What Parents Should Know About Childhood Dental Health

It often doesn't get the attention it deserves, but a child's dental health is exceptionally important to their overall health. Working with your kids to maintain their teeth can have a significant impact on their physical health. It can also save you both significant amounts of grief, pain, and money. There are some things that every parent should know about their child's dental health. Here's a look at three essential items.

Healthy Habits

Establishing healthy dental habits for children can go a long way toward ensuring that they care for their teeth as they get older. From the time they are old enough to understand, your job as a parent is to stress the importance of healthy dental habits. This means making sure that they brush, floss, and eat well. Furthermore, your job isn't just to teach them how to do these things on their own but also to model good behavior. Make sure that you are regularly caring for your teeth, and show your kids how you take care of yourself. They are far more likely to care for their own teeth if they see their parents doing so themselves.

Identifying Problems

One of the more difficult challenges as a parent is to keep an eye on your children's teeth and know what to do if a problem occurs. Make sure to regularly inspect your child's mouth and look for obvious signs of chipped teeth or inflamed gums. If your child complains about mouth or tooth pain, you may need to see a dentist. Dentists can help you determine if minor problems exist. They can also determine if there are more significant problems. For example, if you suspect alignment issues, they can see if your child needs braces or retainers at a clinic.

The Role of Genetics

Like it or not, genetics plays an important role in dental care. If you know that you are more prone to tooth problems or cavities, your kids may be as well. There's obviously very little you can do about genetics, but you can encourage good dental habits and make sure you do everything you can to take care of your children's teeth. If you know that you have dental problems, you should be extra vigilant about these issues in your kids.

Taking dental health seriously will set the stage for good health in the long-term for your child. It will establish positive habits, ensure that your child takes their dental health seriously, and, ultimately, save them countless hours of pain.

Here’s another article you might find helpful: California Department of Health Guidelines for Coronavirus in Daycare and Preschool