Five Must-Know Facts About Your Child’s Oral Health

The school year is in full swing and that means our Hoover families are busy scheduling after-school activities and their children’s sporting events. During this busy time of the year, don’t forget about schedule your children’s dental visits.

At Perrigo Dental Care, we serve as a one-stop shop for families, offering everything from preventive care, children’s dentistry, restorative dentistry, dental implants, and cosmetic dentistry. We have a special knack for treating children with the most advanced and gentle oral health care. We believe that by forming a healthy relationship with your children at an early age, we can encourage them to practice good oral health care for the rest of the life.

Today, I want to give you five facts about your children’s oral health care in order to encourage you to make their dental care a priority.

1.) Tooth decay is the most common chronic illness in children and five times more common in children than asthma. Tooth decay affects every child in the world and needs to be treated with aggressive and preventive measures. Untreated tooth decay can lead to serious oral health problems like root canals or even gum disease.

2.) Children in America miss more than 51 million hours of school due to dental disease. There are few things more important than our childrens’ education. By missing class time, our children risk falling behind in school and getting the education they need. Parents in America also miss millions of hours in work every year helping their children resolve their dental issues.

3.) About 20 percent of children between 2 and 19 have untreated cavities. This statistics worries me almost more than any other, and I like to recite it when I explain to parents how important it is to prioritize their child’s oral health care. As I mentioned above, untreated cavities can develop into root problems, but the also can cause your child discomfort and serious pain.

4.) Children can form cavities from juice, breast milk or even formula. The issue here is that parents often allow children to fall asleep with a bottle or suck on a sippy cup for an extended period of time. When we left our children have constat sweet drinks on their teeth, harmful acids in these sugars can damage the teeth and cause decay.

5.) Begin brushing your children’s teeth as soon as they appear. This one seems obvious, but we see countless parents who are not diligent about brushing their children’s teeth. It’s not just important to brush your children’s teeth as soon as they break the surface, but we encourage parents to bring their children to the dentist around at that time to monitor tooth development.

I hope these facts will encourage you to keep an eye on your child’s dental care and tooth development. We begin treating children around the time the first tooth developments. The first few visits will simply involve us looking at their teeth. We let them sit in the chair and play with the water hose, and we work to make the experience enjoyable and memorable. When you child’s teeth starts fully developing, we will begin light cleanings and preventive treatments, which will continue to do when their permanent teeth come in. We will also give them helpful brushing tips and flossing tips and provide fluoride treatments to reduce the risk of cavities.

We are firm believers that dental fear is a developed phobia that can be eliminated early in a person’s life. If we can give your child a positive and fun experience at the dentist, they are more likely to practice good oral health for the rest of their lives.

If you are looking for a quality dentist in Hoover to handle your entire family’s dental care, call our office today!