Dental health is an important part of child health and may often remain unnoticed. However, the fact is that parents need to be vigilant about the dental health of their children right from infancy. Hygiene and care taken during the early years helps children to have healthy teeth and gums and are able to enjoy better health.
First dental visit
Ideally an infant should be seen by a dentist by around one year of age. Usually the first visit is only for a general check and may not involve any active dental treatment. The aim of the first dental visit is to create an awareness regarding dental health and getting the infant screened for potential dental problems.
It gives the dentist an opportunity to interact with the child and allows the child to feel comfortable. The child may be allowed to sit on the dental chair with the parent or can be seated on a regular chair if required. Choosing a pediatric dentist is better as they specialize in child dental health, they are aware of the child specific treatments and better ways of handling kids during dental treatment.
What to know?
The different aspects focused during the first visit would include regular dental care and oral hygiene practices to maintain healthy teeth and gums, preventing carries and gum problems, application of fluoride, tooth alignment, concerns regarding developmental milestones and habits like thumb sucking or drooling saliva.
The dentist would like to know about the birth history, any specific health concerns, developmental milestones, any habits related to mouth and surrounding areas. It is essential to let your dentist know about any oral disorders or treatments that the child may have experienced or undergone. For example children with cleft lip, cleft palate, tongue disorders or similar other conditions of the oral cavity need to be informed to the dentist during the check-up. Apart from the history taking point of view, these factors are important to assess the risk of teeth malformation, misalignment or crowding.
It is advisable to visit a dentist one in six months and follow the given advice.
