When it comes to child dentistry, parents often receive conflicting advice.
While most advice revolving around dental care for children is fairly benign, some misconceptions have become so ingrained in society that many parents believe them, inadvertently causing issues for their children’s oral health.
So, what is the truth? Do babies need to visit a dentist in Mackay if they don’t have any teeth?
Is it better to have rotting baby teeth removed or filled? At what age should my child learn to brush their teeth?
In this article, the most common misconceptions surrounding child dentistry are explored, offering clear advice for confused parents!
Juice is better for my child’s teeth than fizzy drinks!
While many parents believe it is a big no-no to give their child fizzy drinks, common fruit juices available in supermarkets often contain the same amount of sugar as colas!
If you must give your child a fruit based drink, squash diluted heavily with water is a good option. Or, if your child has recently consumed a fruit drink, make sure they drink water afterwards or, if you are at home, ensure that they brush their teeth.
My baby’s teeth haven’t come through yet, so they don’t need to go for a check-up!
Prevention is always better than cure.
When your baby was born, they were exposed to all manner of medical professionals and, even if their teeth haven’t erupted yet, it is advisable to get your child to see a dentist in Mackay by the time they are 12 months old.
This will allow them to become familiar with what is involved in a check-up and visiting the dentist, and this helps to stop fears from developing in the future and into adulthood.
Baby teeth aren’t as important as adult teeth!
As they are going to fall out anyway, many parents assume baby teeth are not important.
However, the position of baby teeth is important for the eruption of adult teeth. If your child has to have baby teeth extracted due to decay, it can cause issues with their speech and a temporary inability to eat certain foods.
It is best to look after those baby teeth until they are ready to fall out on their own!
Cleaning children’s teeth is no different from cleaning my own teeth!
There is a wide variety of baby toothbrushes and toothpastes available, specially designed for those first infant teeth.Once the first tooth appears, use a soft finger brush or a cloth to keep it clean; you wouldn’t do that to your own teeth, but baby teeth have a softer layer of enamel that needs gentle exfoliation to clean.
When brushing those first teeth, make sure you use a very soft brush and a minimal amount of toothpaste.
Thumb sucking won’t cause any issue with my child’s teeth.
Persistent thumb sucking can cause issues with emerging teeth as the constant pressure against the roof of the mouth can cause new teeth to come through crooked or out of line.
Talk to a paediatric dental professional or a general dentist (you may find one using websites similar to https://www.1800dentist.com/directory/service) about ways to prevent misalignment of newly emerged teeth.
When proper care is taken from the initial stage itself, the chances of developing a toot problem at later stages are diminished. However, bad fooding habits can give way to dental problems again even after all these precautions. So, make sure to make your kid aware of the foods or habits to be avoided as he grows up that can help him/her maintain proper oral hygiene.
Disclaimer
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
