Here at Smile Town Dentistry in Langley, we get many questions from curious parents about early oral health care for their children. What are the long-term benefits?
Because primary (baby) teeth are temporary in nature, many parents question whether early dental care is something they really need to worry too much about. Primary teeth are just going to fall out eventually, anyway, aren't they?
Besides which, kids don’t always have particularly positive reactions dental checkups. Some kids feel nervous or scared. Others are bored, annoyed, or just plain uncomfortable. Is early treatment really important enough to put them through it?
The fact or the matter is that early dental treatment can have a significant impact on you children's the long-term oral health. Read on to find out why, exactly, that is.
Primary Teeth
Children typically have their primary teeth between the ages of 6 and 13. Primary teeth play a very important role in your child’s oral health, both while they’re there, and long after the permanent teeth replace them, too.
Keeping primary teeth healthy and strong makes it possible for children to properly chew and digest all the foods they need to stay healthy as they grow.
Primary teeth also make way in the mouth for the permanent (adult) teeth. In a sense, they guide the adult teeth into the correct position as they emerge.
If your child loses his or her primary teeth too early as a result of decay, the permanent teeth may not be able to grow in as they should.
Teeth that are crowded or misaligned are often the result in these cases. Alignment problems can make speaking and eating more difficult, and misaligned teeth are also harder to clean sufficiently. This can result in further decay.
To help prevent cavities, and the need for expensive and uncomfortable orthodontic appliances when your child is older, begin providing your child with regular oral care as soon as the primary teeth erupt
Early Dental Care for a Lifetime of Oral Health
Early dental can help ensure that your children will continue to visit the dentist on a regular basis as they grown up.
Getting used to visiting the dentist at a young age will help your kids feel less anxious about their oral care.
As your children mature into teens, and then adults, they’ll remember their positive childhood experiences at the dentist. Having had consistent, positive dental care as children, they'll be far more likely to continue that habit throughout life.