Pediatric Dentistry in Flagstaff AZ

The dentists in our office love to treat children and start healthy habits early! Children should visit a dentist for check-ups regularly in Flagstaff AZ. Ideally, parents should take children for dental check-ups as soon as they turn one year old. The child’s primary (baby) teeth help with clear speech, proper development of the facial structure and chewing of food to attain good nutrition. However, children often start to develop cavities when their teeth begin to emerge. Sugary foods and drinks consumed by young children can greatly affect dental health in youngsters. Consulting a dentist is essential to avoid decay and protect a child’s teeth. Early visits to your dentist can help resolve detrimental habits, diagnose and correct soft tissue insufficiencies (tongue-tie) as well as help educate the family on healthy dental habits.

---

What Is a "Dental Home"?

The Dental Home concept is the idea that parents establish a relationship between a child and a dentist very early on in life. This creates a sense of regularity, a necessary fixture in the child’s life, just other professionals a child sees on a regular basis. It’s important to establish early and get a child used to the idea that a visit to the dentist can simply be for a check-up, rather than meaning something is wrong with their teeth.

At a pediatric dental visit, the dentist will make a detailed assessment of your child's teeth and jaws. Early diagnosis of dental concerns allow the dentist to treat a child before the concerns escalate to more complex problems. X-rays are taken when required to guide dentists in diagnosis and treatment.

Children can get overwhelmed with the environment of dental offices, and our dentists and their team understand this. Our team strives to make every patient, including children, comfortable in our office. If extensive treatment is recommended and if completing the treatment is unrealistic without sedation dentistry, a child may be referred to a specialty pediatric dental office that offers these services.

---

When Should A Child See A Dentist In Flagstaff AZ

This will vary with the individual child, but once you see the first tooth emerge, you should think about bringing the child in for his or her first examination. A child should not be brought to a dentist any later than his or her first birthday.

---

What are the benefits of Children's Dentistry?

Healthy Mouth
Regular visits to a pediatric dentist will help maintain a child’s oral health. If the correct oral hygiene and nutrition steps are followed at home and in the dental office, ideally, a child may never develop a cavity in a baby tooth. Moreover, there are many dental and soft tissue abnormalities that can be observed in children. With proper and timely intervention, these abnormalities can often be treated without extensive dental care.

Good Oral Habits
From a young age, children should be taught good oral habits to maintain their oral health throughout their life. This can be done by teaching the children and parents the dangers of cavities, healthy dental practices such as proper brushing and flossing techniques, and healthy diets, etc. The dentist can also help ingrain these habits early in childhood which will continue well into adulthood.

Prevention of Tooth Decay
Routine check-ups for your children will help prevent the formation of dental cavities due to the decay of a tooth. If children have poor diets, are not provided proper dental care and do not have good oral hygiene at home, they are at high risk of developing cavities. These cavities can lead to more complicated oral health issues if left undetected and untreated. A dentist can help prevent dental cavities and give you tips for maintaining good oral hygiene.

Tooth decay and cavities are the most common issues among children. Hence, early detection of these problems will help prevent long-term harm to your child's oral health.

---

What Is Teething?

Teething is the process by which the baby teeth or “milk teeth” begin to emerge from the gums. There’s some variance herein when this occurs, with some children getting their first teeth as early as three months while others may not have it happen until they are a year old.

---

Are There Any Side-Effects Of Teething?

Teething is a relatively significant activity for a baby’s biology, so increased temperature, sleeplessness, irritability, and increased drooling may all be noticed. A child may even lose his or her appetite due to the discomfort that comes from teeth emerging.

While it is normal for a child to experience some minor health problems teething, fever, rash or diarrhea do not fall within the normal, healthy zone for symptoms. If your child is showing any of these while teething, bring him or her to the doctor for an examination.

---

The early phases of your child’s dental development are important. Even though baby teeth aren’t permanent, they “set the stage” for the path those permanent teeth will follow. It is important to keep them healthy by ensuring your child sees a dentist early on and becomes familiar with both professional dental care, and oral hygiene at home.  For more information about our pediatric dentistry services in Flagstaff AZ contact our team at Mountain West Family Dental today.