Why is Children’s Dentistry important?
It is no secret that a person learns good oral hygiene habits very early in life, and those lifestyle habits extend into adulthood. Just as it is essential to teach your children the proper ways of brushing and flossing their teeth from a tender age, it is important to bring them to see the dentist at least twice a year.
The importance of professional dental care cannot be overemphasized, and this is even truer during the formative years of your child’s dental development. In fact, children can begin to see a dentist as early as 3 years of age.
Compared to adults, children are more prone to developing cavities, with varying degrees of severity. While some parents may choose to ignore tooth decays that involve milk teeth, believing that they will soon fall off, it is not advisable.
Tooth decay in milk teeth can lead to future complications such as infections, eating difficulty and bite problems. Yes, it may even make your child’s permanent teeth more prone to decay. Moreover, it is never a good idea to let an infection linger in your child’s mouth, as you may be risking toothaches, unsightly teeth, and a deepening infection, all of which can have detrimental effects on your child’s physical and emotional wellbeing.
Children’s dental needs are different
A child’s oral health is essential to his or her overall health and long-term wellbeing. Having a straight, bright and beautiful set of teeth can help to boost one’s confidence and chances of future success.
The smile is an underrated facial feature that often impacts the way people see themselves and how they are being viewed by others. Why should it be different for a child? For example, a child struggling with a visible tooth decay or bad breath have been known to smile less or avoid close interaction with people.
While our children have to deal with some of the social pressures stemming from poor dental health that the adults face, there are also those dental problems that affect them in a more profound way.
Few people are aware that tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease. It is 20 times more common than childhood diabetes and five times more common than asthma among kids. When your child develops a tooth decay, the dental pain can rather traumatising, often affecting their ability to eat, sleep and learn.
Gum disease such as gingivitis is very common in children. It is a chronic disease that can cause the gum tissue to bleed, swell, and turn red. It can also result in bad breath that does not clear up even with regular brushing and flossing.
Gingivitis is both preventable and treatable if spotted at an early stage. The dental ailment often goes unnoticed because its symptoms are easily ignored or mistaken for other problems. Early diagnosis is essential for successful treatment of periodontal diseases. That is why dental checks for children are so important. It allows the dentist to closely monitor your child’s oral development.
At Molongo Dental Surgery, our approach to caring for a child’s teeth places great emphasis on prevention. When it comes to dentistry for children, nothing but the best will do – which is our kids dentist in Canberra strives to give your little ones the most comprehensive dental care in a relaxing and child-friendly environment.
Our kid-friendly Canberra dentists believe in providing the thoughtful and easy-to-follow guidance to children. This includes everything from the proper care and brushing of their teeth to cavities prevention, to the healthiest foods for maintaining strong teeth and gums.
We also recognise that children have different growth and development patterns to adults. Baby bottle decay, for example, is a common problem for infants finding it difficult to wean off the bottle, and its effects on newly erupted baby teeth.
Our Kid-friendly Canberra dentists also have vast knowledge and experience in the use of sedation and anaesthesia in children. This can be especially critical in situations where a child needs dental surgery or when helping a nervous or anxious kid patient overcome their dental phobia.
Some of the basic but important preventive steps that we recommend to help your child maintain good oral health are:
Establish proper oral hygiene habits during their formative years: Good dental care starts at home and should begin as early as possible. It takes a lot of discipline and patience to instil positive brushing and flossing habits in your kids but it’s well worth the effort in the long run.
You are the best role model for your kids: Kids learn the most through observing the adults around them. By practicing good dental hygiene habits yourself, you are showing by example how they should be looking after their own teeth. This simple fact cannot be overstated.
Maintain regular dental visits for check-ups and professional cleaning: Bringing your child to see the dentist at least twice a year will spare them the agony of tooth pangs at night or undergoing dental procedures when things go wrong.
Our Kid-Focused Services
Parents and caregivers can have peace of mind while their little ones are in our care. There are many reasons why we are able to achieve consistently positive outcomes with our young patients.
Here are just a few examples:
Kid-friendly atmosphere: Yes, our playpen is stocked with toys, books and games to keep them happily occupied at the waiting area. However, we believe it’s more than that. We believe that it’s the people that give the environment its “positive vibes”. I think your kids would love hanging out with our happy MDS crew in a friendly and relaxing atmosphere.
Exclusive treat: Your kids will soon be raving about our Dino Dental kids chair – a kid-cool unit that is exclusive to Canberra!
Kid-friendly Communication: One of the cornerstones of establishing rapport with kids lies in the use of clear, easy-to-understand communication. Working with kids of all ages, including infants and toddlers, our dentists and staff are no strangers to using lively verbal and non-verbal communication to bridge the age gap. Whether it’s in understanding their lingo or empathising with their fears and anxieties, it helps that we relate to them in a calm, professional yet friendly way.
Kid-focused dental techniques: We offer modern cavity-fighting techniques like dental sealants to fortify your child’s resistance to tooth decay. For more info, go to our Dental Sealants page.
Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS): If your child is eligible for $1,052 worth of basic dental services, simply bring the letter of CDBS entitlement and your Medicare card to our clinic and we’ll make a claim on your behalf on the spot. For more info, go to our Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) page.
Molonglo Dental Surgery provides easy and affordable access to quality Children’s Dentistry. For more info, call our friendly team at 02 6287 1222.
