Pediatric DentistIt is easy to feel a bit overwhelmed as a new parent. When you have your first child, it is not hyperbole to say that your life changes in every imaginable way. It is simply a new world, and it’s not always easy to get adjusted. You have more responsibilities than ever before, and you want to make sure you do everything right. While we don’t want to pile on to the list of tasks that you need to manage for your child, it is important that you keep pediatric dentistry high on your priority list. Setting your child on the path toward a lifetime of oral health starts only a short time after he or she is born.

Of course, your child does not have any teeth immediately upon birth, so it is easy to forget about dentistry while worrying about other, more pressing concerns. Unfortunately, this kind of thinking leads some parents to completely ignore the importance of dental care for children, which is a mistake that could lead to problems sooner rather than later. Yes, it is true that the first set of teeth your child grows will not be their permanent set, but that doesn’t mean dental care is a waste. Far from it – pediatric dental care is extremely important, and we’d like to highlight just a few of the benefits in the remainder of this post.

Starting on the Right Path

Let’s step away from the topic of oral health for a moment to talk about other things you do with your young child. Do you let him or her watch TV for hours on end? Probably not. What about food choices? Do you allow your child to eat as much sugar as he or she wants, or do you encourage healthy choices while offering a fun treat from time to time? The answers to these questions are pretty easy for most parents. You want to do what is best for your child, so you encourage the development of good habits from a very young age.

This brings us nicely back to the importance of paying attention to oral health at a young age, as well. When your child learns that it is important to brush their teeth a couple times a day, that habit will be ingrained before they are even old enough to think any differently. The brushing habit will just be something they do, and that will be that. The same can be said for visits to the dentist. Rather than waiting until a much later age to schedule your child’s first dental appointment, you can get them started young and create a comfort and familiarity that will make things easier later on. If you want the best for your child, and you certainly do, setting him or her on the right oral health path from a young age is a good decision.

The Value of Fluoride

One of the likely pediatric dental services which will be provided to your child is topical fluoride. This is a simple application which can help to protect the teeth as your child grows. Tooth decay is seen more frequently in children than you might imagine, and fluoride can help to prevent that from taking place. Fortunately, applying fluoride is a quick and easy process, so this is not something that you will need to worry about being a struggle for your child.

Keeping an Eye Out

As your child continues to grow older and bigger, routine visits to the dentist may reveal orthodontic issues that will need to be addressed at some point. As you might imagine, it is desirable to catch these issues as early as possible, since early detection will keep open as many treatment options as possible. The right course of action for your child will depend on the situation at hand, but the chance to spot signs of trouble is yet another potential benefit of regular pediatric dentist appointments.

Prevent Cavities

Quite simply, bringing your child to see the dentist on a regular schedule can help to prevent the cavities that are all-too-common in kids. Not only are the physical checkups important, but the conversations you can have with the dentist are extremely valuable, as well. For instance, you may learn that some of your child’s habits are not promoting positive oral health, while others are just fine. Knowing which of your patterns can stay and which you should fix is a great advantage while trying to stay on track toward a cavity-free future. Dr. Kindseth a Dana Point dentist adds that preventing cavities helps set your child up with great habits for the future.

An Important Lesson

For this last point, we are going to step away from the topic of dental care and talk about the overall well-being and development of your child. It is a valuable lesson for kids to be taken to appointments that they don’t necessarily want to go to – and dental appointments are probably on that list. Even as dental professionals, we can understand that kids probably don’t want to come to see us very often. In fact, the kid’s parents usually don’t want to see us, either. That’s okay – we take great pride in the work we do, even if we aren’t your preferred way to spend an afternoon.

When you commit to bringing your child to the dentist for regular appointments, you will be teaching an important lesson about taking care of yourself – even when it isn’t fun. Your child won’t be thinking this at the time, of course, but your commitment to their overall health is something that will make an impression.

Thank you for visiting our blog, and we hope to see you soon at Lakeside Dental. We love caring for patients of all ages, and our team will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding our services. It is a great pleasure to work here in Moses Lake, and we look forward to serving you and your family!