Why Pediatric Dentistry is Important

Did you know that taking your child to the dentist is just as important as taking them to the doctor? Just as you would take your child to their pediatrician every year for their annual physical, you should also be taking them to their pediatric dentist twice a year for their semi-annual dental checkup and teeth cleaning. 

At this point, you may be wondering why you need to take your child to the dentist twice a year. After all, their smile is beautiful already. The simple answer is that pediatric dentistry is important to your child’s current and future oral health. Let’s take a look at why pediatric dentistry is important: 

Regular Teeth Cleanings

Since children, especially young children, are unable to adequately care for themselves, they may be unable to brush or floss well. Even with your help, there may be certain places that get missed. Unfortunately, these places are more prone to tooth decay because plaque can accumulate. If plaque is not disturbed, it can become a breeding ground for thousands of bacteria. This can ultimately result in the formation of a cavity. 

To prevent this from happening, a pediatric dentist will perform teeth cleanings twice a year to remove excess plaque and tartar. This also removes bacteria populations and reduces the risk of your child developing tooth decay. 

Easier Treatments

Some children may be more cooperative than others when visiting the dentist. However all children, and their parents, want to avoid invasive dental procedures. Regular dental appointments ensure that potential problems are detected early-on so that they can be treated much easier. For example, treating tooth decay is much easier when the treatment is placing a filling rather than performing a root canal on a baby tooth. 

Create Good Habits

Not only do regular visits to a pediatric dentist benefit your child’s oral health, but it teaches them healthy dental habits moving forward. Pediatric dentists specialize in making dentistry as fun and comfortable as possible to provide your child with a positive dental experience. This prevents them from developing dental anxiety and teaches them that dental care is a regular part of life. Therefore, once they are grown they will continue these patterns to maintain their own oral health. 

Prevents Dental Anxiety

As mentioned before, pediatric dentists have specialized training that allows them to create a positive dental experience for children. After dental school, pediatric dentists must complete additional child development classes, as well as classes working with special needs children. This allows them to communicate with children in an effective way that children understand and respond to. Their caring nature, colorful offices, and positive approach to dentistry will help  prevent your child from developing dental anxiety. 

As you can see, there are some compelling reasons as to why pediatric dentistry is important. Not only will it improve your child’s oral health and prevent future problems from developing into major issues, but it will teach your child good dental habits. Additionally, it will free them from the monster known as dental anxiety that many people suffer from. For these reasons, and many more, you should be sure to take your child to their pediatric dentist at least twice a year.