It’s important you invest in your children’s future. No parent wants to see their child suffer with dental problems; if you’ve had toothache yourself you would never wish it upon someone else. Although many parents monitor their children’s brushing techniques there are many other factors to consider when it comes to your Childs oral health.

It’s important to get children used to going to the dentist at a young age. At Stourcote dental practice we understand that children can find the dental environment a little strange. So arranging a dental appointment around the time of their first birthday can get them used to the environment, sitting in the dental chair and opening their mouths. Patients need to build a“bond of trust” with their dentist and this can take time, especially for younger patients.

 The dentist will ease children into the examination process step by step. They may start children off sat on their parents lap and just briefly count the teeth and check for any problems. If you push a child they can become scared of the dentists. It’s important as a patient to bring your child to the dentist, regular checkups are important and children can’t make this decision for themselves. Studies show that children who didn’t regularly visit the dentist are more likely to skip their regular examination appointments as adult, due to forming a phobia of the dentist.

Regular dental visits are important. They enable your dentist to indicate any potential problems early and monitor your soft tissues for any changes. Keeping on top of your oral health can help to prevent problems, which means that you can reduce the amount or treatments such as filling, crowns, etc you need to have, which saves you time and money. The dentist can also advise you on the best oral health regime that suits you to help you keep on top of your cleaning.

The fact is sugar is everywhere, and not only in the obvious places. Whilst, as adults, we try our best to control our sugar intake by not having additional sugars (adding sugar to tea or coffee) and we watch what we eat, the reality is that sugar has been added to almost everything. If you look on you food wrappers/packaging and look into the ingredients closely you will notice processed sugars disguised with worlds such as glucose, maltose, ect (these words just indicate how the sugars have been possessed but simply they are just sugars).  It’s important you help your children to minimize the amount of sugar in their diets as they aren’t in the position to make this decision for themselves.

We aren’t telling you to stop eating sugar, as we all like the occasional sweet thing but try and minimize yours and your child’s daily intake.  Defending your child for sugar can be very hard, you can minimize their intake at home but as soon as they leave the house sugar will find their way to them through friends and relative. Children aren’t going to turn down sweets. So to minimize your children having to have fillings or even extractions you need to ensure they have a good oral hygiene regime. Your dentist will advice you on this.

Your child’s diet won’t only affect their teeth and gums but also their general health. In England, an estimated 16% of children aged 2-15 were obese in 2016, and a further 12% were overweight (but not obese). That means 28% of 2-15 year olds were overweight or obese and these figures are on a climb. Childhood obesity has been linked to an increased risk of developing a number of chronic diseases in adulthood, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Protect your children for encountering these problems when they’re older.

We can’t emphasis enough though, that even if you are monitoring your child’s sugar intake and they have the best diet, they still need to visit the dentist regularly. Nearly everyone will have a dental problem in their life time (even if it is just a small decay) but noticing them sooner can prevent a small decay spreading leading to a tooth being extracted.

Keep your and your child’s smile full. Call reception to book an appointment today.