For children, dental health is as important as general health. As parents, understanding that your kid’s teeth, even their baby teeth, require utmost care is the first crucial step. Parents should know what dental care is proper and timely to make sure their children maintain a healthy mouth.







What is Preventative Dentistry?
Preventative dentistry refers to the process of maintaining oral health in order to prevent disease. For kids, this includes:

• A healthy, balanced diet
  
• Brushing and flossing
• Routine visit to a dentist for children
• Oral health education
• Flouride dental visits
• Protection against dental injuries
• Checking risk for developing cavities
• Managing oral habits
• Guiding an erupting teeth

A pediatric dentist can provide these measures, in addition to routine dental check-up that require parental assistance.

In a report published by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the incidence of dental caries has been lowering in the US, primarily because of better prevention, patient attitude towards tooth preservation and improvements in dental treatment technique.

The Role of Parents in Preventive Dentistry

We know that oral health can influence overall health. Oral problems can affect a child’s speaking, eating and other daily activities. Children suffering from tooth pain may not be able to concentrate on their studies. Moreover, a healthy smile looks more attractive, and it can positively affect a child’s confidence level. And the most important – preventive dentistry results in less expensive and less extensive dental care.

As parents, you must strive to be the best role model for your kids. You need to reinforce proper oral hygiene habits such as flossing and brushing at home. But the most important influence would coming from you seeing your own good habits. Demonstrate how vital your kid’s teeth are to their health and lead by example.

How to Prevent Childhood Cavities
The American Dental Association defines early childhood caries as the presence of one of more missing, filled or decayed tooth surface in a baby or primary tooth. Dental caries is an infection disease that should be controlled through prevention.

Your child’s first visit to a pediatric dental office must take place within six months after the first tooth appears. The baby’s mouth will be assessed for any abnormalities or decay. In addition, you will get instruction on how to maintain proper dental hygiene to prevent further oral bacteria in the oral cavity.

You will also learn how to ‘brush’ your baby’s teeth, either by using a specialized brush intended for infants or by wiping them with a cloth. Parents will also learn to limit intake of milk, juice and other fermentable carbohydrates as sugar liquids are often the cause of tooth cavities among children.

Visiting a pediatric dentist Bellevue will involve a thorough cleaning and examination, review proper nutrition, fluoride treatments, fissure sealants on molars and make recommendation on the use of mouth guards to protect your child’s teeth when playing sports. Visit your pediatric dentist today to ensure your child gets the best outcome in terms of dental health.