We provide preventative oral health care as part of our childrens dentistry services. Preventing infection and disease is extremely important for both adults and children. Many parents make the mistake of thinking that their child's baby teeth are not as important as adult teeth. While it is true that baby teeth will eventually fall out, they serve an important role in the long-term oral health of your child. Baby teeth help kids to learn how to speak and to speak clearly. They hold a place for adult teeth and make it possible to eat comfortably. When they fall out too soon, problems can arise with their speech and the adult teeth may come in incorrectly. In fact, many children need orthodontics because their baby teeth fall out too soon.We can help to prevent this from happening by keeping their teeth as healthy and strong as possible. When teeth are in good health, they are less likely to fall out when bumped into or hit with a ball. When kids play, accidents are common so preventing tooth decay is extremely important.
As part of our childrens dentistry services, we educate kids and parents on what they can do to keep teeth in good health at home. It starts with a healthy diet that includes green leafy vegetables, nuts, cheese, yogurt, crunchy fruits and veggies and lean protein. By eating these foods every day, instead of sugary snacks like cookies and crackers, your child's teeth will naturally be stronger. We also recommend drinking plenty of water in the place of juice and soda. After brushing their teeth for bed, you should also avoid giving them milk to drink as that will deposit sugar on their teeth for the entire night and may cause tooth decay.
Brushing and flossing your kid's teeth should also start early. Even as a baby you can use a washrag to clean their gums. Once teeth start to come in, use a toothbrush that is age appropriate. Every few months, take your kids to the store and let them pick out their own toothbrush. There are so many colors, styles and characters now that they can select one that they are excited to use. If possible, buy one that is battery operated so that the brush moves and they get a better clean.
In addition to a good routine at home, bring your child into our office for teeth cleanings twice a year. Since we provide childrens dentistry services, our staff does an excellent job at keeping our young patients comfortable during their dental exam and teeth cleaning. By seeing a friendly face, your kids will be more excited to go to the dentist. If they are worried about a particular procedure, we can take it slow and provide pain relief as needed. These regular teeth cleanings allow us to remove bacteria and plaque from their teeth in order to prevent cavities and gum disease from forming. Preventing tooth decay takes a team approach with you as a parent actively involved at home and us providing the professional cleanings and treatments necessary to fight cavities.
