Looking After Your Child’s Dental Health

Your child’s formative years are the most important when it comes to dental care — which means regular visits to the dentist. However, if you’re a parent then you don’t need us to tell you that this is easier said than done. Understandably, the dentist’s office is not a place that children are itching to visit on a regular basis, especially as they are still too young to understand the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene. Nevertheless, it is vital that children attend all the essential dental appointments and regular check-ups to ensure that their teeth develop properly.

Whether you’ve got a new child on the way or have recently welcome a new member to the family, we’ve compiled a guide to help you understand your kids’ dental needs and what you need to do to prepare.

Your child’s first dentist appointment

Parents are is advised to bring their children to their first dental appointment within 6 months of the arrival of their first tooth, or by the time they have turned 2. This is to ensure that all the initial teething is going smoothly, as well as to get them used to visiting the dentist from an early age.

Regular check ups

How often your child will need to visit the dentist will depend on the health of their teeth and how well their oral hygiene is taken care of, but your dentist will generally advise that appointments be made once every 6 months. To give your children a greater incentive to brush their teeth twice a day and eat their fruits and cereals, tell them that dentists appointments won’t have to be as frequent if they do everything they’re meant to. After all, an apple a day keeps the doctor away!

Dental x-rays

There are no rules when it comes to when your child should have their first dental x-rays. Most dentists will advise that dental x-rays should be performed by the age of 5 or 6, but they become more important only later when your children begin to develop their adult teeth.

It’s all about the diet

All children love lollies and sweet drinks, but unfortunately teeth don’t share the same feelings. Be sure to monitor your child’s intake of sugary foods and drinks, but even more importantly make sure that they are aware of the effects of things like soft drinks on their teeth so that they know why it is bad for them. Otherwise, they might continue eating excess amounts when you’re not looking — as the saying goes, forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest!