Pediatric dentistry is a branch in dentistry that specializes in preventing and treating dental problems in children. Pediatric dentists may provide services to babies as soon as they’re one year old until their adolescence stage. This study also promotes how essential it is to bring a child to a dentist in his early years.
Why kids need pediatric dentistry
As mentioned, pediatric dentistry is important to kids. Here are the common reasons why you should let them see their dentist at a young age:
- Avoid dental anxiety. Kids may develop a fear of dentists when they’re not familiar with what happens during visits. Due to a kid’s playful imagination, they might think of dental procedures as painful surgeries. Bringing them to the dental clinic while they’re younger will help them get used to the checkups. It also gives them a lighter perspective about general dental services.
- Prevent oral diseases. As early as a year old, dentists can already detect oral diseases in babies. Since dental caries is a notable disease that a child may inherit from his parents, dentists should do an assessment. Aside from this, dentists also teach the parents on how to properly tend to their kid’s developing teeth. There’s also a counseling program for parents and kids in managing oral habits such as thumb sucking. All these services offered by pediatric dentistry keeps the child away from cavities and other dental issues.
- Treat early signs of a cavity. Whenever a child grows older, his developing teeth are more vulnerable to bacteria. If parents neglect to teach their children the ways to care for their oral health, it’s easy to get cavities. When this happens, parents should immediately sign their kids up for a regular dental checkup. One of the offered general dental services is the cavity treatment for kids.
Pediatric dentistry services
To help children maintain optimal dental health, dentists offer these dental services.
Oral health exams and radiograph
During an oral health exam, the dentist checks on the child’s teeth and jaw. He also includes the oral tissues and observes if there are possible abnormalities such as misalignment. Moreover, the dentist asks the child for any sensitivity in case there are signs of cavities. If it is such, he may need an X-ray of the kid’s teeth to locate the damage.
Dental cleanings
Dental cleaning is a regular pediatric dentistry service during dental visits. They use tools that are child-friendly, such as laser-pointed dental scaler to remove stains and tartar off the teeth. Sometimes, dentists use intraoral dental cameras so kids can see from a screen how their teeth are being cleaned.
Dental sealants
Your kid’s teeth have grooves and pits that are quite narrow for toothbrush bristles to thoroughly clean. Most of the time, bacteria find its way in the crease and develop into plaque. Fortunately, dentists recommend dental sealants to protect the child’s developing teeth. This clear plastic material withstands biting force even when applied on the molars.
Fluoride treatments
Most kids are fond of sweets. However, these kinds of foods are acidic and are harmful to their teeth. When acid attacks the teeth, it weakens the enamel. Dentists give your children fluoride treatments to strengthen their teeth. They also give you advise to buy fluoride toothpaste for your children.
There are more general dental services that dentists perform to keep a kid’s teeth healthy. Moreover, parents should consider giving the best care for their kids and set them an appointment with their pediatric dentist. Dental services in London Ontario also offer sedation dentistry so kids feel comfortable throughout the procedure.
