There’s nothing like the radiant smile of your child to bring joy and purpose to your life. Here is our advice for having a happy and healthy smile for life!
Start Oral Care Early
The American Dental Association recommends that children receive their first dental checkup at around one year old. This may sound premature (especially if your child hasn’t even grown their first teeth yet), but it fulfills several important functions:
First, dentists are able to determine potential problems in tooth development early on. Poor tooth spacing and jaw structure can lead to painful and dangerous conditions if left unaddressed. Secondly, children develop a familiarity with oral care early on, which makes checkups and treatments down the road much easier. Thirdly, children can learn to develop good habits early on.
Learn Good Habits
Oral health is a lifelong process, and nobody’s perfect. But you can be a good example to your child by brushing and flossing twice daily, and taking care of your teeth. If you or your child plays contact sports, for instance, be sure to wear a mouth guard. Like bicycle helmets, they may not be flattering, but you will get a lot more grief from a chipped tooth than hat hair. Sleeping with your mouth closed is another trick to prevent stinky aerobic bacteria from flourishing in your gums.
eat healthyEat Healthy
This is a part of good oral habits that really deserves its own section. Rule number one is avoiding sugary foods and drinks. If you absolutely insist on drinking soda or hard candy, remember to rinse out your mouth with water afterwards to prevent the sugar from coating your teeth. Soda is also incredible acidic, which deteriorates tooth enamel. Floss, rinse, or brush after every meal, and especially before going to bed to prevent tooth decay in just a few seconds every day.
Regular Checkups
Many dental problems develop very gradually over time. If you wait a year or more—or until you have pain—before getting a checkup, it may already be too late to fix the problem quickly or painlessly. Besides, visiting your dentist regularly will help them to know your mouth better and provide personalized treatment for you. Regular checkups may seem like a frivolous expense to some people, but it always saves money in the long run.
A Doctor You Can Trust
A good dentist is like a member of your family. We hope it goes without saying that you should be able to trust them with your and your children’s oral health. If you build a good relationship with your dentist, you can have faith that they will always have your family’s best interests at heart. This goes for treatment recommendations, financing options, emergency treatment, and more.
