A pediatric dentist is a dentist that has received additional specialized training necessary to provide the best care to your children. When you’re looking for a qualified pediatric dentist for your child, you want to be confident you’ve selected an individual who has the right skills and knowledge to take care of your child’s oral health competently and compassionately.
Preventative dental care positively impacts a child’s development. Studies by the CDC show that maintaining healthy teeth and gums in childhood leads to better overall health and wellness in adulthood. While office visits play a critical role in dental prevention, good long-term dental habits usually are developed at home. By understanding more about preventative care, you can become proactive about your child’s oral health.
Your child’s oral health is essential to their overall well-being. Unfortunately, almost 28% of children under five have cavities or some level of tooth decay. Cavities in the primary teeth can be painful and even affect your child’s adult teeth before they erupt. Untreated tooth decay and cavities can lead to an infection in the teeth, gums, or even the jaw. Practicing good oral hygiene, including annual dental checkups, can keep teeth and the surrounding tissue healthy.
As children enter their teen years, maintaining good oral hygiene is important. Braces, fluctuating hormones, nutrition, and mouth jewelry can contribute to dental issues ranging from tooth decay to tongue and gum infections. Understanding teen dentistry needs and learning about the different services pediatric dentists can offer them helps ensure that your child receives the appropriate treatments and procedures when necessary.
The use of dental crowns in children’s dentistry is more common than you think. According to recent statistics, nearly 60% of children in the US had at least one cavity by five years of age. Cavities are the holes in your teeth caused by tooth decay. Extensive cavities may cause discomfort while eating as the food particles can get stuck inside these holes easily. Typically used for severe decay, dental crowns are tooth-shaped covers that restore a tooth’s original shape and function. Teeth with extensive cavities that cannot support traditional fillings are excellent options for crowns. In addition, since baby teeth are thinner than permanent teeth, tooth decay can easily penetrate deeper and spread faster to adjoining teeth. Thus, crowns can help prevent the spread of infection and decay and restore damaged teeth.
Tooth extraction is the surgical removal of your child’s permanent (adult) or primary (baby) teeth. While the idea of “surgical removal” sounds scary, the process is very simple, straightforward, and safe. If your child feels frightened about their upcoming tooth removal, help them understand what will happen. It’s normal to feel frightened of something new, but if you stay calm, your child will feel more reassured.
Dental sealants are a method of tooth protection available to patients of all ages but most useful early in life, right about the time that children’s molars start to come in. This simple preventative treatment is quick and painless and has been shown to reduce the chance of tooth decay by over 70 percent.
According to a Teen Confidence Survey by Invisalign Teen and Kelton Global, 94% of teens think their appearance influences their popularity. This survey, which interviewed over 3,500 U.S. teenagers, also found that 57% of teens are embarrassed to have crooked teeth. The good news is that times have changed significantly, thanks to today’s technological advances. The first step is to do your research to determine the best options for your child, including the possibilities of Invisalign Teen clear aligners for your teenager.