West Bowmanville Family Dental is a family-oriented practice, and we warmly welcome children. We suggest a child begins seeing a dentist in Newcastle regularly by age three. It may seem very young, but it’s the perfect age for your child to get used to a new environment. It’s also the ideal age for your child to get used to a regular preventive dental care routine.
Young children will most likely be curious about a new experience at this age. Our dental team is extremely good at ensuring dental visits are as fun and as enjoyable as possible. Our family-friendly environment includes large screen TVs in each treatment room to keep your child entertained while our dentist gently examines their mouth.
Other Advantages of Early Dental Care
One of the major advantages of taking your child to see a dentist regularly is the early detection of any problems. When we see a child for regular dental checkups, we can soon find any problems and provide suitable treatment to fix them. It’s a far preferable approach to leaving a problem to develop, by which time it could become uncomfortable or painful for your child. Early detection also means that any treatment provided will be quicker and less invasive, and much easier for your child to tolerate comfortably. Early dental care is also an opportunity for your child to learn that regular dental visits prevent problems.
Another huge advantage of early pediatric dental care is education. When you first bring your child to see us, we can talk to you about their dental care regime at home and can discuss the best ways to clean their teeth thoroughly. Our dental team loves educating patients, and we can talk about which toothpaste and toothbrushes are best to use and can discuss techniques to use when brushing your child’s teeth.
If your child has oral habits like thumb or finger sucking, mouth breathing, or tongue thrusting, we can discuss the best approach to managing these habits. Most children grow out of thumb or finger sucking naturally, but if they don’t, they may need a little help in breaking the habit before it can affect the growth and development of their teeth and jaws.
Also, we keep a close eye on how their teeth and jaws are developing, and if needed, we can recommend an early orthodontic evaluation in Clarington. An early orthodontic evaluation doesn’t necessarily mean that your child will need to have orthodontic treatment straight away, but it does allow a dentist to plan treatment more strategically, taking advantage of your child’s growth spurts to guide the development of their teeth and jaws.
One of the main reasons for seeing a pediatric dentist in Courtice is to ensure your child’s milk or baby teeth stay strong and healthy until they are ready to fall out naturally, as the adult teeth come through.
The Importance of Protecting Baby Teeth
Baby teeth have an important role in your child’s development, dental, and general health. They help your child learn to speak clearly and to eat a nutritious and enjoyable range of foods. Although they might be temporary, some of these teeth will remain in your child’s mouth until about age 12. If they become decayed or infected, it can cause pain, and in the worst case, we may need to remove these baby teeth. When a baby tooth is removed too soon, the teeth on either side can begin to move into the space, preventing the permanent tooth from erupting correctly. A pediatric dentist may suggest using a space maintainer. This dental appliance helps prevent this from happening, but it’s far preferable for these baby teeth to remain strong and healthy.