There are many things the dentist can tell about your child’s daily life and health simply by examining his or her teeth. Here are 5 things you may not realize the dentist will notice!
1. Your child flossed just before the dental appointment – and that’s the only time.
The dentist won’t be fooled into thinking your child flosses on a regular basis just because your child does a really good job flossing on the day of her dentist's appointment
When someone doesn't floss often, flossing can cause the gums to bleed and look damaged when they finally DO floss. Aside from this, a single flossing session won’t eliminate the plaque that's built up due to lack of flossing over a period of months.
2. Your child bites his nails.
Dentist can sometimes tell if a child has a nail biting habit by looking at his teeth. Signs that might tell the dentist that your child bites his nails include cracked or chipped teeth and other wear and tear, which can result from the stress on the teeth caused by nail biting.
The nails themselves don’t actually cause this damage; instead, it’s the friction of the top and bottom teeth against each other that ultimately damages them.
3. Your child has a sinus infection.
Sinus infections are frequently mistaken for toothaches.
This is because the roots of the top teeth are positioned in the same area as the floor of the sinuses, and both sinus infections and toothaches can include symptoms of pressure.
If you child complains of a toothache, have her bend down to touch her toes. If the pressure or discomfort gets worse when she does this, the pain is likely a symptom of a sinus infection, not a toothache.
4. Your child has an iron deficiency.
There are multiple oral conditions that will indicate to your dentist that your child has an iron deficiency, including bleeding gums, delayed healing of oral injuries, oral tissue sloughing off, increased instances of infection, burning tongue syndrome, or sores in the corners of the mouth.
5. Your child frequently drinks pop and energy drinks.
While this one may not surprise you, the reason the dentist can tell might. It won’t necessarily be because he has cavities due to sugar.
Pop and energy drinks are very acidic, and these acids can cause the tooth enamel. This in turn can lead to cavities and decay, of course, and it also makes teeth more susceptible to chipping.
If your child has a chipped tooth, regular pop or energy drink consumption may be the culprit!