Dental Health Tips for Reluctant Children

Dental Health Tips for Reluctant Children

February 17, 2015 / in kids dental / by FWCD-Admin
Dental Health Tips for Reluctant Children

Children can be a handful as they go through the different stages of their development. As the baby teeth start to emerge, babies become fussy and parents struggle to comfort them. As more teeth grow in, the need for regular dental care increases, including at-home dental habits as well as regular visits to a pediatric dentist for checkups and cleanings. Managing kid’s dental health is essential for overall health and for the preservation of their adult teeth later in life.

Although the baby teeth are short-lived, falling out or requiring extraction depending on the circumstances, they play a vital role in the development of good kid’s dental habits. Most dentists agree that children should visit the dentist as soon as the first tooth starts to emerge, but visiting before then is also possible. Dentists treat more than just teeth; they ensure the gums and mouth are healthy as well. Visiting the dentist, however, can be an enormous challenge for some parents and children. Starting dental checkups later makes the comfort-curve steep for children that don‘t instantly accept having a stranger poke inside their mouths.

Getting comfortable with regular dental habits can also be a challenge. Some children have difficulty adjusting to certain textures and sensations if not introduced early. For this reason, using a sponge toothbrush or infant’s toothbrush to stimulate the gums, even before teeth start growing in, can help children develop better dental habits and greater comfort with regular brushing. As the teeth erupt, this improved comfort will make brushing and caring for teeth much easier on parents.

For parents that started later, all hope is not lost. Specially trained pediatric dentists are able to use verbal, behavioral, and tone techniques to relax children and make them much more comfortable when in the dentist’s chair.

For more information on managing children’s teeth and oral health, or improving children’s comfort at dental appointments, contact our experienced pediatric dentistry team at Fort Worth Children’s Dentistry today!