Children Dentistry Austin

By AustinDentalSpa on May 2, 2011

Children dentistry in Austin is a primary concern, just as it is throughout the U.S. Dental cavities is the most common illness among children in the U.S. Knowing that dental cavities can be prevented, we’d like to take this opportunity to provide you with tips to help ensure that your children can be cavity free during school years. In fact, untreated dental cavities can lead to dental infections that may become life threatening at the most serious stage. Learn more about what you can do about children dentistry in Austin.

The First Dental Visit

Your child’s first dental visit should occur within six months after the first tooth erupts. This is usually by one year of age. During this visit, your dentist can provide helpful tips for your child to be able to maintain oral hygiene. They will also offer tips for diet and fluoride. Your dentist can also evaluate your child’s mouth for proper development and dental conditions, such as, thumb sucking. You can also be educated about injury prevention. Since the focus of the visit will be on prevention, this first time experience will likely be smooth, offering a great way for your child to be easily introduced to oral care and the dentist who will be assisting your child in the years to come.

Though baby teeth fall out, healthy baby teeth are important for proper development of permanent teeth, chewing, biting, and speech development. Baby teeth also direct where permanent teeth will be located in the mouth.

Follow Up Visits

Following the first dental visit, your dentist will set up a plan for follow up visits which usually occur every six months. The semi-annual follow ups visits will be used to continue to evaluate your child’s mouth and oral health. Your dentist will also continue to teach your child how to maintain oral health.  It’s much easier to treat small cavities instead of waiting until the decay is much larger. So, regular dental visits will keep your child on track for early detection if necessary.  Once your child’s molar teeth have erupted or other teeth that have deep groves, your dentist will be likely to recommend dental sealants. Dental sealants are clear protective coverings placed over teeth to reduce the risk of cavities in high risks teeth, such as those with deep grooves.

In the end, protecting your child’s teeth and proper teachings through your dentist sets your children up for success for their oral hygiene for years to come.

If you are interested in general dentistry or cosmetic dentistry, contact Dr. Mark Sweeney, an Austin Texas cosmetic dentist, for a consultation at 512-380-1300.

Posted in cosmetic dentistry, Dentistry FAQ's, oral health