Tips for Keeping Your Children’s Teeth Healthy

Posted on: 1 March 2023

Regularly taking your child to the dentist is one of the most important things you can do in order to help them develop healthy habits. This is true even if your child's teeth are just beginning to come in. Learn more below about a few dental issues you might encounter when raising a child and how a pediatric dentist can help you every step of the way.

Thumb Sucking

After children wean off breast and bottle feeding, they might seek a replacement in the form of their thumb. This can be perfectly fine if it is not obsessive and the child grows out of the habit quickly. If this is not the case, however, it can severely impact the way that teeth emerge and grow. It can even lead to a future need for braces. To avoid these problems, schedule an appointment with a pediatric dentist in order to develop strategies that will help your child stop instinctively sucking their thumb.

Cavities

Unfortunately, cavities are not a problem that is unique to adults. Children can easily get cavities too, usually because they have not brushed their teeth consistently enough after eating. If a child eats a diet that is rich in carbohydrates, the risk of developing a cavity is even more prominent. A pediatric dentist can instruct a child on how to brush their teeth properly, and treat any cavities that may have already developed.

Emergencies

Even a child who has perfect oral health habits may experience their fair share of dental emergencies. These may result in teeth that are chipped, cracked, or even missing entirely. Fortunately, a pediatric dentist is more than capable of solving these problems — they can get rid of both pain and any worries a parent or child might have about long-term effects on health and appearance.

Anxiety

For the average child, having to go to the dentist in the first place doesn't exactly rank high among their favorite activities. Yet while it may seem counterintuitive, the best thing a parent can do for a child in order to counteract their dental anxiety is to have them talk to a pediatric dentist. This is because pediatric dentists are trained specifically to alleviate the fears that children commonly have when it comes to teeth, and can frame a trip to the dentist as something fun and painless, rather than something to be scared of.

To learn more, contact a pediatric dental service in your area such as Highland Family dental.