Brush Up on the Facts About Preventing Cavities in Children
As parents, you do everything you can to keep your kids healthy. But if you think that there’s nothing you can do to keep them cavity-free, think again. Preventing cavities in children doesn’t have to be hard, as long as you know a few simple steps for keeping that dental decay away. It helps to know what causes these cavities from forming in the first place, along with some tried-and-trusted tips for prevention to keep your kids happy and healthy.
A cavity is caused when dental decay attacks a tooth and leaves a hole in its structure. This dental decay comes from plaque, which is a sticky substance made of germs that clings to the teeth and erodes the enamel. If plaque isn’t removed every day through proper brushing and flossing, it will keep eating away at the delicate enamel and cause the tooth to decay. If the decay extends deep into the tooth, it can strike the sensitive nerve endings and cause a lot of pain.
Since you want to protect your children from the discomfort of cavities, you need to catch them and treat them quickly before they cause larger or later problems.
Your best defense against dental decay is a pediatric dentist. Schedule regular check-ups and routine cleanings for your kids with a pediatric dentist in Florida and Maryland because it takes a professional to spot and stop cavities from forming.
The pediatric dentist will carefully examine your child’s teeth and take some x-rays, if needed. If a cavity is detected, it can be easily repaired by removing the part of the tooth that’s decayed and filling it in with a special material. If there’s any chance of pain in the procedure, the dentist will give your child a mild anesthetic to keep them soothed.
While it’s reassuring to know that cavities are treatable, the best protection is proper prevention. When it comes to preventing cavities in children, these four simple steps can keep kids cavity-free:
1. Make sure that your children brush their teeth with a fluoride-filled toothpaste after every meal or at least twice a day, especially at bedtime.
2. Teach them to brush carefully yet completely in a gentle, circular motion.
3. Show kids that floss is their friend and make it a daily part of their hygiene routine to remove the plaque and particles that get trapped between teeth.
4. Schedule standing appointments with a pediatric dentist to help catch and correct any problems early and keep your kids’ teeth at their best.
