Babies start teething when they are as young as 6 months old and develop their set of primary ‘milk’ teeth. At the age of 5-7 years, they start losing their milk teeth and the permanent set of teeth start emerging.
Because the milk teeth will anyways fall off, some parents tend to ignore taking their child to a dentist. However, after these milk teeth begin to fall out they make way for the permanent set of teeth. If enough care is not taken the problems can emerge which will last a lifetime.
Procedure
The dentist or hygienist might place your child on an exam chair or table or have you hold your child on your lap during the exam. Then the dentist or hygienist will likely:
- Evaluates your child's oral hygiene and overall health condition, drinking and eating habits, and risk of tooth decay.
- Removes stains or deposits on your child's teeth by gently scrubbing
- Assesses how much fluoride your child is getting through diet and prescribe a fluoride supplement if necessary.
- Looks for sores or bumps on your child's mouth
- Takes digital dental X-rays if necessary, and does other diagnostic procedures
- Applies sealants, a thin, protective plastic coating to permanent molars and other back teeth susceptible to decay
- Repairs cavities or tooth defects
- Looks for alignment of your child's upper and lower teeth
- Counsels your child about the impact of jaw clenching, thumb sucking or nail-biting
- Recommends orthodontic treatment, such as braces that helps straighten your child's teeth or adjust the bite and pre-orthodontic treatment, such as a special mouthpiece.
Benefits
- The kids develop the habit of caring for their oral health at a young age.
- Regular exposure to a dentist in youth is a good way to prevent this fear from plaguing us later in life.
- The pediatric dentists can help your children learn how to make healthy food choices.