The sooner you start taking your child to the dentist for routine check-ups, the healthier their teeth will be in adulthood. You’re supposed to take your child to the dentist within six months after the first tooth erupts, or right before their first birthday. As your child gets older, a visit to your family dentist in Winnipeg every six months should be enough. Sometimes the dentist will schedule more regular visits depending on your child’s oral health. Here are some reasons why you should take your child to the dentist regularly:
Care for the Primary teeth
Often, parents are ignorant about their children’s primary teeth, their functions, and their importance. Most don’t understand the essence of maintaining teeth that will eventually shed. It’s for this reason that tooth decay happens to be one of the most common health problems among children, and it can persist for a long time. Despite the fact that they are impermanent, your child’s first teeth are essential. According to WebMD, premature loss of teeth can affect speech and may lead to the need for future speech therapy. To prevent loss of primary teeth, taking your child to the dentist regularly can help catch tooth decay early enough so that tooth extraction does not need to be the only option.
Preventative measures
In your routine check-ups, if your child is at a higher risk of tooth decay, the dentist can prescribe dental fissure sealants. Due to their anatomy, most molar teeth in children are at a higher risk of decay especially in their period of eruption. A fissure sealant is a plastic resin that bonds to the teeth’s chewing surfaces to prevent food debris from being stuck in the grooves and valleys of the teeth. As long as the sealant remains adhered to the child’s teeth, it’s effective in preventing cavities. Regular visits to the dentist also offer your child a great opportunity to learn how to brush and floss from a professional.
Your child gets to develop a positive attitude towards dental visits
The more you take your child to the dentist, the more familiar they will be with dental procedures, and the less anxious they will be in future visits. So that your child develops a positive attitude towards visiting a dentist, the first visit needs to be pleasant. Good thing is, our pediatric dentist knows exactly how to ease your child’s fears and put them at ease. For overly anxious children, dentists can use sleep dentistry to calm children during intensive procedures.
Sleep dentistry is a safe method that sedates patients so they are unaware of any sounds, smells, sights, and any discomfort during dental procedures. Nitrous oxide ("laughing gas") or an oral sedative (like Valium) are the two most common types of sedation dentists use on children.
The more regular the visits to the dentists, the earlier concerns can be addressed before they become severe. And like with most health issues, the earlier a dental issue is identified, the less invasive and extensive the treatment will be. Regular visits to the dentist also give you a chance to ask questions about any concerns you may have. For Invisalign in Winnipeg contact EK dental.