Many parents and caregivers are confused about when, exactly, their children should start to receive professional dental care. The American Dental Association recommends that young patients come in for semi-annual cleanings and evaluations as soon as their teeth start to emerge!
There are a number of reasons that pediatric dental care is so important. Today our Toluca Lake dentist is reviewing some of them:
Before all of your child’s teeth have even come in, it is important that he or she has healthy gum tissue. As your child’s primary teeth start to emerge, you want to make sure that they have a strong foundation.
Early dental care can also help your child avoid bottle dental decay, which can wreak havoc on a baby’s oral health. Bottle dental decay is most likely to develop when the child is put to bed with a bottle of milk in his or her crib. In this situation, the child’s teeth are constantly exposed to milk throughout the night, which results in a decay.
Early dental health issues, like bottle dental decay, can make it more difficult for children to develop healthy speech patterns, and chew solid foods. You want to keep your child’s mouth healthy, so that they can use their primary teeth to develop.
Our dental team will work with you to develop an at-home oral hygiene plan for your child. This plan will change as the child gets older—the key is to start some form of at-home oral hygiene early, so that your child is used to the routine.
If you have questions about pediatric dental care, or if you want to schedule a consultation with our Toluca Lake dentists, please feel free to give us a call! It is never too early to start building a healthy and beautiful smile.