Why Your Child Should See the Dentist Every 6 Months
There’s a lot that goes into making sure your child’s teeth get the care they need. Brushing, flossing, and dentist appointments all have their role to play. You can handle the brushing and flossing on your own at home. To fully make sure your child’s teeth are healthy, you should take them to visit the dentist every 6 months.
Monitoring Growth
Children’s teeth and jaws experience a ton of growth for the first several years of life. Most of the time, that growth goes more or less as it should. Other times, teeth may not grow in the right direction or there may be issues with jaw growth. Fortunately, dental x-rays are a normal part of dentist appointments. That allows dentists to monitor how your child’s teeth and jaw are growing and identify problems early. With early detection, growth issues can be addressed faster and more easily.
Catching Problems
Growth problems aren’t the only issues that dentists can catch early if you take your child to see them every 6 months. Tooth decay takes time to develop. If caught early before the enamel is worn through, you may be able to remineralize the enamel and prevent cavities. Dentists can also catch and treat plaque and tartar early before it turns into something worse, like gum disease.
Cleaning Teeth
Teeth cleaning happens at virtually every dentist appointment. While you and your child may do your best to clean your child’s teeth twice every day, you can’t beat how thorough the dentist is. They have special tools that make it possible to clean teeth better than a toothbrush can on its own. The dentist will remove any plaque and tartar that may have built up and give the teeth a good polish to keep them clean and beautiful. While you can buy many of the tools your dentist uses, it’s best to leave professional cleaning sessions to the dentist. They have the training needed to do an excellent job without accidentally damaging your child’s teeth or gums.
Your child’s dentist is one of the best teammates you have in your endeavors to keep your child’s teeth healthy. While dentist appointments may seem like a lot of hassle, the good they do makes them worth it. If you haven’t scheduled your child’s next appointment, there’s no time like the present to do so.
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