The Importance of Kid’s Dentistry

Your oral health routine changes when your first tooth emerges. From that point forward, much of your oral health is dictated by the hygiene habits you develop as a child. Although patients do lose their baby teeth, the health of the subsequent permanent teeth is heavily influenced by the condition of your smile as your teeth first emerge. Bringing your child in for routine dental visits can instill a feasible and effective at-home hygiene routine to ensure lifelong oral health.

In-Office Pediatric Dental Care

Routine dental visits as a child are important for a number of reasons. These initial appointments allow dentists to take an in-depth look at your child’s smile, ensuring all parts are developing correctly. The dentist is also able to check your child’s teeth for signs of dental caries, which can be severely damaging for small smiles.

Regular dental visits are also an important for identifying whether your child may need more long-term dental care. For example, patients typically begin exhibiting signs they may need orthodontics around the age of 7. When the need for this more extensive care is identified early, dentists can develop treatment plans to correct misalignment over time and recommend more effective preparatory procedures.

These visits also provide the opportunity for our Fountain Valley dentist to apply protective sealants and fluoride to your child’s teeth. These tools help to discourage the development of cavities, ensuring continued oral health between your child’s biannual visits.

At-Home Oral Hygiene for Children

Often, maintaining an effective oral hygiene regimen can be difficult for children. Children are as dexterous as adults and may not be able to effectively floss their teeth, leaving food debris behind to collect bacteria and cause cavities to develop. During routine visits to our dental office, Dr. Azi Ashtiany provides patients and their parents with tips on encouraging consistent brushing and flossing at home. Some of these helpful tips include:

• Demonstrating the right brushing technique for your child by brushing your teeth with them. 
• Get them a fun toothbrush and toothpaste to help get them excited about brushing their teeth.
• Set up a rewards system for brushing and flossing consistently.

At Elite Dental, our mission is to help our patients achieve healthy smiles at all ages. By offering pediatric dentistry, our Fountain Valley dentist is able to help children become invested in their smiles and adopt important, lifelong oral hygiene skills. For more information about the importance of early dental care, contact our Fountain Valley dental office today.