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5 Questions to Ask Your Kids’ Pediatric Dentist

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry suggests that parents take their kids to a pediatric dentist as soon as their teeth appear. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the percentage of children visiting dentists decreased by 80.9% in 2019-20 compared to the previous year. It is alarming considering how oral health is often neglected even as the lockdown restrictions are eased globally.

Kids’ oral health is vital to be taken care of right from their childhood. Kids must be taken to professional pediatric dental clinics like The Super Dentist for their checkups. Such dental clinics have an experienced team of pediatric dentists and other medical associates. Regardless of that, one still needs to ask some questions to their pediatric dentist on the first visit.

Keep reading this article to know what exactly you should be asking them.

When is it supposed to be a kid’s first dental visit?

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children should be taken to a pediatric dentist as soon as their first baby tooth appears. A dental visit is mandatory within the first six months after baby teeth grow. But, this is something that most people are unaware of. Asking this before visiting a pediatric dental clinic like The Super Dentist should be the first thing one should do.

Also, if a child is not having his first baby tooth before he turns one year old, it is crucial to visit a pediatric dentist. Because even if kids develop teeth later than other children, it is essential for the dentist to check the gums.

How to prepare for the first dental appointment?

This is indeed an important thing to ask your child’s pediatric dentist. What one should expect from their first dental checkup with kids is crucial because the child will be hardly one year old. Therefore, the first visit will be typically when the child is sitting on the lap.

Usually, in the first-ever dental visit, the pediatric dentist examines the child’s teeth, if any. The dentist might clean them tenderly or discuss essential things about the child’s oral health. The dentist might use a few dental tools, much like an adult dental cleaning. However, questioning what to expect is especially vital to ensure that the first visit doesn’t lead to dental anxiety in the future.

How should a child’s teeth be cleaned?

Little kids cannot take care of their oral health by themselves. Parents usually help them brush their teeth or take care of their gums. But, unlike adult teeth, a child’s teeth are much more tender and sensitive. One cannot apply the same techniques to a kid that one uses to clean their teeth regularly.

Therefore, asking the pediatric dentist how to clean kids’ teeth is very important. Dentists suggest ways to coach kids on cleaning their teeth. They also suggest the best way for parents to clean their child’s teeth at their toddler ages.

Can children use all dental products?

This is a vital question that parents should enquire about because young children are unpredictable. Kids might swallow their toothpaste or forget to spit it out. Therefore, asking what toothpaste to use is especially important to be safe in case kids swallow their toothpaste. Different companies make child-safe toothbrushes and toothpaste designed with ingredients entirely safe for children. Asking the dentist about these questions will make them suggest some of these products.

When should kids avoid using pacifiers?

Pacifiers are used to pacify kids and are an extremely popular habit of most toddlers. While using a pacifier is normal for small kids, it is not when they start growing up. As sucking thumbs or pacifiers become a habit of young children, it is often considered a bad dental habit. Parents must ask their pediatric dentist to know when is the right time to stop using pacifiers.

As children get older, sucking their thumbs or using pacifiers can hinder the growth of their adult teeth. Besides, it might also invite extreme orthodontic issues as the kid grows. Treating such scenarios can be uncomfortable and sometimes painful for some children. To avoid getting orthodontic problems, it is crucial to stop the use of pacifiers in growing kids.

What pediatric dentists do is suggest ways to prevent children from sucking their thumbs or not using pacifiers. Parents can follow those tips to ensure their kids do not grow up with bad dental habits.

Wrapping Up

What do you think about kids’ baby teeth? Do they at all matter because they will fall off no matter what? These are also some of the questions that most parents have. These are usual questions, especially in the child’s early years. Finding answers to these questions is also essential to ensure proper oral care is taken from day one.

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