Which Dental Procedures Are Necessary for your Child?

When was the last time you visited a dentist for the sole purpose of providing dental care for your child? Unfortunately, very few patients prioritize preventive dental care for kids. The truth is that children, just as much as adults, need both preventive and restorative dental care to preserve their oral health. One of your greatest responsibilities as a parent is to cater to your child’s health all around. It means that you cannot neglect active dental care.

What Is Pediatric Dentistry?

It is a specialty of dentistry that focuses on the dental care needs of children, usually from infancy throughout the teenage years. Pediatric dentistry cannot address any adult dental needs. The dental experts in this specialty have been educated, trained, and gathered experience to deal with kids’ changing oral needs as they grow up.

Why Is Pediatric Dentistry Useful?

Until your child has a pressing dental need, you may not quite appreciate the role of Pediatric dentistry in Brooklyn, NY. Many parents wait until urgent dental issues arise to realize that their kids need to visit a dentist near them. Unfortunately, it is not the right approach to dental health. Kids need dental care before they are sick or have any oral-related problems. Some reasons why children need dental care are:

1. Preserve the alignment of their teeth – dental misalignments begin to occur at a young age when the jawbone is forming. Besides, keeping track of baby teeth can spare the child years of wearing braces to straighten teeth.
2. Fostering oral hygiene – although you may be intentional to teach them, kids are not very keen on their oral hygiene. Eventually, it may lead to cavity formation, compromising their oral health. Instead, in pediatric dentistry, dentists teach kids to take care of their oral cavities while making the process fun.
3. Kids have changing dental needs – as your child grows up, their mouths and bodies change a lot. These changes need to be addressed differently from when they were younger. For instance, in just a few years, your child will move from needing a carrot to rub their gums during teething to needing dental care for their first baby tooth loss.
4. For healthy habit formation – kids form new habits easily. If you are not keen to observe, your child will pick up many unhealthy and poor oral habits that will compromise their dental health long-term. Pediatric dentistry is exactly the place for kids to form healthy habits to support their dental health.

Which Dental Procedure is Useful for a Child?

As a parent, all you need to do is visit us at New Leaf Dental – Brooklyn, NY. You do not have to worry about which dental procedures your child needs. It is the responsibility of your dentist in Brooklyn, NY, to come up with a treatment plan for both preventive and restorative dental care for your child. Some procedures that your child may need are:

1. Dental cleaning to help boost oral hygiene – the professional teeth cleaning session will help rid your child’s mouth of bacteria, plaque, and food particles, particularly in the hard-to-reach areas of the mouth.
2. Fluoride treatment – involves enriching teeth with fluoride, a natural element that strengthens teeth to increase their resistance to dental cavities.
3. Dental sealants – are unique types of dental fillings for preventive dental care. They create a barrier on the chewing surfaces of molars and premolars to protect them from bacteria that cause dental cavities and tooth decay. Sealants are an amazing way to preserve your child’s teeth, especially in the early years when they do not know better about keeping clean teeth.
4. Habit counseling – whether you need your child to learn new habits or abandon old ones, a pediatric dentist can help you. Some habits like teeth grinding, using the pacifier even when they are older, thumb-sucking or fingernail-biting are all detrimental to oral health.
5. Nutritional counseling – as kids are aging they need many nutrients to support their growth and development. Visiting a dentist can help you figure out which nutrients your child needs the most to foster healthy bones, teeth, and general body development. Your dentist will also help you navigate other foods choices, especially candies and pastries that may not benefit their oral health.