Why a Kids’ Dental Check-up is Important

Do not forget to schedule your kids’ dental check-up this spring. Doing so is an important step in keeping their teeth healthy and preventing things like tooth decay, early tooth loss, and infections. We recommend that children visit our office twice per year so if you have not scheduled appointments for your children yet, do so today.

Why these appointments are important

Many parents ask us why it is necessary for their children to visit us for a check-up twice a year. This is a good question and it is important to point out that these check-ups are for preventative care. The point of them is to prevent tooth decay and infections.

During a check-up we are not just examining the teeth, we are also cleaning them. This professional deep cleaning is what allows us to remove plaque and tartar so that the likelihood of them developing dental decay is significantly reduced. If a child never gets cavities it may be because their appointments were frequent enough to remove the plaque that normally causes them.

Other preventative steps

During a kids’ dental check-up, we may also apply fluoride to their teeth. Fluoride is a mineral that when placed on the teeth can help to strengthen the enamel. The stronger the enamel is, the less likely a tooth is to suffer from dental decay. Think of the enamel as an outward shield. If the shield is strong and made of metal, it is unlikely that a strong blow is going to break through it.

However, if the shield is thin and weak, perhaps made out of linen, a sword can cut right through it. When acid attacks it, it will not be able to result in decay if the enamel is strong. However, if it is weak, the child will get a cavity. Applying fluoride on a regular basis in one of the most important things we can do to strengthen the enamel. When combined with regularly cleaning your child’s teeth, we significantly increase the likelihood that their teeth will remain strong and healthy.

We can treat problems early

Another benefit to a kid’s dental check-up is that we can treat problems as soon as they arise. For example, if we see a soft spot on the tooth, we can get to work and fix the problem before it turns into a full-blown cavity. This is the best solution for children because that means we can solve problems before they cause any dental pain. It is also the best solution for parents because it is far cheaper to provide this type of early and preventative care than is to treat infected teeth and perform massive dental work later on.

Everyone wins with ongoing dental care

Most importantly, our young patients win because they are less likely to suffer from a toothache or common dental problems. We have found that if we can help our young patients to remain healthy, they are less likely to ever develop dental anxiety, be more comfortable about visiting the dentist and have improved health throughout their lifetime. The key is consistency, so we encourage scheduling a kids’ dental check-up with our office today.