Early Childhood Dental and Oral Health
Good oral health is a key component of overall health in children, so an early visit to the dentist is very important, says Temple University pediatric dentist Mark Helpin.
A child should be first seen by a dentist for 12 months of age or within six months from the time of first tooth in the mouth, said Helpin, acting chairman of pediatric dentistry at Temple Maurice School of Dentistry, H. Kornberg.
Helpin says that in such an early age, the attention of the dentist will be more on prevention to treatment, including oral hygiene instructions as how to clean the whole mouth, diet, fluoride, non-nutritional habits such as sucking finger and injury prevention.
We are trying to follow the medical model of care for children by preventing disease occurring before it starts, said. What we want is to establish a dental home for children and their parents, where you can go for comprehensive oral health care and continuous.
Helpin says during the first visit to the dentist should thoroughly review the child’s teeth and gums, roof and floor of the mouth and shape of the jaw development. You should also discuss diet and nutrition, and show parents / guardians how to brush at home. The dentist can also clean your child’s teeth – even for younger children, there is little to clean.
Helpin says that while some may believe that preventive care is less important for the primary or baby teeth, which eventually fall out, keep a young child’s teeth and mouth clean is essential for the control of bacteria that cause tooth decay.
Tooth decay is an infectious disease and are the most common chronic diseases in childhood, he said. Is five times more common in children than asthma. And it is entirely preventable if we start a program of oral health care from the beginning.
If untreated, Helpin says decay can cause an infection that can make a child sick. If left untreated, tooth decay can also affect the development of permanent teeth, which are important for aesthetics, chewing and biting, and speech development.
The permanent tooth is sitting under the baby tooth and if exposed to this infection, which can be wrong, he said. Also, baby teeth guide the permanent teeth to where they should go in your mouth.
If a baby tooth to be removed due to infection, the permanent tooth may need the help of a dentist in the search for the correct location in the mouth, Helpin says.
It is best to keep babies, infants, young children and healthy children, and that includes good oral health begins with an early visit to the dentist, said.