Do you remember when you started brushing your teeth as a kid? Probably not. Now it’s a habit you practice daily with visits to the dentist periodically throughout the year. Once you have children of your own, it’s your responsibility to start their pediatric dental care. You might be wondering where to start with dentistry for kids. Does it begin when they have one tooth or a full set? Do they make toothbrushes and toothpaste for infants? What about when to set up your child’s first dentist appointment?
Here’s a list of 4 reasons pediatric dental care is important for your child’s health and how to get started with pediatric dentistry early:
1. Establishing proper dental hygiene habits
You can start brushing your infant’s baby teeth as soon as they are visible. Around four months of age, use a washcloth to gently brush their teeth and gums. You can eventually move to using a small toothbrush. By age one, they should begin regular dental visits. Establish these habits early on to help prevent issues later on with your children’s teeth.
2. Preventing cavities
If you don’t care for your children’s teeth and teach them proper cleaning habits, it’s likely they will get a cavity at some point. Statistics show that 40% of children suffer from a cavity by kindergarten.
3. Stopping dental pain from interfering with their lives
If you aren’t regularly seeking pediatric dental services, your child could be suffering from untreated dental caries. The Centers for Disease Control reports that 19% of children ages two to 19 fall into this category. Without this pediatric dental care, an untreated cavity could prevent your child from attending school, participating in activities and enjoying their lives. For instance, dental related illnesses, like cavities, result in 51 million school hours lost annually according to the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools.
4. Learning from your kid’s dentist
By beginning your pediatric dental care at age one, you can learn more about children’s dentistry. They will help you every step of the way from your children’s baby teeth, to losing teeth, to how to care for adult teeth. That way, your children won’t be three times more likely to miss school due to dental issues like pain. Instead, they’ll be on the path to establishing proper dental hygiene habits for the rest of their lives.
Make it a priority to find the best dentist for children before age one. Pediatric dental care is essential to learning and forming good habits so that dental issues won’t be an issue as they continue to grow. air max schwarz air max schwarz air max schwarz