As a parent, the health of your child is perhaps your greatest priority. You want them to grow up well: to eat properly, exercise regularly and get as good a start to life as possible. What you may not have realized is that the health of your child’s teeth is as important as the health of the rest of their bodies.

Unlike a broken bone or fighting off a cold, poor oral health can cause serious consequences for the health of your child’s heart, kidneys, lungs and even brain! These effects may only manifest later on in life, but they are potentially fatal. This isn’t even to mention the obvious consequences of poor dental health for youngsters: the need for new teeth in Newport Beach.

In order to guide you as a parent, we have put together this four-part article series in which we present to you the 7 different ways you can help to promote the dental health of your child, starting with an appointment with the dentist at as early as the age of 1 year!

Prevent the Need for New Teeth Implants, Step # 1: Start as Soon as Possible

Dental care doesn’t begin when your child develops all of his or her milk teeth; it starts as soon as the very first milk tooth emerges and even before. It is recommended by both the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatrics that you take your baby for his or her first appointment with the dentist by the age of one year. Thereafter, you should take your child to the dentist twice per year for routine check-ups and fluoride treatments. You should then typically take your child for his or her first orthodontic appointment at the age of around 7.

This kind of preventative care is essential for the development of good oral health, hygiene and bite function that will continue on into their early adulthood. It’s also the most cost effective method of keeping your child’s teeth healthy, because it avoids the need for expensive restorative treatment and even teeth replacement later on in life.

Case in Point: In a report compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, parents who took their child in to see the dentist regularly from the age of one year spent 40% less on dental healthcare than those who didn’t.

Additional Benefits of Early Dental Care

Taking your child in for routine dental care from as early an age as one helps them to become accustomed to being seen to by the dentist. It therefore becomes a normal part of their childhood and nothing to be feared or avoided. Being comfortable with the dentist and oral hygienist as a child will eliminate the risk of them avoiding professional treatment later on in life out of a fear for what it might entail.

Stay Tuned for Part 2

To find out more about how Newport Beach residents can help their child achieve and maintain optimal lifelong oral health, stay tuned for the second installment of this four-part article series.

Author Bio:

Dr. John A. Aguilera is a licensed surgeon of dental implant in Newport Beach who has a passion for cosmetic dentistry and for the treatment of missing teeth. His practice, Cosmetic Dentistry Newport Beach, is regarded as one of the best in Orange County and with more than 30 years worth of experience in serving Newport Beach, it’s no wonder why. Dr. John A. Aguilera also serves as a senior mentor/instructor at the California Center for Advanced Dental Studies and takes great pride in making information about dental care, procedures, treatments and technologies more accessible to the public through regular blog and article posts.