How to Make My Kids Enjoy Their Dental Care?

At Parkway Pediatric Dentistry, we know that you want to give your child the best you can in everything, including dental care for kids in Roanoke. As parents ourselves, we know your child is the most important person in your life, the reason for the happiest moments in your life.

That’s why today we want to talk to you about the importance of dental hygiene in children. And also give you some tips to follow to ensure that your child’s smile is always happy and healthy.

Why Is Dental Hygiene So Important In Children?

Healthy, happy teeth are important for your child’s overall health. Remember that they help your child eat and talk. Additionally, strong oral care helps set good dental habits as your child grows. Poor oral care can lead to infection, disease, or other teeth problems.

Poor oral health can have a detrimental effect on children’s quality of life, performance at school, and success later in life. Although it may seem scary, bad oral health in children can lead to high chances of contracting heart disease.

If your child has excess bacteria in the mouth, it could pass down to the bloodstream. This exact same bacteria can travel to the arteries, thus affecting your child’s entire system.

What Are The Common Issues Of Dental Health In Children?

Childhood is a time filled with fun, adventures, exploration, and growth. However, childhood can also lead to a broken tooth on the playground or a missed spot of plaque that later on turns into a cavity.

Not to worry, though, many of a kid’s dental problems are the same ones that affect adults, with the difference that your child’s teeth are still developing, and they’re softer and younger than their permanent teeth that are on their way.

Untreated dental conditions can cause poor and misaligned tooth development, leading to more serious problems as a child grows up and becomes a young adult. Some of the most common dental care issues faced by a child in Roanoke can include:

Tooth Decay (Cavities)

Cavities come into place when for some reason, brushing and flossing isn’t up to par. Usually, this happens when children brush and floss without adult supervision. Some kids might have a sugar-heavy diet. The acid in the plaque essentially eats away at the enamel in a child’s teeth, eventually wearing away at the tooth.

Tooth Sensitivity

Sensitivity is another major issue for both children and adults. Tooth sensitivity can be uncomfortable and distracting; this, in turn, can affect your child’s concentration and daily routine. There are many different things that can cause your child’s teeth to feel sensitive include:

• Areas of decay (cavities)
• Newly erupted permanent teeth
• Acid erosion and enamel wear
• Teeth grinding
• A cracked or missing filling
• Orthodontic treatment

Luckily, there are many treatments your child’s dentist can recommend to help your child fight tooth sensitivity.

Dental Emergencies

Dental emergencies, unfortunately, can happen at any time, without warning. While kids do kids stuff such as playing, riding a bike, playing their favorite sport, or roughhousing with siblings.

Accidents can happen, and these accidents can result in teeth chipping, breaking, or cracking. In more severe cases, the games can result in a knocked-out permanent tooth. If your child suffers from a dental emergency, contact your child’s dentist immediately.

Pediatric Gingivitis and Gum Disease

Unfortunately for parents, pediatric gingivitis and gum disease can happen to young children. In the majority of cases, pediatric gingivitis and gum disease are preventable.

Gingivitis and gum disease is quite common in pediatric dental patients. Gingivitis is the precursor to gum disease, and it’s often recognized by red, swollen gums, and slight bleeding during brushing and flossing.

Gum disease is more aggressive in children with poor oral hygiene. It often involves pain in the mouth, gum recession, and areas of swelling.

Thumb Sucking

Usually, when we see a baby or toddler sucking their thumb, we think it’s cute and normal for their age. However, when thumb sucking turns excessive or compulsive, it can result in various problems that can affect your kids’ dental care in Roanoke.

Chronic thumb sucking and pacifier use can cause what is known as an open bite. An open bite is when the upper front teeth don’t come together with the lower front teeth, leaving a gap when the mouth is closed. An open bite can make it difficult for your child to bite and chew and even affect their speech.

Teeth Grinding

This habit is usually involuntary, and we can see it in babies, toddlers, and even young adults. Children tend to clench or grind their teeth due to some discomfort in their jaws when their primary teeth start to emerge.

This situation usually stops happening when their teeth develop. However, in rare cases, this habit can continue causing erosion of tooth enamel and sensitivity.

Baby Teeth Loss

It’s completely normal for your child to lose their baby or primary teeth, but this normal “loss” can become a problem if a tooth doesn’t fall out and begins to cause pain. At this point, you need to consult with your child’s dentist.

Tips To Ensure Your Kid’s Smile Stays Healthy in Roanoke

The sooner children begin getting regular dental checkups, the healthier their mouths will stay throughout their lives.

Early checkups help prevent cavities and tooth decay, which can lead to pain, trouble concentrating, and other medical issues in the future. Not to mention that issues that are left untreated may be harder to treat as time goes on.

A Good Oral Hygiene Routine

A good oral hygiene routine is important, no matter how young or old your child is. However, good habits start early, so at Parkway Pediatric Dentistry, we encourage parents to help their children with their routines and even make it a fun event. A good routine to instill in your child from early on includes:

• Brushing at least twice a day
• Replacing their toothbrush every 3 months
• Daily flossing
• Get regular cleanings (Every 6 months)
• Eat a healthy tooth diet
• Stay away or limit sticky and sugary foods
• Skip fruit juice and soda if possible

How To Make My Kids Dental Care In Roanoke Fun?

We know children can easily get bored or lose concentration, especially when the subject doesn’t include playing games. But there are a couple of things you can do to make your child enjoy taking care of their teeth. To make oral care fun, you can try:

• Make Brushing and Flossing a Family Affair
• Create a Two-minute “Contest” For Brushing
• Get Your Child a Special Toothbrush
• Reward Consistent Tooth Brushing

Professional Preventative Dental Care For Kids

Aside from healthy eating habits and proper oral hygiene, professional preventive dental care can help your child maintain healthy teeth and a happy smile. According to the CDC website, Fluoride varnish can prevent about one-third (33%) of cavities in the primary (baby) teeth.

Similarly, children who brush daily with fluoride toothpaste will have fewer cavities. Dental Sealants can also help. Dental sealants are a thin coating placed over the biting surface of a child’s molars to protect them from decay. A dental sealant is a thin white or clear resin liquid applied to the surface of a child’s molars with a small brush.

Usually, we would recommend that children between the ages of six to 14 years of age receive dental sealants. According to the American Dental Association, your child’s first molars break through around age 6, while their second molars appear around age 12. We recommend sealing these teeth as soon as they come through to protect them from tooth decay.

If you are worried about your child’s oral health, you can schedule an appointment for your child with the best pediatric dentist Roanoke has to offer.