Protecting your children’s teeth with regular check-ups
Starting from a young age
Before or after the first tooth begins to present itself in your baby’s mouth, a trip to our dentist in Plymouth is most likely far from your mind. After all, why begin the visits before any solid foods or sugary drinks are had? Whilst this may seem like common sense, in truth, by having your child from as young as 6 months old attend our dental practice, you will be creating a series of positive associations and setting them up for a healthy, oral hygiene process going forward.
Childhood experiences impacting adulthood
Studies have shown that a high percentage of adults who have anxieties surrounding their visits to the dental practice were often not encouraged to attend check-up appointments throughout their early years. Although this may seem a little odd, creating the positive experiences and regular pattern of the yearly or bi-yearly check-up, has shown to greatly affect the emotional response to visits during adulthood.
Creating positive habits
For some, life habits can feel tough to get into motion. Visits to the doctor occur only when ill and visits to the dental practice can become few and far between. If, from a young age, you are used to attending our dentist in Plymouth on a 6 to 12 month basis, you are more likely to continue this life-long habit throughout adulthood and far into your later years. Studies have shown that it can take anywhere between 18 days to 254 days to create a new habit and therefore if the work has been put in throughout childhood, it is less likely to become an issue in later life.
What exactly can be done in the early years?
Aside from the emotional impact of visits during the early stages of life, the physical impact is also rather obvious. During visits to our dentist in Plymouth not only can protective and preventive measures be put in place, but early signs of potential oral health issues can be identified early and dealt with. This proactive approach ensures that the possibility of needing extensive treatments or procedures is greatly reduced, which is what our team at Meavy Way Dental Practice is focussed on.
On a day-to-day basis our teeth, mouth and gums go through a series of extensive processes. From crunching, chewing, gritting, being rinsed in sugary drinks to undergoing a cleaning regime which may or may not be effective each day. All these processes which are continuously occurring due to being part of everyday life, are impacting your teeth in one way or another and can in time lead to tooth decay.
Throughout the early years of life, having a fluoride application painted onto the surface of a child’s teeth can greatly reduce the impact of this daily wear and tear on them and protect them from developing tooth decay. Alongside this is the possibility of having tooth-coloured sealants applied to the biting areas of the teeth. These defences against tooth decay are highly effective and ensure that your child’s oral health is off to a great start.