Preventive dentistry visits are incredibly essential for children similar to adults because they encourage them to develop excellent dental hygiene habits for life. Parents assuming their children’s teeth are immaculate because they are young are committing a grave error because they overlook the benefits their child gets from regular visits to the Lincoln pediatric dentist.
In reality, children have dental health issues that are different from adults. For example, children are more prone to cavities because they love to eat sticky and sugary foods, drink juices and enjoy other delights. Taking children for exams to Dr. Rebecca Scott enables children to get themselves evaluated for cavities, chipped, cracked, misshapen teeth, and exams for the symptoms of gum disease. The experienced dentist recommends x-rays if required during the exams.
The pediatric dentist in Lincoln recommends six-monthly dental exams and cleanings for children as a measure to evaluate their growing mouths and jaws to prevent dental issues early with prompt interventions to treat any anomalies detected in the child’s mouth before it aggravates into a severe condition. This article looks at some of the essential preventive dentistry treatments for children and the benefits it provides them.
Mouthguards
A pediatric dentist near you recommends children wear mouthguards to protect their teeth and gums from physical contact when playing sports. Mouthguards are protective devices explicitly created in the dental office to suit the unique shape of your child’s mouth.
Space Maintainers
Sometimes young children lose their teeth too early and need help to keep the remaining teeth from moving towards the vacant gap between their teeth. Pediatric preventive dentistry near you provides space maintainers specialized dental appliances made from plastic or metal. Space maintainers are entirely comfortable in your child’s mouth while remaining diminutive. As a result, your child adjusts to their placement in fewer days than imagined. The space maintainer holds the vacant space open after the loss of a tooth. The dental appliance helps keep the remaining teeth steady to prevent movement until a permanent tooth emerges. If you are reluctant to get a space maintainer for your child from the dentist, consider how much you may have to spend on orthodontic treatments because a space maintainer is more cost-effective than trying to move your child’s teeth back into their proper positions.
Teeth Cleanings
Dental cleanings are essential for everyone at least once every six months, and your child is no exception. The precaution is necessary to eliminate plaque and tartar that inevitably accumulate despite brushing and flossing regularly. Plaque is sneaky and can remain between your child’s teeth. Removing tartar at home is challenging, but pediatric dentists have the tools necessary to eliminate plaque and tartar to prevent cavities from forming.
Dental Sealants
Children begin developing molars by six or seven, and regular visits to the pediatric dentist Lincoln, NE, will enable them to receive dental sealants, a transparent material resembling plastic that dentists spread on the surfaces of the molars with ease. Dental sealants are applied on the molars if your child has deep grooves on the chewing surfaces of their back teeth.
Dental sealants help prevent cavities by 80 percent for up to 2 years and continue the protection against 50 percent of holes for another four years. The sealants remain in place for up to 9 years if your child doesn’t have deep grooves. Unfortunately, if the reverse is true, the adhesive can loosen and trap plaque to increase the chances of cavities developing. Dental sealants require approximately two minutes per tooth for the application, and the costs are not high either. This preventive treatment with dental signals minimizes the risks of childhood cavities.
Fluoride Treatments
Six monthly dental cleanings also get your child fluoride treatments to strengthen the enamel of their teeth. Fluoride makes the enamel robust, enabling it to battle against the acid and bacteria causing tooth decay. In addition, strong teeth are less likely to endure corrosion.
Besides the above, the pediatric dentist near you discusses the child’s dietary and detrimental mouth-related habits like thumb-sucking and tongue thrusting and suggests remedies to correct the problem. As a parent, you receive suggestions on supervising your child during their dental hygiene routine until the age of seven or eight, after which you can let your child continue with their every task themselves. However, you must not overlook preventive dentistry for children until they become adolescents.
