What Happens During A Child’s Visit?

Children need routine care to help protect their smiles from issues like tooth decay and gingivitis. In addition. These visits also give your Independence, MO, dentist a chance to offer preventive treatments too. In today’s blog, we’re going to look at the benefits of checkups and cleanings, and when we may prescribe fluoride treatments and dental sealants.

When should you bring your little one for the first dental visit? We suggest one within six months of the first baby tooth’s arrival. The visit allows us to carefully examine the smile to ensure teeth are erupting properly. After this visit, we suggest a routine checkup and cleaning appointment about once every six months.

During follow-up visits, we will continue to carefully examine the teeth, gums, and oral structures for signs of trouble, allowing us to treat issues before they lead to discomfort or major complications, such as premature tooth loss, a major factor in the onset of dental misalignment. Our team watches for warning signs of tooth decay, gingivitis, developing misalignment, and dental infections. We also clean the teeth in the same visit, a process that carefully removes plaque and tartar from the surfaces of the teeth. Removing plaque helps lower the risk of cavities and gingivitis, and also fights teeth stains and bad breath as well. In addition, kids attending these visits are less likely to develop dental anxiety, and more likely to continue to attend checkups in adulthood.

We also administer preventive treatments to help strengthen smiles and safeguard them against tooth decay, which can impact little smiles as soon as the first teeth arrive! With fluoride treatments, we apply a special varnish during each visit, which helps strengthen the outermost layer of enamel. Dental sealants involve placing a special acrylic coating on the rear teeth, which prevents food from becoming trapped between teeth difficult for kids to reach when they brushing and floss. The layers wear away with time, and last for several years on average. We also recommend you assist or monitor your kids to ensure proper brushing and flossing each day, and help lower their sugar intake, which safeguards smiles against cavities. Be sure your littlest ones are not falling asleep or napping with a bottle of milk or juice, which coats the teeth and leaves them vulnerable to bacteria.

We would like to help kids of all ages maintain optimal oral health. To learn more about keeping little smiles strong and healthy, schedule a consultation by contacting Independence Family and Cosmetic Dentistry in Independence, MO, today at 816-350-0808. We also proudly serve patients who live in Independence, Lee’s Summit, and all surrounding communities.