• Beautiful smile , Childrens dentistry , Pediatric dentistry of chattanooga ,
• 28 Oct

Are you looking for a pediatric dental practice for your children? The earliest years of your child’s life are the most important, as they’re learning a host of basic life skills that will keep them healthy for decades to come. One of the most important elements, no matter your age, is maintaining a beautiful smile. This will keep you feeling good, improve your self-esteem and even affect your career opportunities in the future! Below is a simple list on how to keep your teeth gleaming, from flossing regularly to avoiding frequent bad habits. Let’s take a look!

What Constitutes Good Oral Health?

Establishing the basics now will go a long way in cultivating a happy and healthy smile in your children. Anyone’s teeth should be bright, smooth and decently straight — likewise, frequent yellowing, browning or crooked foundations can be signs of a deeper problem. There are multiple ways to protect ones’ teeth, as well. Considering many kids like to get involved in sports and outdoor activities, it’s important to teach them the benefits of keeping their teeth safe. Helmets and mouth guards, for example, are two forms of protection that are known to prevent teeth from being bent or knocked out in an accident.

What Constitutes Bad Oral Health?

Now for the other side of the coin! It’s never been easier to cultivate cavities and gum disease, thanks in no small part to a very distracted culture and easily available sweets and snacks. Since children have a natural sweet tooth, it’s easy for them to accumulate a lot of harmful sugars and create a cavity rich environment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (also known as the CDC) report nearly one out of every five American children having untreated cavities — this rate reaches nearly 20% for children between the ages of two and five as well as 22% of younger and older teenagers.

What Are Common Diseases?

You’ll likely take your child to a pediatric dental practice for the following reasons. Tooth decay is five times more common than asthma, according to recent studies, and crops up four times more often than even early childhood obesity. Additional surveys have even seen it occurring 20 times more frequently than diabetes! This painful condition digs to the root of the tooth and can cause extreme discomfort, soreness and sensitivity. Tooth decay isn’t the only concern, either — gingivitis and plaque build-up are just a few of the issues that can appear without regular brushing and flossing.

What Are Good Habits?

Shockingly, only 22% of people claim to floss every day! That means food and sugar have plenty of time to make a cozy home where they don’t belong, creating plaque, gingivitis and potential cavities. Another survey saw nearly 75% of people not replacing their toothbrushes on a regular basis — you shouldn’t have one for longer than a month, as the bristles become too weak and soft to push away rock hard plaque. When nearly 80% of people have a cavity by the time they’re 17, it’s essential to instill good habits as soon as possible!

How Often Should I Visit The Dentist?

When it comes to good oral health, one of the most important steps will always be regularly taking your children to a pediatric dental practice. Pediatric dentists are well-versed in common tooth problems and can help keep your childrens’ teeth clean while teaching them useful day-to-day habits. Smoking and excessive drinking of coffee should be avoided to reduce the chances of yellowing and browning. When one out of every four children have never been to the dentist before they set foot in a kindergarten, teaching them good habits early on will save you all a bunch of trouble down the road when you go to a pediatric dental practice. Have you flossed today?