Many parents have trouble figuring out the right time to take their child to the dentist for the first time, whether it’s because they believe their child is too young or because they don’t think temporary baby teeth need the attention that adult teeth do. However, taking your child to the dentist earlier will set them up for success later in life. Here is why you should take your child to a dentist early.
Preventative Dentistry
While the baby teeth are temporary, dental diseases can last much longer. Taking your child in early can prevent plaque buildup and tooth decay while they’re still learning good dental hygiene habits. This preventative care can save your child a lot of pain from sensitive teeth and help ensure their adult teeth grow in without problems. A dentist can provide many forms of preventative dentistry to your child, and they’ll be your best resource for ensuring that your child maintains good dental health every step of the way.
In fact, those temporary baby teeth serve a vital role in helping your child develop proper speech development—unhealthy teeth can impede that process and lead to frustrating issues you’ll need to adjust down the road.
Monitoring Developments
In a similar vein, consistent dentistry starting at a young age will give the dentist plenty of time to monitor your child’s dental health. They’ll be able to get an idea of how well your child’s development is proceeding and catch problems early on before they become more troublesome. If they notice something strange with the development of your child’s mouth, they can even attempt to course-correct early, easing your child’s experience with the orthodontist later on.
Familiarizing Your Child
Many children also fear the dentist, so a good reason you should take your child to a dentist early is so that they become more familiar and comfortable with the process. They’ll establish trust with the dentist and get used to the environment so that they never feel like they’re trapped somewhere strange. With luck, your child will never develop any anxiety surrounding the dentist, but you can certainly expect them to be far less afraid of the dentist than if they were to start later in life.
