The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends that children receive dental care by the age of one. But it’s not just a matter of “when,” but also “how.” The AAPD believes that regular dental checkups are an important part of a child’s overall health and development. A visit to the dentist early in life can help prevent cavities and other problems later in childhood. Pediatric dentistry is important to your child’s current and future oral health. Let’s take a look at three top reasons why pediatric dentistry is so important:
1. Create Good Habits
Not only do regular visits to a pediatric dentist benefit your child’s oral health, but it teaches them healthy dental habits moving forward. Pediatric dentists specialize in making dentistry as fun and comfortable as possible to provide your child with a positive dental experience. This prevents them from developing dental anxiety and teaches them that dental care is a regular part of life. Therefore, once they are grown they will continue these patterns to maintain their own oral health.
2. Calmer Experience
Some children may be more cooperative than others when visiting the dentist. However all children, and their parents, want to avoid invasive dental procedures. Regular dental appointments ensure that potential problems are detected early-on so that they can be treated much easier ensuring a calmer experience. pediatric dentists have specialized training that allows them to create a positive dental experience for children. After dental school, pediatric dentists must complete additional child development classes, as well as classes working with special needs children. This allows them to communicate with children in an effective way that children understand and respond to. Their caring nature, colorful offices, and positive approach to dentistry will help prevent your child from developing dental anxiety.
3. Regular Teeth Cleanings
Since children, especially young children, are unable to adequately care for themselves, they may be unable to brush or floss well. Even with your help, there may be certain places that get missed. As a result, these places are more prone to tooth decay because plaque can accumulate. If plaque is not disturbed, it can become a breeding ground for thousands of bacteria and this is what ultimately results in the formation of a cavity. To prevent this from happening, a pediatric dentist will perform teeth cleanings twice a year to remove excess plaque and tartar, removing bacteria populations and reducing the risk of your child developing tooth decay in the first place.
As you can see, there are some compelling reasons as to why pediatric dentistry is important. Not only will it improve your child’s oral health and prevent future problems from developing into major issues, but it will teach your child good dental habits. Additionally, it will free them from an issue known as dental anxiety that unfortunately so many people suffer from. For these reasons, and many more, be sure to take your child to their pediatric dentist at least twice a year. The bottom line is this: Pediatric dentistry is important because it helps children and their parents get healthy smiles.
At Dr. Parker’s Pediatric Dentistry, it is our goal to provide specialized pediatric dentistry in a fun, child-friendly environment, teaching each child how to overcome their fears and creating not only a happy smile, but a happy patient that will enjoy visiting the dentist for a lifetime.
Together, we can create a generation of children with healthy smiles and positive attitudes towards dental visits. Call us at (504) 831-2120 today.
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Dr. Jason Parker, a distinguished dentist based in New Orleans, was honored with the New Dentist Award by the Louisiana Dental Association in 2008 for his contributions to both the dental profession and the community. With a background in biology and business administration, Dr. Parker has been in private practice since 2001 and specializes in pediatric dentistry