As a parent, you always want the best for your children. Their oral health is no exception! Having a healthy, radiant smile offers innumerable benefits, and it all begins with your child’s pediatric dental experience.
Create Lifelong, Healthy Habits
Robust oral health is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a lifelong commitment that requires a solid foundation. Studies show that regular check-ups to a dentist in childhood pave the way for sustained lifelong, healthy habits.
To children, actions speak louder than words. Simply telling your child the importance of brushing and flossing is less effective than showing them. Bringing your child to the dentist sends the message, “your oral health matters.” If you want your children to prioritize their oral health, you must first show them what it means to invest in their smiles.
Keep Mouths Healthy
Some adults believe that baby teeth aren’t important as “they’ll eventually fall out.” On the contrary, baby teeth are needed for proper growth and development. They provide dentists with crucial insight about your child’s future dental needs. Pediatric dentists analyze your child’s dental and jaw development and use it to create a long-term plan.
If you choose to wait to invest in your child’s smile only after his or her adult teeth appear, it may be too late. A cornerstone of pediatric dentistry is preventative dentistry. Having your child regularly visit the dentist is a proactive—rather than a reactive—method of care. Just as you wouldn’t skip your child’s doctor’s check-ups, you won’t want to miss his or her dental check-ups either!
Offer Professional Feedback
How often have you reminded your child about the benefits of brushing and flossing? Children are inundated by verbal “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts” from their parents, so it’s challenging to know which lessons will stick.
Strengthen this particular message with the help of your child’s pediatric dentist and dental hygienists! Not only will he or she provide fun lessons about brushing and flossing, but he or she also stands out as an authoritative figure. When an expert looks your child in the eye and gives them the feedback that lack of brushing will lead to cavities or gum disease, your child is more likely to listen. Your children are also more susceptible to an expert’s positive reinforcement when their dentist exclaims, “No cavities! You must be brushing and flossing every day. Keep up the good work!”
Minimize Dental Anxiety
Even as an adult, you might feel some latent anxiety when you hear the word “dentist.” Other adults feel neutral or even excited at the thought of a dental check-up. Your childhood dental experience heavily influences how you think about the dentist today.
Introducing your child to the world of dentistry within their first year of life normalizes the experience. Pediatric dental offices are intentionally designed to be a welcoming place for children. Colorful walls, fun photos, kid-friendly books, and prizes help your child feel at home in a new environment. The staff is trained to work with children and are often characterized as reassuring, patient, understanding, and kind. Choosing the right pediatric dental office can have significant effects on your child’s lifelong relationship with his or her oral health.
What Now?
This overwhelming desire to give your children the best of everything can be daunting. You’re well aware that regular visits to the dentist for your child are crucial in achieving lifelong oral health. Rest assured that once you choose the right pediatric dentist, you can sit back and relax. Give your child the best dental care possible and contact Children’s Dental Specialities in Worcester, Massachusetts, to make an appointment today!
