Just because your child’s baby teeth will eventually drop out in a few years does not mean that they require less care compared to permanent teeth. In fact, primary teeth give your child a great opportunity to start practicing good oral hygiene to help ensure that the permanent teeth last a lifetime. Scheduling your child’s dental visits helps ensure that your child’s baby teeth stay healthy and disease free while holding the space for the permanent teeth to erupt in optimal health.
To help your child’s teeth stay healthy, you should schedule consultations with your kid’s dentist at least twice a year for routine and preventive dental visits and treatments. These appointments can be for routine checkups to ensure that the teeth and gums are healthy and developing properly, for professional teeth cleaning to prevent the buildup of bacteria in the mouth, or for treating problems that arise with the teeth and soft tissues.
Planning Your Child’s Dental Appointment
Parents have an obligation to improve the likelihood that going to the dentist will be a positive experience for their child. To do this, you should ask your kid’s dentist to inform you about what procedures to expect during each visit so you can start preparing your child at home.
Pediatric dentists recommend that children schedule regular visits, typically every six months after the first visit, though the actual interval may vary depending on your child’s susceptibility to oral health issues. These regular checkups are intended to deliver basic preventive oral services such as cleanings and X-rays.
If the dentist detects any problems during a routine checkup, or if your child has a dental emergency, your pediatric dentist will help you design an appropriate treatment plan that takes into consideration your child’s specific needs, including anxiety and reaction to treatment.
Some treatments can be completed in a single appointment while others may require several visits. And for difficult treatments, the dentist may recommend sedation dentistry to make the procedure more comfortable for the child.
Final Note
If you haven’t scheduled your child’s dental visit already, make sure to do so before his/her first birthday. While the visits help to remove bacteria that may cause gum disease, cavities, and other oral problems, they should be a fun adventure for your child that yields some kind of tooth-friendly reward.