It’s incredibly important to schedule regular pediatric dentist visits if you have young children. This is because of how common cavities are. Not only do more than 50 percent of children experience tooth decay before they turn five (according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry), but cavities are five times more common in children than asthma.

Scheduling Pediatric Dentist Visits

According to the CDC, an estimated 42 percent of children between the ages of 2 and 11 have cavities that are untreated. It’s important that your child have their teeth checked for cavities on a regular basis. Untreated cavities can lead to pain and infections as well as issues speaking, eating, and even learning. A pediatric dentist can identify the beginnings of tooth decay and help address it before it gets any worse.

How to Prevent Cavities

It’s important that you don’t just rely on the dentist. After all, cavities can cause serious discomfort, which means you’ll want to help prevent them altogether. The following are a few tips to help you prevent your child from getting cavities:

• Use fluoride toothpaste: Fluoride helps to prevent tooth decay, so be sure to buy toothpaste for your kids that contains fluoride.
  
• Brush twice a day: Get your children in the habit of brushing their teeth twice a day. They should brush for at least two minutes in the mornings and in the evenings before going to bed. They should also floss to make sure plaque doesn’t build up between their teeth.
  
• Consider applying dental sealants: A dentist can apply dental sealants to the back teeth of your child. These sealants are effective for four years and can help to reduce decay in the permanent molars by as much as 81 percent.

Dental Health is Important to Your Children

The last thing you want is for your children to suffer from dental cavities. Cavities can be incredibly uncomfortable and even painful. Not to mention that they’ll spend even more time at the dentist getting their cavities filled, potentially missing school as a result.

Be sure to promote dental health to your kids and schedule pediatric dentist visits twice a year. For more health awareness advice, visit us at The Benefits Store today.