Five Essential Preventive Dentistry Treatments for Kids
Preventive dentistry treatments are essential for everyone, including children and the elderly. Unfortunately, many parents assume their children’s teeth are optimal because of their age.
The reality is entirely different because children also have oral health problems similar to adults. For example, the incidence of cavities is higher in kids because they favor candies, juices, and sugary delights. Therefore kids need preventive dentistry treatments similar to everyone to maintain their oral and overall health.
Looking at the Most Essential Preventive Dentistry Treatments for Children
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are a transparent and durable plastic material the pediatric dental office in Greenwood recommends for children’s molars. Dental sealants remain on the chewing surfaces to prevent cavities from developing and spreading. Dentists spread dental sealants on the chewing surfaces of the mothers when they observe deep grooves on them.
Dental sealants offer prevention against 80 percent of cavities for two years and continue the protection against 50 percent for another four years. The procedure for having sealants on the teeth is painless, quick, and comfortable, permitting children to have the foods they want soon after the adhesive hardens. In addition, sealants create a robust barrier over the molars to reduce the chances of childhood caries.
Fluoride Treatments Are Often Underrated Preventive Dentistry Treatment for Children
An application of fluoride on kid’s teeth helps strengthen their tooth enamel, making it challenging for the bacteria to cause enamel erosion. As a result, durable and robust teeth are less likely to become susceptible to decay.
Teeth Cleanings
The kid’s dentist near you recommends teeth cleanings for kids at six monthly intervals. The precaution is essential to eliminate plaque and tartar. Removing plaque on the teeth and between them is challenging when brushing at home.
Plaque hardens into tartar quickly to cause pediatric gum disease and is nonremovable by brushing. However, if you take your kid to the pediatric dentist in Greenwood, they use unique tools to remove all plaque and tartar on and between the teeth.
Space Maintainers
Children can lose permanent teeth prematurely to cause misalignment in their mouth. In such cases, the kid’s dentist in Greenwood recommends space maintainer’s specialized dental appliances created from plastic or metal and customized for your child’s mouth. Space maintainers are not uncomfortable but allow kids to get accustomed to them in a few days. After premature tooth loss, the device holds the vacant space in your kid’s mouth.
If you think visiting preventive dentistry in Greenwood for space maintainers is expensive, we suggest you consider how much orthodontic treatment will cost if your kid develops crooked and misaligned teeth. We are confident you will get the device for your kid to avoid considerable expenditure.
Mouth Guards
Dr. John Patangan recommends kids wear mouth guards as a preventive measure against impacts on their mouths, causing them to lose their teeth or injure the soft tissues of their mouth. The recommendation might encourage you to walk into the neighborhood sports goods stores to purchase a mouth guard for your kid.
Store-bought mouthguards are often ill-fitting and uncomfortable and offer minimal protection against injuries to the teeth or soft tissues. Therefore you help yourself and your kid by having a customized protective device fabricated by the pediatric dentist’s office explicitly for your kid. The customized device will ensure a proper fit while providing a safeguard against mouth impacts and injuries.
Why Consider Preventive Dentistry for Children
Preventive dentistry doesn’t require you to indulge in considerable expenditure or adopt unique dental hygiene practices. It is just a technique of caring for your teeth and gums to ensure your overall health isn’t impacted by oral issues. Researchers have established an association between mouth problems and issues with your general health.
Preventive dentistry, besides helping you maintain appropriate dental hygiene, also ensures any problems in your mouth are treated early before they aggravate. In addition, dentists provide information on nutritional deficiencies that might affect your oral health and recommend that you have a balanced diet providing minerals and nutrients not merely for your body but also for your teeth.
You don’t have to arrange separate appointments for preventive dentistry because your routine appointments are sufficient to care for your dental health. In addition, preventive dentistry helps children develop strong teeth without problems while saving you plenty of money that you otherwise spend on expensive dental treatments.
If you haven’t considered preventive dentistry for your kid, we suggest you schedule an appointment with Kids First Dental today with your child to benefit from preventive dentistry.