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Importance of Pediatric Dentistry to Child Dental Health

    Starting your child on good dental hygiene could go a long way in ensuring that they have healthy teeth in their teens and adulthood. You could achieve proper dental care for your children by investing in routine pediatric dental care. Checking their teeth regularly could alert you of any potential issue, provide dental care education, and ensure they have a beautiful smile.  You should look for the best dentists in pediatric dentistry in Santa Clarita who would help you achieve the best dental outcomes for your children. First, you should know the services offered by pediatric dentists and how they deal with dental conditions for better dental health outcomes for your children.

    Services Offered by Pediatric Dentists

    Pediatric doctors offer dental care for children, and they are trained to treat the primary and permanent teeth for children comprehensively. Additionally, they could provide education on how to care for your child’s teeth at home, and it could be better to take your child to a pediatric doctor as soon as they develop their first teeth. Services offered by the pediatric doctors include:

    •       Oral exams

    Oral exams could help check the child’s oral health; during the procedure, your surgeon could use hand-held mirrors to check the mouth, gums, teeth, and tongue. During an oral exam, the dentist could be looking for signs of gum disease, cavities, and other issues, and they could refer the child for an X-ray for further examinations.

    •       Professional teeth cleaning for children

    Even when you guide your child on proper dental brushing and flossing, they could need professional teeth cleaning at the dentist’s office. During the professional cleaning, the dentist could remove the tartar and plaque that could have built up in your child’s mouth. They could also polish the child’s teeth with a gritty paste and help them floss. In some circumstances, the dentist could administer fluoride treatment, which reduces the possibility of developing cavities.

    •       Dental sealants

    History of cavities in children could be treated using dental sealants, which coat the teeth and prevent further damage and decay. Your pediatric dentists should provide the child with sealants that work well for their developing teeth.

    •       Orthodontics

    You could correct misaligned jaws and crowded teeth at your dentist’s office. The dentist could use different appliances like retainers, braces, and palatal expanders that correct the issues.

    How Often Should You See the Pediatric Doctor?

    Even when you think that the child’s teeth and gums are healthy, it could help if you saw a pediatric doctor once every six months. Seeing the pediatric doctor frequently could help diagnose conditions and treat them before they advance to unmanageable levels. Some diseases like gum disease and cavities might not have apparent side effects, and they could only be diagnosed through regular dental checkups.

    The Bottom Line

    Dental care starts at an early age, and thus the need to find a pediatric doctor for your children. The pediatric doctor could conduct early diagnosis and treatment of dental conditions, help correct orthodontic issues, teach your child proper dental care, and provide professional cleaning. It could help to see the pediatric dentist as soon as the first tooth appears and throughout childhood as the specialists could treat their teeth adequately.