Most parents know that providing their child the care they need is incredibly important at every stage of life. However, the early years are especially crucial because they have the potential to leave an impact many decades down the line. When it comes to oral health, there’s no exception. According to a family dentist in Montrose, there’s no better time than now to learn why early oral care is important for your child.
Since February is Children’s Dental Health Month, here’s why knowing the right steps is key to positive long-term oral health.
Dental Disease Makes Basic Tasks More Difficult
If your child isn’t taking the steps to maintain long-term oral health, whether that’s at home or in the dental office, it greatly increases their risk for dental disease. Tooth decay, gum disease and oral infections only increase in probability when they aren’t practicing the right oral care steps.
Of course, this doesn’t only set them up for failure when chewing their favorite foods or flashing their smile around friends and family. It also makes sleeping more difficult as tooth pain keeps them awake at night. It can interfere with their concentration, which in turn can negatively influence their school performance. So, while the short-term side effects of dental disease are an obvious reason to help them learn oral care, having the foresight to recognize the long-term effects is crucial as well.
Easier Dental Visits in the Future
Once dental disease has set in, the chances that they’ll need more significant dental treatment only increase. In many cases, this means that they’ll need a dental filling or even a crown in their early age. If their earliest memories of dental care involve restorative treatments that are often uncomfortable, this will only make future visits more difficult to attend.
Keep in mind that no at-home oral care routine can match the professional cleaning of a dentist. Furthermore, routine exams are essential to catching the early signs of dental disease as well as systemic illnesses (i.e. oral cancer and heart disease.)
Why At-Home Care Matters
Many parents don’t realize this at first, but oral care really makes up about 99 percent of their long-term oral health. That’s because 363 days out of the year, your child is brushing twice a day and flossing daily to remove plaque regularly. If their current oral health and at-home care is in order, they shouldn’t need to visit the dentist any more often than once every six months.
Additionally, better at-home care means they’ll be able to save money on restorative and emergency dental care costs as well as spend less time in the dental chair than necessary. Regardless of your child’s feelings on dentists, they should always have an incentive to keep their natural smile for decades to come.
With the help of a dentist, recognizing the importance of child oral care is a no-brainer. To get your questions answered on the best practices to maintain, schedule an appointment with a dentist today!
About the Author
Dr. Donald F. Tamborello earned his DDS degree from the University of Texas. One of his favorite aspects of dentistry is helping patients overcome their fear of visits, regardless of their age. To learn more about his practice, you can contact him through his website.