While it’s true that baby teeth will eventually fall out, it doesn’t mean you should let daily oral care and dental visits go by the wayside. Not only do they need them to eat a healthy balanced diet, but they are a key part of their early oral development. The last thing you want is for cavities to impact their future smile. Once permanent teeth are significantly damaged, there’s no way to save them.
Today, we’ll go over the purpose of baby teeth, what to expect from your children’s dentist in Rowlett, and why regular visits are essential in preventive care.
How Baby Teeth Prepare Your Child’s New Smile
Healthy baby teeth are not only for helping your child enjoy healthy and crunchy foods that promote oral health, including celery, carrots, apples, and other raw vegetables. Baby teeth act as spacers for permanent teeth before they erupt. That means if a baby tooth comes out prematurely, either due to decay or from a dental injury, the permanent teeth can erupt too early.
Premature eruption of permanent teeth often results in needing orthodontic treatment later, such as metal braces. Baby teeth that develop cavities can lead to infections that make your child sick. If you don’t want your child’s chewing, biting, speech development, or smile to be negatively affected, you need to make sure you practice preventive care.
Regular Visits are Key to Preventive Care
Even if your child brushes their teeth and flosses every day, it doesn’t mean they can skip regular dental visits. Visiting your dentist every six months needs to be part of your child’s oral health routine, not just at-home care. According to your pediatric dentist in Rowlett, prevention is truly the best medicine, which is what she focuses on when you visit.
Not only can your dentist give your child a cleaning that no at-home care can match, they’ll also have the opportunity to discuss other essential parts of oral health, including:
- The best technique to clean all areas of the mouth
- Treatments for additional protection (i.e. dental sealants and fluoride treatments)
- How to address bad habits that damage oral development (i.e. thumb-sucking and baby bottle tooth decay)
- How to prevent and avoid dental injuries
What to Expect from Your Dentist Visit
As mentioned, your dentist is always trying to prevent oral disease before it occurs as early as possible. In fact, the American Dental Association tells consumers that children should have their first dental visits by their first birthday or within six months of their first baby tooth erupting.
During this initial visit, your dentist will examine your child’s gums, teeth, jaw, and the roof and floor of their mouth. They’ll also discuss what your child’s diet and nutrition should look like. A cleaning may also be done, depending on how many teeth are present.
While some people may think preventive care is less important for primary teeth, it couldn’t be more important for your child’s development. To learn more about your child’s oral health needs, schedule an appointment with your children’s dentist in Rowlett today!
About the Author
Dr. Tera Pollock earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the Baylor College of Dentistry. She has over 15 years of experience practicing pediatric dentistry. To learn more about her practice or preventive treatments, contact her through her website.