For better or worse, the habits that children form during their adolescence can stick with them for the rest of their life. From social skills to study habits, creating life-long habits as a kid is important for setting up a healthy, successful life. As a dental practice, we always recommend keeping up a consistent oral hygiene routine, but we find it to be especially critical for young patients. All too often, children’s oral health can fall by the wayside and as a result, children will carry these habits into adulthood. Later down the road, adults will end up dealing with serious oral health problems like tooth decay, gum disease, and even eventual tooth loss. While technology has progressed and allowed for us to enjoy natural-looking restorations like dental implants, prevention is one of the key ways to keep our smiles healthy and complete. In honor of this month being National Children’s Dental Health Month, Dr. Ray Snider wants to focus on oral health in children and how to create great habits that will benefit their teeth and gums for years to come. Interested in learning more about this topic? Follow along as Dr. Snider explains why oral health is important for children and how to make your child’s oral health a priority for his patients here in Fort Worth, TX.
Are Children’s Baby Teeth Important?
Oral health problems are not uncommon for children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 20% of kids between two years old and 19 years old have a cavity that hasn’t been treated. A common argument that you may hear when it comes to children’s oral health is the importance of baby teeth. After all, you shouldn’t worry about their baby teeth since they’re going to fall out anyways, right? This is absolutely false; Yes, baby teeth will eventually fall out for permanent teeth to grow in, but it doesn’t mean that they don’t serve an important purpose.
Baby teeth, more accurately known as primary teeth, are important for many reasons. Some of the most important functions of baby teeth include:
- Serving as a place marker: A child’s baby teeth serve as a space maker for the adult teeth that will eventually grow in. Losing baby teeth prematurely can result in adult teeth growing in crooked and affecting proper jaw development.
- Poor nutrition: Having all your baby teeth until your adult teeth are ready to come in is also important from a nutritional perspective. Having decayed teeth can impede proper chewing, which will affect chewing habits and healthy nutrition.
- Impaired speech development: The teeth are also an important aspect of learning how to speak correctly. The tongue and teeth both work together to make certain sounds. If a child is missing baby teeth prematurely or if their baby teeth have shifted around, they will have a difficult time with pronunciation and speech formation.
- Damaged self-confidence: Although children are young, they are still able to notice dental imperfections. Feeling good about their smile will allow for a child to feel confident and learn social interactions with others.
Encouraging Good Oral Health Habits
It’s not hard to see why baby teeth are important for children’s oral health. Now that we know just how important oral health is for children, how can we encourage good oral health habits in children? Here’s a brief look at tips to start children on the right foot with their oral health:
- Set up a routine: It’s important to brush twice a day and to floss once per day. Creating a set schedule for a child can help ingrain this habit for years to come. Many of the oral health problems that can occur during adolescence can easily be avoided if the child practices a regular oral hygiene routine.
- Use children’s oral care products: There are specific oral hygiene products such as toothpaste and toothbrushes that are more effective and more appealing for children.
- Make oral hygiene fun: A great way to make oral hygiene fun is to let the child pick out their toothbrush. There are plenty of electric toothbrushes on the market that will actually play music while the child brushes their teeth.
- Be a good role model: Children learn from their parental figures. It’s important to set a good example by making your own oral hygiene a priority as well.
Contact our Office in Fort Worth
While National Children’s Dental Health Month is a great time to kick start a focus on keeping your child’s oral health in great condition, it’s always important to think of your own oral health as well. Like we mentioned before, adults lead by example. If you’re dealing with tooth loss, there’s a good chance that it can affect your child’s view of oral health for the rest of their life. We recommend treating your tooth loss with dental implants as soon as possible. Dental implants give you a natural-looking smile that will last for years to come with proper maintenance. To start your dental implant journey, contact our office today to schedule your one-on-one consultation with Dr. Snider today!