Caring For Your Child’s Smile

Your little one should begin seeing the dentist regularly before they start kindergarten. These checkups and cleanings look different than your visits, though. At Cleveland Family Dentistry in Cleveland, TX, we can help educate you and your child on proper care and prepare them for orthodontics. In today’s blog, we will be discussing the importance of pediatric visits.

Their First Visit

Your little one is first trip to the dentist should be around one year old, or when they grow in their first teeth. This initial visit helps get them comfortable with the dentist and ensures that they are in good health. Then, around the age of three years old, they can begin seeing the dentist every six months just like you. These visits are just as important, if not more, than your visits. Early detection of problems like cavities, problems with jaw growth, speech, and more, can be treated with proper prevention.

As your child grows up, we can refer them to an orthodontist for alignment services. Before this process begins, we can help prepare them for this treatment with expanders, if necessary. This will help create enough space in the jaw for the teeth to be properly shifted.

Preventing Cavities And More

Cavities are one of the most common dental problems that patients face. This can lead to discomfort, bad breath, and toothaches. A combination of your little one’s diet and learning how to properly care for their pearly whites plays a role in why cavities occur so often. At home, you can assist your child in brushing and flossing to ensure that they reach all those hard-to-get areas. Then, at their biannual checkup, the dentist and staff can perform a thorough examination to check for cavities. We can offer fluoride treatment or sealants to give your little one a boost against tooth decay.

Bruxism is also fairly common in children as well. Your dentist can help identify this problem and treat the issue with an oral appliance. This can help protect your child’s teeth from wearing down and breaking.

Treating Tooth Decay

If your little one ends up with a cavity, we can help. We offer fillings that will blend in naturally with their smile and protect their teeth. Fillings include the process of removing the damaged part of the tooth, cleaning the area, and adding a material to the leftover space. This prevents bacteria from continuing to spread and causing more severe damage. This restorative process is important even in baby teeth because it can keep their smile healthy. If a cavity is not treated in time, the tooth may need to be extracted which can cause problems with aligning the teeth later.

Schedule Your Little One’s Appointment Today

Proper at-home hygiene and regular checkups can protect your child from common dental problems. To schedule an appointment, call our office in Cleveland, TX, today at (281) 592-1234.