National Children’s Dental Health Month with Your Children’s Dentist in Torrance

February is a month when we celebrate love, but did you know that February is also National Children’s Dental Health Month? It’s a time for spreading awareness of dental issues that they can experience and a time to commit to helping your own children have better oral health. Check out this helpful information from your children’s dentist in Torrance.

What are common dental health issues for children?

Some of the most common dental issues that kids face include the following:

• Cavities.
• Persistent tooth pain.
• Dental abscesses or infections.
• Inability to chew food well, which can result in decreased appetite.

As you might imagine, when children have oral issues, particularly tooth pain, they struggle to focus and succeed in school. In fact, students with oral pain are four times as likely to have lower grades than those without it. Also, keep in mind that some children may not know how to express the symptoms they experience.

How can I prevent dental health problems for my child?

As with many other conditions, it is much better to avoid oral issues in the first place. To help prevent dental health problems, make sure your child does the following:

• Brush at least twice daily.
• Floss at least once daily.
• Use a fluoride mouthwash once a day.
• Drink fluoridated water, usually from the tap.
• Replace their toothbrush every 3 months.
• Eat sweets after a meal, not as a snack.

As their parent, you also need to make sure you take your child to a children’s dentist in Torrance every six months for a cleaning and checkup.

Why should I make sure my child uses good oral practices at an early age?

It may be tempting, especially if your child still has their baby teeth, to ignore your their oral hygiene. But that’s precisely the time you need to teach them oral habits that will protect their smiles for the rest of their lives. Baby teeth help keep the mouth aligned for when permanent teeth come in, and losing baby teeth too soon can cause speech delays and adult teeth to be spaced improperly. It is worth the time and effort to preserve their baby teeth to help prevent more extensive treatment later.

Plus, if you are consistent with good oral habits early on, your child will learn while they are young that their oral health is important to maintain. They will be more likely to carry those good habits into adulthood.

Why does my child need to visit the dentist twice a year?

Even with diligent oral hygiene at home, plaque can still build up. When this happens, the harmful bacteria in plaque have better access to your child’s teeth and can cause decay. Your family dentist in Torrance has tools that can remove this more difficult-to-clean tartar, preventing many of the dental issues children can face. Or, if an oral problem already exists, the dentist can find it and treat it sooner, hopefully bringing relief to your child. These checkups are an essential step in maintaining your child’s dental health.

If you help your child implement these good oral practices consistently into their life, you’ll notice a difference in their oral health and maybe even in their performance in school. Take the opportunity this month to review your child’s oral health and make it a priority, ensuring that your child can keep on smiling happily and confidently for years to come. For more information about ways you can prevent dental problems for your child, contact your children’s dentist in Torrance.

About the Author

At Blue Coast Dental Group, you can find advanced comprehensive dental care for the whole family. With a general dentist, a prosthodontist, and a periodontist on staff, they can meet nearly any oral health need, including children’s dentistry. For your kids, they can provide fluoride treatments and dental sealants to ensure that your child’s smile is protected. You can contact them by calling (310) 424-3100 or clicking here.