It’s February. Do you know what that means? February is about so much more than just celebrating Valentine’s Day. It’s also National Children’s Dental Health Month, a time to spread awareness of the challenges children face in their dental health and ways to ensure your child keeps their pearly whites healthy and happy for years to come. You would do anything to protect your child, and that includes their mouth.
About Children’s Dental Health
More common among children than asthma and obesity, getting cavities is one of the most common conditions in children. In fact, anywhere between 20% and 42% of children ages 2–11 have cavities that go untreated, which can cause pain or infections. Eventually, these may lead to problems with eating speaking, playing, and learning. Some children find it difficult to express the symptoms they feel, so unless they visit the dentist for checkups, their cavities go undiagnosed and untreated.
Obviously, cavities affect children’s oral health, but they also affect their overall health, self-esteem, and even their academic performance. Approximately 51 million school hours are lost each year from dental-related issues, and those with oral health problems tend to have lower grades than those without them.
Especially since 80% of the cavities children get are located on the chewing surfaces of their teeth, many of their dental problems could be solved if they received the basic dental care they need. Much of this dental care should occur at home on a daily basis.
Children’s Dental Care Basics
Although their mouths may be smaller, caring for your child’s teeth requires basically the same actions as caring for yours. Here are the necessary oral health practices for your child to have excellent dental health:
- Brush at least twice a day.
- Floss at least once a day.
- Visit your dentist in Denton twice a year for cleanings and checkups after age 1.
- Ask your children’s dentist in Denton about fluoride treatments and dental sealants.
- Drink fluoridated water.
Fun Dental Health
Show your child that caring for their teeth doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, here are some ways you can turn their oral habits into a fun time that they look forward to:
- Create a sticker chart to track their progress and give rewards for consistent brushing and flossing.
- Brush and floss with them, so they can see how you take care of your own smile.
- Put on music for brushing time, so they can “dance” and brush to the music.
As you implement these good dental health practices into their life, your child will learn that their teeth are worth the time and effort to protect. They will also be more likely to continue these habits into their adulthood and maintain their healthy, happy smiles in the future. You may see an improvement in their academic achievement, their self-esteem, and their overall health as well. Take advantage of this special month to show extra love for your child’s mouth and focus on dental health with your child.
About the Practice
At Prime Dentistry, the dentists and staff strive to make each visit comfortable and even enjoyable for their patients of all ages. For children, they take extra special care to ensure these patients have good experiences going to the dentist. They provide a wide array of dental services all under one roof, including cosmetic, restorative, and preventive dentistry. To contact them for an appointment, you can call (940) 514-0333 or click here.
