Marietta Pediatric Dentist Helps Children Fight against Tooth Decay
One of the first things children learn to do is how to give themselves proper oral care, which helps them fight against one of the true dangers of teeth loss: tooth decay.
As a parent, you’ll want your children to confidently smile at you with a healthy and full set of teeth. Considering that children usually have a strong liking for sweets and dislike brushing their teeth, it can be hard to maintain their little chompers. Fortunately, regular visits to an East Cobb pediatric dentist like Dr. Brent Herrin of Herrin Pediatric Dentistry can help with this. It’s been noted that 7.5 million children between ages 6 and 12 experienced a toothache within a six-month period and most of these toothaches were caused by tooth decay, something a visit to a dentist can detect and prevent.
Pediatric dentistry for children in East Cobb may seem unnecessary considering there are general practitioners around; however, children have specific dental needs that adults do not have. For one, adults aren’t usually plagued by the fears and anxieties of younger patients who typically end up as uncooperative patients. Most older patients wouldn’t blink if faced with an anesthesia injection or some of the more specialized pieces of dental equipment, but a child would understandably be frightened.
Pediatric dentists are trained to calm children down with their body language, words, and facial expressions. For example, instead of being direct in explanations, pediatric dentists use special terms and phrases to make the dental procedure suitable for young ears; dental equipment are called by funny names and everything is done as gently as possible.
Another specific need that pediatric dentists know how to meet in their young patients is in terms of teeth development. Having someone watching over your child’s teeth development can significantly reduce the incidence of tooth decay and allows for early intervention in case of bad bite or teeth misalignment.
Regular visits to a pediatric dentist are an excellent way to ensure that your children’s teeth will remain in great shape. This is done not just by regular inspection and cleaning but also via other means. For example, there is the application of sealants to teeth, which are clear or shaded plastic materials that can help protect children’s teeth from decay or erosion. Dentists dry and condition damaged teeth then apply the sealant, leaving it to harden and form a protective layer.
Protecting teeth isn’t just what pediatric dentists do. For children unfortunate enough to loose teeth or damage them, dentists can provide ways to restore them. Dental crowns can be placed over teeth ravaged by cavities while pedo-partials can be placed to temporarily replace lost front teeth. When it comes to your child’s dental health, your best choice is to entrust it to a skilled pediatric dentist.
(Source: Increasing frequency of pediatric dental visits helps prevent tooth decay, Dentistry IQ)