The Importance of Regular Dental Checkups for Your Child

Regular dental checkups are important for children because prevention is better than cure. Regular dental visits play an important role in the positive reinforcement of oral hygiene habits in children, prevent orthodontic problems and other complications. A leading dentist in London recommends parents to have regular dental check-ups for their children at an initial age to prevent dental problems.

Long-term Benefits of Starting Regular Dental Checkups for Your Child

The first dental visit advised by a professional dentist in London is at the eruption of the first tooth in the child’s oral cavity then maintain regular dental check-ups, primary teeth completely erupt before the age of 3, and regular dental visits before the age of three having a long-term impact on children’s dental health such as cavity protection, healthy gum and perfect smile. Some other benefits are:

Early Childhood Cavity Prevention

Nursing bottle caries or tooth decay is very common in children. It affects multiple primary teeth, regular dental visits at this time can prevent tooth damage and improve the dental health of children. Dentists perform different preventive care to save teeth, such as fluoride therapy, and pit and fissure sealants that prevent tooth decay.

Early Oral Hygiene Practices

During regular dental visits, the dental hygienist guides both parents and children about correct brushing techniques, the use of age-appropriate toothbrushes and toothpaste, and the correct way to use floss and mouthwash after every meal. Incorporating good oral hygiene habits at an early age becomes a part of a child’s daily routine, which provides long-term dental and health benefits.

Early Diagnosis of Developmental Dental Issues

Dental issues such as impacted teeth, extra teeth and abnormal jaw growth can be treated if they are diagnosed early. Otherwise, it can cause teeth alignment problems. Expert orthodontists use interceptive orthodontics treatment, which removes extra teeth, helps in impacted tooth eruption, and modifies jaw growth with functional appliances. Early detection and treatment of dental issues saves the effort and time of complex treatment.

Control Dental Treatment Anxiety

Fear of dental treatment can develop in a child when he visits a dental office to perform dental treatment in pain. Regular dental check-ups and early diagnosis of dental and gum issues in children can be treated with a less invasive dental procedure, children will gradually be familiar with the dental office environment and develop a friendly relationship with the dentist and dental staff which helps the dentist in effective and efficient dental treatment without any child fear and anxiety.

Improving Speaking and Chewing Habits

Primary teeth alignment is important for the chewing and speech function of children. Biting issues in primary teeth affect permanent teeth, facial muscle development and nutritional health of the children. Dentists can correct these issues with less invasive treatment when they detect the issues early.

The child can face speaking issues due to abnormal teeth position and tongue tie condition, in which the tongue is abnormally attached to the floor of the mouth, causing difficulty for children to speak properly. The dentist treats the tongue tie problems with minor surgery and recommends different exercises to improve the child’s speech.

Reduce the Cost of Future Dental Care

Regular professional teeth cleaning, and complete evaluation of periodontal health, at an early age, saves the cost of complex dental treatment in adult age. Regular dental check-ups prevent child dental and systemic health. Complex dental treatments are painful, time-consuming and costly, so take care of your children’s oral health to avoid dental problems in adults.

Specific Dental Issues in Children Diagnosed Early During Regular Dental Visits?

During regular dental check-ups, the dentist properly evaluates the dental health of the children and diagnoses dental problems at an early age. Early intervention and proper treatment can prevent dental problems and restore the dental health of the children.

Dental Cavity

Regular dental visits detect tooth decay at an early stage and stop its progression with the help of a filling. Dental filling restores the structure of primary teeth, prevents tooth loss and maintains space for permanent teeth. Tooth decay diagnosis at an early age prevents pain and infection in dental tissue, and it can be easily restored with less invasive treatment.

Orthodontics Issues

Orthodontics issues such as spacing between the teeth, crooked teeth and biting issues in the primary teeth can cause aesthetic, biting and speaking issues in children and affect the alignment of permanent teeth. During regular dental check-ups, the dentist takes radiographs to evaluate orthodontic problems and refers to the orthodontist for early orthodontics treatment to restore aesthetics, speaking and chewing function.

Gums Problems

Gum problems such as bleeding, bad breath and gum infections can be diagnosed and treated early during regular dental visits. Prolonged and progressive gum disease in children can cause bone resorption and affect children’s systemic health so early treatment is important to avoid these complications.

Parafunctional Habit

Children commonly practice parafunctional habits such as thumb sucking, tongue thrusting and teeth clenching which have a deep impact on the dental health of the children. Thumb sucking can cause palatal bone changes and move front teeth outside with open bite, night teeth clenching worn teeth surface and cause temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems in children. Dentists can control all these habits with proper counselling and fabrication of habit breakers.

Dental Development Problems

Teeth development problems such as retained teeth, missing teeth, hypo-mineralised teeth and dental fluorosis are common dental development problems. Early dental check-ups identify these problems and can be corrected early, such as extraction of retained teeth, help in the timely eruption of permanent teeth, and early orthodontic treatment can close missing teeth space. Dental fluorosis and hypomineralisation cause teeth discolouration and weaken the teeth structure, early diagnosis can prevent these complications.

Conclusion

Regular dental checkups are important for children’s long-term dental health, diagnosing dental issues early can prevent complications, and develop good oral hygiene habits with speaking and proper functional development in children. Specific dental issues are diagnosed during regular dental check-ups, such as superficial tooth decay, parafunctional habits and tooth development defects, so regular dental visits are important for early diagnosis and treatment of dental problems.

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