It’s Never Too Early to Take Preventative Measures

An apple a day keeps the dentist away. Or is it the doctor? Either way, making sure that you teach your child to not only eat healthy, but to maintain their health, at a young age is imperative to the wellbeing of their teeth and body. Many parents mistakenly believe that just because their child isn’t showing symptoms of bad health or rotting teeth means that they don’t have to put them on the path to health and fitness just yet – they don’t have to take them to the doctor or the dentist, or encourage them to eat more vegetables and fewer sugars. But if parents took proactive measures from the start, we would be an all-around healthier nation.

Everyone knows to schedule their child’s first doctor’s appointment within weeks of giving birth, but many don’t think to do the same with their dentist. However, you should schedule your child’s first dentist appointment within six months of them being born, and no later than their first birthday. This period is an extremely important developmental phase for children, and if not monitored and taken care of, the smallest problem can become a major cause for concern later on down the road. For instance, thumb-sucking is the leading cause of malformed teeth and bite misalignment; early decay is caused by baby bottles and pacifiers; and milk and juices that “puddle” inside the baby’s mouth can hamper the proper formation of permanent teeth later on. If more parents took their babies to the dentist early on, they could do something about these very common problems. Eventually, fewer children would require orthodontics or extensive dentistry, and more children would be excited about the dentist and their overall health.  

There are several ways to avoid common tooth problems with your child, and to get your child excited about their health. To learn what those ways are, check out our page of prevention tips for children at: http://www.lakeshorefamilydentist.com/library/23/PreventionTipsforChildren.html