Benefits of taking your child to the dentist Children and the dentist are not an easy combination to pair up! But we’re here to tell you the major benefits of taking your child to the dentist and what can happen if they don’t start going from an early age.
Unfortunately, tooth decay is becoming more and more common amongst Australian children, with at least one and half decayed, missing, or filled in teeth being found in children between the ages of 5 and 10. With regular dental check-ups and proper at home care, this statistic could be reduced drastically!
Why is a dental check up important – especially for children?
Many people assume that children don’t need proper care for their teeth because they have baby teeth, and they will fall out eventually right? This assumption is very wrong! Children should in fact start caring for their teeth from when they start teething. If baby teeth and gums are neglected and begin to decay, this can cause damage to the developing adult teeth beneath the gum.
Whilst at home care can begin from the day your child is born – ensuring gums are clean and healthy, dental visits should begin 6 months from when a first tooth appears. The benefits of taking your child to the dentist are greater if you start taking them for a check-up as recommended and will assist in the following:
- Correct cleaning information – Your dentist can teach and provide you the best and safest at home methods to encourage healthy teeth. Activities such as brushing and flossing, as well as what products are safe to use need to be advised correctly from early on.
- Proactive care – The expertise of your dentist enables them to detect problems such as tooth decay early on. They can provide your child with a prevention plan and this means less problems for the future!
- Monitoring tooth development – If you child attends regular dental check-ups they will not only receive thorough cleans and examinations, abut their dentist can monitor the changes and developments of your child’s teeth as they grow up.
How do you get your child to go in the first place?
Yes, we understand these benefits are super important, but the question still remains, how do you convince your child the dentist is a friend and not a foe. The below tips will turn the dentist from a negative to a positive image in no time:
- Begin check-ups from an early age so they are used to the experience
- Combine your dental visit with a fun activity afterwards as a reward
- Take your child with you to your visits so they can see what happens
- Be positive about the dentist and never use the visit as a threat for not brushing their teeth!
- Bring your child in to talk to their friendly dentist before their appointment – this grows a trust and builds a friendly relationship between your child and their dentist
Here at Empire Bay Dental your child’s teeth will be in the safe hands of our friendly and professional dentists! We love ensuring your child’s teeth are taken care of from a young age, so that they develop into amazing and healthy adult teeth.
With the Commonwealth Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS), eligible children aged 2-17 years are provided assistance for basic dental treatment in Australia.
Contact us today to book in your child’s dental check-up and create a bright future for their teeth!
References
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/dental-care-for-children
https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/kids-oral-care/the-importance-of-pediatric-dental-care
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/dental-checks-for-young-children