Knowing when and why to bring your child to the dentist can be a challenging issue for some people. Children, like adults, should be going to see a dental professional periodically, and not when there is a specific issue that is present.

Even though both children and adults need to be seen by dental professionals, it is not advised that they go to the same place. This is why some dental professionals choose to specialize in children’s dental issues, and they are known as a pediatric dentist. Lecanto residents should know that this is the same thing with regular medical care as well, as children are recommended to see a pediatrician until they are eighteen years old.

Children will have many of the same teeth issues that adults deal with, but not everyone knows when they should bring their child to the pediatric dentist. Today we will be going over some information, so parents have a better understanding of how to care for their child’s mouth and teeth.

Children Should Have Regular Dental Visits

There are a lot of parents who are under the impression that they should only bring their child to the dentist when they are having pain or discomfort, but this is not the right mindset to have. Under normal circumstances, adults are recommended to go to a dentist at least once a year, twice if they can afford it, and this is also the same with children as well.

Even when a child is not in pain or discomfort, parents should set up regular appointments to go see a pediatric dentist. Lecanto residents should know that dentists and pediatric dentists are not only concerned with fixing immediate issues, but they are concerned with preventing these types of issues from ever happening.

For example, everyone, including children, should try to get a yearly cleaning to make their teeth healthier and prevent issues from arising in the future, most notably tooth decay like cavities. A lot of parents may think these issues are important, because children lose all of their baby teeth anyway, but this is not the right mentality to have.

One Big Concern That Affects Children More Than Adults

Most people are aware of the fact that tooth decay is something that can affect anyone, regardless if they are a full-grown adult or a young child. But one issue that can affect children well more than adults has to deal with teeth alignment issues and spacing.

This is one great reason why a parent should bring their child regularly to a pediatric dentist. Lecanto residents should know that if these issues are caught early, a dental professional can recommend orthodontic work to be done which would correct these issues.  The longer someone waits to have this kind of work done, the longer it may take for orthodontic work to correct these specific issues.

*Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Anchor Dental Care*