Professional dental cleans are recommended for patients of all ages – including your children. Regular teeth cleanings are an extremely valuable asset for your child’s dental health. During the first decade of their life, children are at very high risk of developing cavities. This is in part due to some of the habits that they can form, such as taking a bottle to bed, sucking their thumb or eating too much sugar. Children are also not as adept at taking care of their teeth as well as adults, and despite parents’ best efforts to supervise, many kids who visit the dentist for a clean or a check-up are found to be slightly lacking in the way that they look after their smile. A professional dental clean can help preserve your child’s baby teeth and eventually his adult teeth for longer and keep his gums and smile in tip-top condition.

We are delighted to be able to offer pediatric dental cleanings at our children’s dentistry offices in Fort Worth, TX.

Why are professional dental cleanings important?

Many people think that, if you brush your teeth twice a day at home, a professional dental clean is a waste of time and money. However, this is far from the case. When you schedule a professional dental clean, your teeth will receive a far superior level of clean that you or your child are able to perform in the comfort of your own home. There are several reasons for this.

Firstly, your dentist has far better access to your child’s mouth and teeth to clean them. Your professional will be able to see those teeth that you might not be able to visualize properly at home. Secondly, your dentist has the professional equipment needed to clean all of your teeth thoroughly, especially those that a toothbrush might not otherwise reach. This includes the tiny crevices between your child’s teeth that even dental floss can’t reach and the tiny pits and grooves in his molars and pre-molars. Their ability to use professional equipment makes them better able to carry out a truly comprehensive clean as well as removing any stubborn tartar that may have formed that is impossible to remove with just a toothbrush.

If my child will lose his baby teeth, do dental cleanings matter?

A common misconception of many patients is that they don’t need to worry about paying too much attention to preserving their child’s baby teeth. After all, they will fall out in a few years and be replaced with fresh, new, healthy teeth anyway, right? While this may be the case (in most circumstances – there are a few patients who retain baby teeth because they do not have adult teeth to replace them), healthy first teeth are still crucially important for your child to form sounds and words, chew comfortably, keep the gums healthy and free from disease and to ensure that there is a clean and healthy environment for adult teeth to erupt into.

How often does my child need a dental cleaning?

Children are recommended to have as many professional dental cleanings as adults – approximately one every six months starting at around the age of 2 when they should have all of their baby teeth. Although many parents are concerned about their child experiencing stress at the prospect of regular professional cleans, starting dental cleans from an early age actually help to prevent kids from developing dental phobia later on. If necessary, mild sedation may also be given to help your child tolerate the appointment.

If you would like to schedule a dental cleaning for your child, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team at our offices in Fort Worth, TX today by calling 817-569-6633.