Most parents dread the very first visit to the dentist and many of them don’t actually know when they should initially take their children for the first time. As a general rule most dentists will say that the earlier you start, the better. They can begin by getting to know your children as they grow up and that will immediately generate a level of trust, provided the dentist doesn’t cause them too much pain. While they are young—under one year old—you should take them for their first visit. This will give the dentist an idea of how their teeth are starting to form and whether they might have any juvenile dental issues.
Visit Regularity
The next visit should be around the age of two and that’s when they should probably start the classic ‘every six months’ thing. Once they hit four the dentist will probably take some x-rays to get an idea of the state of play in your child’s mouth, although they can do this any time up to the age of six. The dentist will also make recommendations to you about how you should keep the dental hygiene of your children in good form, such as a cleaning regimen and oral hygiene. They will also advise on certain acidic foods and drinks that you should not give to your children. Dentistry in Hartford County, MD, as with most towns and cities in the United States, tends to lean toward prevention rather than cure and if your children have led a reasonably healthy lifestyle and stayed away from too much candy and sugar drinks they will probably have a very healthy young mouth.
Orthodontic evaluations are not uncommon for children around the age of seven or eight. If the dentist is by then a life-long family dentist they will already be aware of the children’s dental health, but if not they will have to administer some tests to decide on whether braces are needed. They check things like overbite, under bite, teeth alignment and jaw shape. They will also check for potential jaw harm from TMD—temporomandibular disorder and offer solutions for you and your child, to prevent it from occurring or becoming worse if it is already present.
To find reliable specialists in children dentistry in Hartford County, MD get in contact with Kaplan McGlothlin for a list of their services and options to improve your teeth.
