3 Facts About Children’s Dentistry Parents Must Know
Nothing is more important than your children’s health. That’s why our office, Aberdeen Smiles, focuses on providing advanced children’s dentistry to give you child beautiful teeth that will last for the rest of their life.
We love working with children and providing fun at-home dental tips for them. It’s one of the things we’re known for, in addition to our full-service family dentistry. You can call our office anytime at (605) 277-9049or use the online form to request a visit.
Today, I have a 5 facts about your child’s teeth that you need to know. The more your know, the better care you can give your children.
1. Tooth decay is the leading chronic disease in children
More than the flu or asthma, tooth decay is the most common disease in children across the world. It’s a problem that affects nearly every child. In fact, more than 50 percent of children in America have tooth decay before the age of 5. Also, American parents lose millions of hours of work every year resolving children’s dental issues, and American children lose millions of hours of class instruction because of dental issues.
While our country is advanced in many areas of medicine, we still have a problem managing our children’s cavities.
2. You can lock out decay with treatments, sealants
Your children’s teeth, like any teeth, are susceptible to decay. You probably already know that one of the best ways to avoid tooth decay is with brushing twice a day and regular flossing. But that doesn’t always cut it. Unfortunately, most of us have deep fissures or hard-to-reach crevices. There are two great treatments we use to protect your child’s teeth: fluoride varnish and dental sealants.
Fluoride is a natural substance that is known to reduce the risk of tooth decay. In some cases, fluoride can give reverse the early stages of tooth decay. Dental sealants are a thin layer of plaster placed over the biting surface of the tooth. It literally locks out the decay.
3. Thumb-sucking, pacifiers can cause alignment problems
Unfortunately, early childhood habits can cause the teeth to come in crooked. Most of the dental professionals at Aberdeen Smiles have children of their own, so we understand that you need something to soothe your child early in their lives. For many of us, that means introducing a pacifier — and then some children learn to suck their thumbs to sooth themselves. There are a few pacifiers on the market that are so-called “orthodontic pacifiers.” But by and large, habits like sucking a thumb or using a pacifier create alignment issues in the mouth.
Our office is skilled at finding solutions for extended pacifier use or thumb-sucking.
Partner With Aberdeen Smiles Today
At Aberdeen Smiles, we love taking care of children and finding unique ways to get excited about visiting the dentist. We ask that parents bring their child to the dentist whenever the first tooth appears or around their first birthday.