Biggest Impediments to Children’s Dental Health

Keeping your kids safe and healthy is a matter of teaching them positive habits that they can use to take care of themselves. When it comes to the health of your children’s teeth, you need to teach them how to brush and floss, but you also need to help them understand why caring for their teeth is so important. Your dentist can help you do this, and finding a dentist with a positive care environment for young patients can actually help them make dentist appointments in the future. Here are the biggest impediments to children’s dental health, and how you can avoid them.

Some Kids Are Afraid of the Dentist

Early childhood dental visits can be intimidating. Too often, dentist’s offices feel clinical and imposing. If kids don’t feel comfortable at the dentist’s office, they’ll be less receptive to care and educational components of their visits. Choosing the right pediatric dentist is a matter of environment and approach. Does your child’s dentist create a comforting, welcoming environment? How do the staff members interact with your child? A calming approach can help your children feel at ease and become more comfortable with the dentist moving forward.

Children Have to Be Consistent with Their Oral Care

Another major impediment to healthy teeth for children is a lack of consistency. It’s one thing to tell your children to brush their teeth twice a day, but are you making sure that they actually do it? Do you always brush your teeth twice a day? You can be a consistent role model for your children by following good oral hygiene practices yourself. By staying consistent with brushing and flossing at home, your child will prevent cavities and gum disease from forming, and set themselves up for a lifetime of healthy teeth.

Monitoring Your Child’s Diet Can Protect Their Teeth

Not only is the health of your teeth influenced by the way you care for your teeth, but it’s also influenced by your diet. If your child’s teeth are prone to cavity formation, you may want to adjust their diet to protect them. Sugary, sticky foods leave more residue on the surfaces of their teeth, creating more food for bacteria to consume and grow. Try to reduce the amount of these types of foods that your child consumes, and consider having them brush their teeth after eating food like this if they struggle with cavities.

Make Sure Your Child Sees the Dentist Twice Per Year

Biannual checkups are another crucial component of healthy teeth. By attending appointments twice per year, your child drastically reduces their risk for cavity formation and gum disease. Plus, introducing your child to a positive dentistry experience at a young age will encourage them to continue making appointments in the future. Schedule your child’s dentist appointment at Greenhaven Family Dental in Baxter, MN by calling our office at 218-454-0523.