Pediatric dentistry

Video: When should you take your child to the dentist? Why? And how can you prepare?

Primary teeth (“baby teeth”) play an important role in the development and growth of your child’s adult teeth and jaw bones, as well as the overall development and growth of their body. It is important for your child to regularly visit the dentist to ensure their teeth are healthy and aligned. Schedule an appointment today to ensure your child’s teeth are healthy to ensure proper growth and development.

Unfortunately, primary teeth don’t have the same amount of protection as adult teeth. The outer protective layers are thin, and the nerve tissue is large, which means that your child’s tooth is much more susceptible to cavities and infection that may lead to procedures like a pulpotomy (kids root canal) or extraction. Early detection of decay and infection is important to avoid these issues.

Primary teeth play an important role in your child’s nutrition. This is likely the obvious reason to keep your child’s teeth healthy. Proper health and function of the teeth allows your child to get the nutrients needed for proper development and growth. Decay and infection causing pain and sensitivity can lead to indigestion and lack of appetite; a lost tooth can also make it difficult for your young one to eat.

Primary teeth play a crucial role in how the adult teeth grow into position. Primary teeth do fall out, but they fall out when your adult tooth essentially pushes them out and takes their place; timing is everything. A tooth lost prematurely can close off the spaces that would have been replaced by an adult tooth; this can lead to missing or crooked teeth.

Do you feel that your child may need early stage orthodontics (kids braces)? Ideally, every child should be evaluated for the need or orthodontic intervention between the ages of 7 and 9 years old. Crooked teeth are only one factor in a need for kids braces. If the jaws don’t fully develop, there may not be enough space for the teeth, or your child’s teeth may not bite together properly and make is difficult for them to function. Oral function through breast feeding, chewing hard foods or teething toys play a major role in jaw growth and development. If your child’s jaws aren’t developing properly, there are a number of treatment options most easily managed when caught early. These treatment options include fixed and removeable appliances to encourage jaw development, proper function, and an esthetic smile.

Questions? Contact us