Why Children Should See a Family Dentist From a Young Age

The sooner that you can take your child to see a family dentist, the healthier your child’s mouth will be for the rest of their life. Regular dental checkups will help your child to avoid having tooth decay and cavities. These issues can even lead to the child having trouble with pain and difficulty concentrating. When children have healthy teeth, they are better able to speak, eat healthy foods and smile. Read on to learn more about why you should take your child to the family dentist at a young age.

When children should see a family dentist

According to the American Dental Association, each child should see a family dentist by the age of one. If the first tooth erupts before this age, then children should see a dentist even earlier than the age of one. The teeth may begin to erupt around the age of six months. During this visit, dentists can help parents learn the right way to care for the children’s teeth. This can help the children’s teeth remain free from cavities.

A family dentist may see a lot of children who have cavities from falling asleep with juice or milk bottles. The sugar from these drinks will remain on the teeth if the children fall asleep with the bottles against their mouths. There are several things that a family dentist can help parents learn, including:

• Why falling asleep with bottles can cause tooth decay
• Encouraging children to switch to a cup instead of a bottle
• Encouraging mothers to stop breastfeeding on demand when the first teeth erupt
• How parents can care for young teeth

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tooth decay is one of the most chronic conditions in the United States. In fact, by the time children reach kindergarten, over 40% of them have some form of tooth decay. Visits to a family dentist from a young age can help to reduce this number of cavities.

Benefits of early visits

A family dentist can look for decay in the child’s teeth. It is important for dentists to find these problems early because this will cause much less discomfort for the child. Children cannot receive regular anesthesia when having cavities filled. Taking care of early signs of tooth decay now can prevent many other problems for the child down the road.

Visit a family dentist today

It is extremely important for your child to visit a family dentist at a young age. This can help your child get used to going to the dentist on a regular basis, helping your child to form strong habits for a lifetime. Visiting a family dentist can also help you learn the right way to care for your child’s teeth and answers to your other dental questions about your child. The family dentist will also be able to look for early signs of decay.

Request an appointment here: https://www.oaktreefamilydental.com or call Oak Tree Dental at (703) 763-5239 for an appointment in our McLean office.

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