A kid friendly dentist has many important jobs in your child’s oral wellness. Aside from cleaning your child’s teeth at semiannual appointments, the dentist will check on jaw and bite issues. As your son or daughter gets older, the dentist will also check on how the permanent teeth are coming in. There are ways the dentist can help with this development so the child can enjoy a beautiful smile.
Young children need lots of help to maintain good oral hygiene. Even before a baby has teeth, a parent should keep their gums clean by gently wiping them with a cloth. Once teeth start to emerge, brushing without toothpaste can help. As the child gets older, parents can introduce a small amount of toothpaste. Gradually, the child can learn to brush alone. This habit should occur at least twice a day, along with daily flossing.
Parents should not wait until the child has a mouthful of teeth to make an appointment with the kid friendly dentist. Dentists recommend that the first visit takes place around age 1. Wellness checkups involve more than cleaning the teeth. The dentist will keep an eye on jaw growth and how permanent teeth are positioned. The dentist can tell early on how these teeth will come in and whether there will be misalignment or crowding issues.
From as young as age 6 or 7, the kid friendly dentist may want to explore some orthodontic options. These tactics can prepare the child for incoming permanent teeth. By starting early, it is more likely that the adult teeth will grow in straighter and that there will be room in the child’s mouth for them. Treatments such as spacers can accomplish this long before the child needs braces to fix crooked teeth.
Bite problems are common causes of permanent teeth coming in at odd angles. The kid friendly dentist can detect a crossbite, overbite, or underbite during a patient’s toddler years. These conditions may develop due to thumb-sucking habits or using a pacifier. The dentist can start formulating strategies to treat these dysfunctions to make sure that the permanent teeth come in straight.
In some cases, the most effective way to make room for permanent teeth is to pull the baby teeth. Children who are slow to lose baby teeth or who have overcrowding issues may need this intervention. The kid friendly dentist will consider alternatives before going this route. Also, the dentist may suggest a temporary tooth replacement if the adult tooth is still a year or more away from breaking through.
Losing baby teeth is normal. Most of them may fall off before the permanent teeth erupt. When this happens, the kid friendly dentist will apply space maintainers. These metal or plastic devices can help adult teeth grow properly. Failure to maintain this space can lead to dental complications. Below are the advantages of space maintainers:
Permanent teeth need the guidance of baby teeth during their eruption. When a child loses primary teeth, it is difficult for permanent teeth to erupt without problems. This might lead to possible dental issues. A space maintainer preserves the dental space for the emergence of adult teeth.
Tooth loss results in a vacant dental space. This often prompts the adjacent teeth to shift toward the vacant space. Since the empty dental space has an unintended baby tooth filling it, the emergence of the adult tooth will be hampered. A space maintainer can prevent the adjacent teeth from shifting and keep them in position.
A space maintainer can also reduce the need for other orthodontic treatments in the future. It helps an adult tooth emerge in the right place. Overcrowding will not be an issue anymore. This then reduces the risk of developing orthodontic issues and oral ailments.
The child may feel a little uncomfortable at first when the kid friendly dentist attaches the space maintainers. But attaching the maintainers is not painful at all. These devices exert some level of effort. Once the child gets used to them, it will be as if the maintainers are not there at all.
Your child’s kid friendly dentist wants your son or daughter to have good oral health. Also, when permanent teeth come in correctly, there is less of a chance that the child will have embarrassing misaligning problems. The dentist will do everything possible to make sure the adult teeth come in properly and on time. If you have any concerns about your child’s dental wellness, talk to the dentist today.
Request an appointment here: https://www.grandparkwaypediatricdental.com or call Grand Parkway Pediatric Dental at (832) 222-8687 for an appointment in our Richmond office.
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