Children Visit FrequencyIt is essential that your child learns to brush and floss his teeth at an early age. However, for optimum dental health, he’ll need regular dental exams and professional cleanings. You should start bringing your child in for dental checkups either when his first tooth erupts or when he turns one, whichever one comes first. After that, you should bring him in for appointments once every six months. While it may sound a bit unreasonable at that age, frequent dental appointments are critical to preserving the health of your child’s baby teeth. Let’s work together to get your kid accustomed to proper oral care at a young age, as that is the best protection against all manner of dental issues. Trips to the DentistWhen your child comes in for his first dental appointment, we will examine his health history in its entirety. On most every dental visit after that, you can expect us to do a thorough dental examination. During this examination, Dr. Raptou will carefully check your child’s mouth, teeth, and gums for any potential health problems or signs of disease. We may also take X-rays of your child’s teeth. This will allow us to detect problems we couldn’t otherwise see, like decay in between teeth, impacted teeth, tumors, cysts, abscesses, or damage to the jaw bone. Most dental appointments also involve a professional tooth cleaning, in which Dr. Raptou will remove tartar and plaque that has accumulated along and underneath the gum line. Then he will clean and polish your teeth. Professional cleanings allow dental experts to remove plaque and clean areas of the teeth in ways you cannot at home. If anything has changed in his oral health or his overall health, make sure to tell us so we can address it at a subsequent visit. Preventative CareEven if you take good care of your child’s teeth at home, he can nevertheless have tooth problems that don’t show symptoms. Frequent dental checkups will let us discern tooth decay and symptoms of oral disease early on. Dr. Raptou and his team can pick up these problems quickly and treat them before they get worse. Some parents think that baby teeth don’t need in-depth care because they’ll fall out later. But keep in mind that a child’s permanent teeth will grow in right underneath his baby teeth. The baby teeth guide permanent teeth into place and play an important role in shaping your child’s dental health in the long-term. During your child’s appointments, we will check to make sure his teeth are developing as they should and keep an eye on any teeth that are misshaped or missing. We will also teach you and your child how to brush and floss properly. Reducing AnxietyMany children are afraid to go to the dentist and carry these fears into adulthood. However, if you and your child take good care of your teeth, you should avoid the oral problems that require extensive treatment or surgery. Frequent dental visits can also build your child’s comfort level, making appointments run more smoothly for both of us. These visits will also impress upon the child’s mind the importance of lifelong dental care habits. For more information, please contact our office at (614) 427-0449. |
Contact Raptou Family Dental TodayOur Columbus dentists are the first step to a healthier, happier you! |
