Visits to the dentist can install a sense of fear into even the most stoic of adults. But for children, it can be a very traumatic experience.
Whether they still have their baby teeth or are growing permanents, nurturing our children’s teeth during each stage of development is one of the most important factors for their overall health.
We believe it’s never too early for children to start learning about their oral health and setting them good examples with their brushing routines.
If our kids see us brushing our teeth morning and night and showing them how to floss, they will mimic our behaviour. The same applies to our intake of sweets and candy. (Almost) all kids love anything sweet and should be allowed to be kids and have fun, but like anything in life, it’s about teaching moderation and when enough is enough.
Setting good examples and taking your kids for regular dental check-ups will make lasting impressions well into their adult lives, most importantly, the development of positive attitudes towards dental visits. Experiences as a child will shape a person’s view towards the dentist for the rest of their life, so it’s important they grow accustomed through regular check-ups early on.
Here’s our top three reasons to take your child for regular dental visits:
Teach Good Oral Health from an Early Age
You can never start too early to learn the importance of taking care of your teeth. From helping your kids brush that first baby tooth to watching them get their first set of braces, it’s important that parents work with their family dentist to help instill good oral hygiene.
How many times you visit the dentist a year is a very personal decision, but most dentists will recommended at least two check-ups per year. This is especially important in younger children with jaw lines developing and changing, which impacts the growth and position of their teeth.
It’s also important to have visits with the hygienist who can give their teeth a more thorough cleaning. Dental hygienists are specially trained to look after all aspects of oral health and they play an important educational role to prevent dental issues later in life. Gum disease is one of the lading causes of tooth loss in adults and is largely preventable. Taking your children to visit the hygienist during their check-ups can help to prevent and treat gum disease by removing plaque and calculus that cannot be cleaned by regular brushing.
A good children’s dentist can perform a routine ‘check-up’ procedure and a regular cleaning service while also giving your kids a positive experience of a dental visit.
Early Identification of Oral Health Problems
Addressing any dental problems at an early stage can stop any oral diseases as they arise and will save you and your child a lot of pain and agony (and money on treatments!) later on. These issues can be caused by diet, poor dental hygiene and even the structure of a developing jaw, among other factors.
Ensuring our kids have clean mouths requires removing any built up plaque or tartar as well as eliminating surface stains, which prevents bacteria from sticking to the tooth. As many young children have not yet mastered the motor skills necessary to brush and floss effectively, regular trips to the dentist for a professional clean is essential for targeting the buildup and debris they may have missed.
This same bacteria form the plaque that is one of the causes of cavities and tooth decay – one of the most common children’s dental issues. It is far easier to find and prevent problems like cavities in the early stages where they can be dealt with rather than neglecting them which allows them to grow and damage the tooth structure. There is nothing more painful than tooth ache and poor oral hygiene will lead to infections and then the dreaded fillings and extractions that all kids hate!
Ensure Healthy Development of the Teeth and Mouth
Baby teeth are the foundations for adult teeth so naturally when our kids baby teeth are healthy, it’s easier for their adult teeth to develop healthier and straighter.
Many parents neglect or fail to properly care for their kids baby teeth because of a common misconception. They will fall out anyway, so why does it matter, right? However, when their first teeth fall out too soon, the adult teeth move forward without the correct amount of space available in an undeveloped jaw. As a result, the permanent teeth are more likely to grow crooked and out of place. If we care for those first little teeth we may actually save ourselves the costs of orthodontics in the future.
Many of the dentists in Bangkok will have a dedicated Pedodontist (pediatric dentists) who are specially trained and able to deal with small children and their age-related issues.
