A child is, after all, a child. You can’t expect them to say no to chocolates, juices, and ice cream! Children love to munch on sweet treats, which puts them at a high risk of developing cavities and other dental problems. Children are more prone to dental problems than adults because they aren’t as conscious about their oral hygiene or what they eat, which is why it’s important to take them for a general dental check-up regularly.
The question is, how often should you take your child for a general dental check-up, and what might happen if you don’t.
So, without further ado, let’s dig deeper to see why children need regular dental check-ups.
How Often Should You Take Your Child to a Dentist?
Ideally, you should visit a pediatric dentist every 6 months. The dentist will conduct a dental exam, do the fluoride treatment, dental cleaning, and an x-ray to get a clear picture of the condition of your child’s oral cavity. If everything’s fine, you shouldn’t stop taking your child to the dentist. Even with all the exams clear, you should take your child for a general dental check-up at least once in 12 months. It’s quite a long time, and your child might develop a dental condition during this time. The only way to know is when you visit a dentist.
What Can Happen If You Don’t Take Your Child to a Dentist Regularly
You may want to skip the visit to the dentist because the dentist told you all’s well in your last consultation, but that’s the worst thing to do. There’s so much that can go wrong with your child’s teeth, and the longer you don’t see a dentist, the worse the problems can get.
Incorrect Development Progression
Your child is still in their growing phase. Their oral cavity undergoes changes quite frequently. A dentist will be able to check if the development is going in the right direction and ensure that there are no developmental abnormalities in your child’s mouth. In case they do find something wrong, they’ll be able to fix it well in time before the problem exacerbates.
Cavities
As we said earlier, you can limit a child’s sugar intake, but you can’t stop it altogether. Children are at the highest risk of getting cavities which is why you shouldn’t take regular dental check-ups lightly. The dentist will remove any cavities that may be just starting to develop. A regular check-up will ensure that any cavity doesn’t go untreated.
Orthodontic Problems
Since your child is still growing, their teeth are also growing. When you take your child for regular dental check-ups, any orthodontic problems like misaligned teeth can be detected early, and the child can be given the appropriate orthodontic treatment.
Plaque Build-Up
The dentist cleans the teeth thoroughly on every visit. If you don’t take your child for their general dental check-ups every 6 to 12 months, there will be excessive plaque build-up that will affect your child’s dental health and hygiene.
So, you see the number of problems you can prevent if you take your child for a general dental check-up every 6 to 12 months? If it’s been longer than this since you took your child to the dentist, it’s high time you schedule an appointment right away!