Having a healthy set of teeth throughout life is as an integral part of total overall health. And the best time to get into the habit of seeing the dentist is….as early as possible! The myth is that children’s baby teeth don’t matter much as they are lost eventually anyway. This is far from the truth. Children’s teeth serve an important role, similar to training wheels in chewing, as well as teaching children how to maintain them properly. We have found that children who maintain their teeth well in childhood maintain their teeth well in adulthood. These adults have more of their own natural teeth into old age. The opposite is true for children who have poor hygiene habits, as they have fewer teeth to maintain into old age.
Well, what can a dentist possibly do while my child is really young? We can introduce them to the whole concept of seeing the dentist regularly as a NORMAL part of life. Too many children are brought to the dentist like it’s the emergency department of the hospital. If a child is taught that a dentist is like an emergency room, of course they will avoid it into adulthood.
We endeavour to make the visit as pleasant as possible. Some children just take a look around without getting on the chair, to familiarise themselves with the surroundings. Some kids go for a ride in the chair by themselves! Eventually, the kids are comfortable enough to allow us to take a look and actually do things in their mouths, in a relaxed and comfortable way.
So if you are reading this far into this page, do your children a favour and book now so they can experience dentistry as a healthy part of their lives.