dentists can educate you and your child about proper oral hygiene practices. You can get demonstrations on brushing and flossing, discuss the importance of a healthy diet and seek consult on habits that promote good oral health. Early education forms the foundation for a lifetime of proper dental care.
Addressing Specific Concerns or Habits
Some children may have specific habits that can affect dental development and require special attention. These include thumb sucking, pacifier use, or prolonged bottle feeding. Early dental visits can address these habits and prevent potential complications. The dentist can provide tailored advice and strategies to help your child overcome the habits and maintain optimal oral health.
Monitoring and Guiding Oral Development
During the early years of life, dental development occurs exponentially and sets the foundation for the final dental structure. It’s important to track jaw growth and eruption of permanent teeth to ensure oral development is progressing normally. If it isn’t, your dentist can provide the appropriate guidance and interventions.
Prevention of Dental and Social Anxiety
Many children suffer from dental anxiety. Unfortunately, this can last through to adulthood, making it difficult to receive the appropriate dental care. Taking your child to the dentist early helps them establish a positive association with dental care. This can alleviate any anxieties about visiting the dentist and set the stage for a lifetime of regular dental care without fear or stress.
You can boost your child’s social confidence by preventing dental complications and correcting orthodontic problems. If your child looks good, rest assured they feel good too.
Continuity of Care
Many people continue to see their childhood dentist well into adulthood. Regular visits to the same dentist create a unique bond. Furthermore, the dentist develops a comprehensive understanding of your child’s oral health, which helps in the continuity of care.
Although regular dental visits are a standard recommendation, there are several signs that your child needs to see a dentist urgently. For example, tooth pain and sensitivity are classic signs of tooth decay and cavities. Children often complain of recurrent tooth pain and sensitivity to hot or cold drinks. Furthermore, you may notice your child’s gums are bleeding, swollen or red. These are signs of gingivitis. Another sign that warrants urgent attention is persistent bad breath. Parents often blame bad breath on a child’s poor compliance with dental hygiene practices, but the problem may be more extensive. Cavities, gingivitis, and septic oral ulcers can cause persistent bad breath, and these warrant urgent dental attention.
Starting dental visits early has far-reaching effects. Therefore, don’t wait too long to book an appointment for your child. The earlier, the better.
