A common misconception most parents have is that their infants or children do not require visits to the dentist. Infant and child dentistry is just as important as yours, so we highly encourage you to bring your child for a visit to our dentist in Wickham to ensure they get the best start to their oral health and hygiene.
The importance of child dental care
While some babies are born with teeth, most begin teething at around six months of age and by the age of three, your child would have grown a full set of primary teeth. Here at Wickham Dental, we recommend you book your child in for an appointment with our dentist in Wickham after their first milk teeth appear so that they may undergo a thorough check-up. In doing so, your child will familiarise themselves with the dental environment, thus preventing the development of fears around visiting the dentist in the future. It is also extremely important to begin integrating oral hygiene practises into their daily routines so that it becomes a normal part of their day. You can do this by brushing your teeth in their presence, encouraging them to mimic your actions and restricting their intake of sugary drinks and snacks.
Why taking your child to the dentist is important
You must bring your child for regular visits to our dentist in Wickham so that they may become familiar with the environment and get to know our dentist. This will prevent visits to the dentist from becoming a negative experience for them and make regular visits more pleasant. Upon assessing your child’s teeth, the dentist can detect any early signs of tooth decay or other oral health problems and advise you on how to prevent future damage. In doing so, you can ensure your child’s future oral health is maintained well, which will, in turn, result in fewer trips to the dentist and less costly dental bills as they will not require as much treatment as they would if their oral health is poor.
Guiding your child to good oral health
When your child’s teeth are neglected, tooth decay may occur, which can lead to pain in the mouth, dental abscesses and other dental issues. This can be extremely distressing for your child, affecting their sleeping and eating and sometimes even their growth. To ensure your child develops good oral health maintenance techniques, there are several steps you can teach them to incorporate into their daily routine. It is best to commence brushing your child’s teeth when their first tooth appears; you can begin by guiding their hand when they brush their teeth so that they can get an idea of what the correct movements are. Other measures you can take are to make sure your child is brushing their teeth with toothpaste that contains fluoride and that they brush twice daily for approximately two minutes. Like adults, children’s teeth are greatly affected by their dietary habits; snacks and drinks with a high sugar content can contribute to the development of cavities, the requirement of fillings and even the decay of teeth, so your child must enjoy such foods in a controlled manner.