Starting good dental habits when your child first starts getting their teeth is the best way to set them up for good dental health throughout life. Healthy teeth and gums help contribute to overall wellness, both physically and mentally (who doesn’t love feeling confident with a great smile?). At Idaho Kids Dentistry & Orthodontics, we are committed to helping you start these habits early and keeping your child on the right track throughout their life.
Starting at age 1, or whenever your baby has their first teeth erupt, we recommend scheduling a preventive dentistry appointment. These appointments help our dentists establish a baseline for your child’s dental health – which makes it easier and quicker to diagnose dental diseases or issues as they arise.
What is Preventive Dentistry
Perhaps the most important element of dentistry is prevention. If parents can help establish healthy routines – by encouraging regular brushing and flossing and scheduling routine dental appointments – children have a greater likelihood of having healthy teeth and gums through adolescents and adulthood.
It is much harder, both on your wallet and on your child’s teeth, to correct dental problems once they surface. By preventing cavities, tooth decay, gum disease, and other common dental issues with preventive dentistry, your child can avoid extreme dental procedures later on in life.
Preventive dentistry includes regular dental cleanings, exams, and x-rays, and treatments that help protect your child’s teeth in between visits – such as Dental Sealants and Fluoride applications.
Preventing Dental Issues and Promoting Healthy Teeth
Healthy teeth are important to your child’s overall health and development. Your child’s teeth help them eat and digest food, speak properly, and help their permanent teeth come in correctly. Here are a few tips on how to care for your child’s teeth:
- Have your child brush at least twice each day. Until your child is about 7, you will need to brush for them. Make sure to use a toothbrush with a small head and soft bristles.
- Help your child floss daily. Flossing removes plaque and debris between the teeth and below the gum line to keep your child’s teeth and gums healthy.
- Bring your child to visit the dentist regularly. Children should visit the dentist for the first time within six months of their first tooth erupting and should continue to visit the dentist every six months following that initial visit.
- Ask the dentist about preventive care, such as fluoride and dental sealants.
- Help your child maintain a nutritious, balanced diet. Avoid constant snacking, and help them avoid eating sugary and acidic foods that could damage their teeth.
- Have your child wear a mouthguard if they play sports. This oral appliance helps prevent your child’s teeth, gums, and oral structures from being damaged.
Trusted Pediatric Dentists in Meridian
We would love to help you establish healthy dental routines for your child with preventive dentistry. Get started with a visit to one of our five convenient locations around Boise today. If your child is suffering from a dental emergency or needs restorative dental treatment, call us right away.
