When it comes to good dental health, it’s best to start early. Making habits like daily brushing and flossing and regular dentist visits part of your child’s life from an early age will prevent problems like tooth decay in later years. Dental visits should also start early. It’s best to take your children to a dentist who specializes in pediatric dentistry, because kids’ teeth are quite different from adults’ and have different needs.

Dental care for young children
Many people mistakenly believe that professional dental care is not necessary for young children. As many as 20% of children in the U.S. don’t get dental care. Their parents may feel that until children acquire their adult teeth, they don’t need regular care, because they are going to lose their milk teeth anyway. They’re wrong, for a number of reasons. Good oral hygiene should be inculcated at an early age.
While children keep their baby teeth until they are about six years old, it can be important to take care of these as well as the adult teeth that come in later. Milk teeth are placeholders for adult teeth, and any problems will be carried over if they are not treated. Due to lack of care and regular cleaning, about 40% of all kids will have dental cavities by the time they start kindergarten. Dental pain can be a serious problem and is one of the leading reasons why kids miss school. It is estimated that a total of 51 million school hours are lost each year due to dental problems.

Making an early start
What’s the right age to start dental care for kids? Dentists advise beginning as soon as the baby teeth begin to show above the gums. This happens at the age of around four months. The best way to clean teeth at this stage is to gently wipe with a damp washcloth. Later, a soft toothbrush may be used. Regular dentist visits should begin when the child is one year old. Choosing a childrens dentist is an important decision. Pediatric dentist have the right experience and equipment to treat kids. They’re also prepared to treat children who may be terrified of a dentist visit. Staff will know how to talk to nervous children and calm them down.
It’s also necessary to take kids to a dentist who specializes in pediatric dentistry, because kids’ teeth are quite different from adult teeth. Their needs are quite different as well. For instance, kids under the age of two years should not use toothpaste with fluoride. Other typical dental problems that kids have are chipped and broken teeth, from falls and from playing sports. According to the American Association for Pediatric Dentistry, about 10% to 39% of all dental injuries in kids are of this nature.

It can be important to begin dental care for kids at an early age, to avoid problems in later life. Good oral hygiene should become a lifelong habit. Pediatric dentistry is quite different, because kids have different problems and needs. When choosing dentist for kids, it’s best to pick one who specializes in kids dentistry.