Children’s dentistry is an important part of our West Bowmanville Family Dental practice. The kind of dental care your child receives during their formative years plays an important part in the development of their teeth and can impact their oral health in Newcastle for life. Even milk teeth are vital for good oral health, although they may only last a few years. These milk teeth have several important functions, allowing your child to learn to speak and communicate with others clearly, and to begin eating a wider range of foods so they can benefit from good nutrition.
The Benefits of Having Healthy Milk Teeth
When a child has a healthy set of milk teeth, it helps them develop to their full potential and protects their adult teeth. This is because milk or primary teeth act as placeholders, holding open the right amount of space for adult teeth to erupt when the time is right. When primary teeth are lost too soon, there is a significant risk that the teeth adjacent to the gap will start to move towards it, so there is less space for the adult teeth to come through and a greater chance they will come through crooked and requiring orthodontic treatment.
What to Do to Ensure Your Child Has Healthy Teeth Right from the Start
Ideally, we suggest that children begin seeing a dentist in Clarington from age three. At this stage, children tend to be curious about visiting a new environment and we can introduce them to regular dental care in a very gentle yet fun way, and most kids enjoy a ride in the dental chair.
One of the major advantages of bringing your child to see us at this point is that we can gently examine their teeth and jaws to ensure they are developing properly and identify and monitor any problems that could arise in the future. Also, it means their very first dental visit should be a positive experience that will help build good oral habits for life. It’s far preferable to seeing children who already have dental problems and are in significant discomfort or pain. At this point, they may develop negative associations with seeing the dentist. Many adults are afraid of seeing the dentist, often because of a previous negative experience, such as first seeing a dentist when they are in pain.
Dental education is another reason for regular visits to the dentist, especially for first-time parents who want to know the best way to look after their children’s teeth at home. We can show you how to clean your child’s teeth thoroughly, and we can discuss dietary habits. Most people know the need to avoid eating too many sugary foods, but it’s not always clear which foods are best for teeth. Sometimes foods are marketed as healthy but can contain high amounts of hidden sugars and are best avoided or kept as an occasional treat.
Creating a Dental Home for Your Child
All our staff love seeing children, and we go out of our way to make them feel comfortable in a dental environment, so hopefully, they grow up seeing our practice as their dental home. As your child gets older, they will want to begin brushing and flossing on their own. We can help by teaching them the proper techniques in a way that is informative and fun. Our team can gently yet clearly explain why good oral care in Courtice is critical if they want to enjoy all the benefits of a healthy and attractive smile, not just during childhood, but we hope for life.