How Do Pediatric Dentists Prevent Cavities?

You do not want to see your child in pain from toothaches every time. That is why you need a King and Weston Dental pediatric dentist attending to your kid regularly.

Studies show that tooth decay is common than any other chronic disease among children. Fortunately, a pediatric dentist is always ready and able to help your children avoid dental decay as they grow.

The advantage of pediatric dentistry is that it also includes preventive care, like dental sealants. It prevents your child from ever having to use fillings, tooth crowns or extraction.

Do not underestimate preventive children’s dentistry. Like adults, children need a dental checkup at least twice a year, or after every six months. At the kid’s dental clinic, the pediatric dentist checks for signs of decay, periodontal diseases and other issues that affect their oral health.

Continue reading to learn five ways in which pediatric dentistry helps to prevent tooth cavities in children. Also, feel free to contact us if you have questions and concerns regarding children’s dentistry.

How Can You Prevent Cavities?

• • Oral Examination

We suggest that you plan an appointment with a children dentist every six months for the children’s dental care. During the appointment, the pediatric dentists check your child’s gums and teeth to detect any signs of developing baby tooth decay.

Dental x-rays are also taken to look at the decay better, which could be hiding beneath the surface. Your child dentist also inspects the teeth structure and shape to determine if they are plausible for tooth decay.

• • Teeth Cleanings

Tooth cleanings are all about the removal of plaque and excessively built-up tartar on the teeth. Plaque refers to an invisible bacterial film that sticks to the teeth, and with time, may start eroding the enamel.

Brushing and flossing is the best home dental care practice to keep off plaque. However, professional cleaning is the only sure way to remove accumulated plaque that has become tartar. A professional tooth cleaning at our kid’s dental clinic removes all hardened tartar between the child’s teeth and the gum line.

• • Tooth Sealants

Our dentists recommend dental sealants for your child if they notice deep grooves on their teeth’ chewing surfaces. Mostly, the back teeth are the ones that need tooth sealants. Tooth sealants cover your child’s teeth surfaces, preventing plaque from getting stuck between the small crevices and developing to harmful tartar., which leads to cavities.

• • Advice on Diet

Today, the average meal contains more sugars compared to 50 years ago. Children, therefore, need to know the types of food to limit consuming, or avoid altogether. For instance, it’s advised that anyone should drink sugary drinks intemperance.

Note that even beverages like sports drinks and fruit juices that seem healthy may contain too much sugar. The pediatric dentist in Weston, Toronto, ON, explains to you and your child how this food and beverages will impact their oral health.

• • Advice on Good Oral Habits

Although tooth decays are much prevalent in children, many can be prevented through healthy dental hygiene habits. For example, dentists at our children’s dental care will recommend that you avoid putting your child to sleep with a bottle. It prevents sugary drinks from decaying their front teeth with time.

During the appointment, our dentist will also discuss how you can protect the child’s oral health to help them thrive.

How Can You Prevent Cavities from Home?

It’s not so pleasant dealing with cavities, but they can be painful to repair since they affect our health. As a parent, if you fail to enlighten your children on good oral care habits, they could go through some rather uncomfortable dental procedures in the future.

The following habits will help protect your child’s teeth against dental cavities.

• Let your children understand the importance of regular health care; by flossing and brushing daily.
• Teach them not to share food and drinks with strangers. Bacteria can be spread through sharing food containers.
• Let dentist routine visits be a priority
• Teach them to avoid lots of sweet and starchy foods. Swap these foods with healthier options like fruits and vegetables.
• Encourage intake of hard and succulent fruits and vegetables. These promote saliva production, which prevents bacteria from sticking to the teeth.
• Drinking water daily and throughout the day flushes off bacteria from the mouth and prevents acid buildup. If possible, let it be fluoridated water.
• Add cheese and nuts to their diets. Cheese and nuts are anti-acid foods that remineralize the teeth.