5 Ways How Pediatric Dentistry Promotes Kids’ Health And Wellness

When caring for a child’s well-being, only a few parents put dental health at the top of the list. Unfortunately, only a handful of families consider pediatric dentistry essential. Dental anxiety is also prevalent among children, which makes it challenging for any parent to bring them to a dentist when they’re very young.

Dentist

Dentist

Unknown to many parents, oral and dental diseases affect around 3.5 billion people worldwide, with 20% composed of children aged 12 years old and under. Tooth decay is still the most common dental issue among both children and adults. When that and other oral concerns are left untreated, it could lead to various problems for the rest of the body. Thus, a child must have regular dental checkups as early as two months old.

Read Also: Dental Health: 5 Ways Missing Teeth Can Negatively Affect Your Oral Health

If you believe dental care is not as essential as your kid’s physical or mental health, keep reading. Pediatric dentistry provides several significant benefits to a child’s wellness. You’ll be surprised to learn how their overall good health stems from having healthy teeth. Here’s how a regular trip to the dental clinic does that.

  1. It Prevents Other Health Issues

A pediatric dentist provides your child with the proper treatment for their young, growing teeth. It’s common knowledge that children are born with deciduous teeth, also known as milk or baby teeth. Despite being temporary, their little chompers can still harbor infectious germs if not cared for correctly before the permanent tooth appears.

The mouth is one of the main entryways for various bacteria to enter the body. The adverse effects intensify if a tooth or the gums are left unclean for long periods. For instance, when a child knocks out a tooth or it falls out on its own, that leftover space is ideal for bacterial growth and eventual infection.

It may not look like much, but oral infections can negatively affect a child’s respiratory and cardiovascular health. Bacteria may travel down the throat through the bloodstream, affecting the heart, lungs, and arteries. If a child suffers from comorbidities like diabetes and heart disease, they’re recommended to have regular dental checkups. Their pediatric dentist can help prevent their condition from worsening and improve their dental and physical health.

  1. It Provides Holistic Treatment

An experienced healthcare provider understands that needs vary from child to child. However, not all pediatric dentists can be considered holistic practitioners, so it is important to choose them wisely. These experts will give your kid a full-body assessment instead of just focusing on their teeth. They know that a person’s teeth and body share a connection. Hence, their treatment methods may identify any underlying issues your child could have caused by poor dental health.

A holistic dental treatment by a pediatric dentist could involve a background check on home activities, the child’s diet, and sleep patterns. They need to know these factors to make a treatment plan specifically for the child’s situation.

Holistic pediatric dentists also use minimal to non-invasive treatments on their young patients. Thus, if your child requires a tooth extraction or minor surgery, their dentist may incorporate ‘drill-less’ operations, minimal radiation X-rays, and ozone therapy. A table full of traditional surgical tools often scares a child from going to the dentist. With alternative methods, children can get the dental and overall body treatment they deserve without fear or trauma.

Read Also: The Most Crucial Dos And Don’ts After Wisdom Teeth Extraction Surgery

  1. It Promotes Cognitive Development

Studies have shown that the lack of sleep may cause cognitive decline because the brain needs enough rest to develop correctly. Oftentimes, the culprit of sleep loss may be an untreated dental problem. Cavities, for example, tend to ache and prevent someone from getting a good night’s sleep. Bruxism, or teeth-grinding, also prohibits a continuous sleep pattern among children.

Letting your child visit their pediatric dentist regularly gives them a chance at better, fitful sleep. Your kid improves their dental health while their growing brain gets all the rest it needs. Additionally, they’re less likely to develop severe cognitive issues as they get older if they continue their dental care habits and sleep well every night.

People don’t often connect dental health and cognitive development, but these two go hand-in-hand. Poor dental health may lead to impaired learning ability and unsatisfactory performance in school. Children find difficulty with doing homework or attending school if they have a gum infection or a toothache. In contrast, kids with healthier teeth and regular dental checkups do relatively better in their academics.

  1. It Decreases Psychosocial Consequences

Have you ever suddenly lashed out at someone when you had an unbearable toothache? The same could happen to a child with an untreated dental problem.

Dental problems are associated with psychosocial consequences like bad tempers and avoiding interaction. A lingering, constant pain in the gums or teeth could manifest through the child’s actions, which could harm themselves or others. Luckily, regular visits to the dentist may improve their emotional equilibrium through dental health.

Even if your child generally has healthy teeth, they may feel real or perceived fear or rejection from others due to dental malocclusion. This condition, also known as misaligned teeth, affects between 39% to 93% of kids and teens worldwide. Depending on the situation, malocclusion can impede speech, which could make children with this issue have social withdrawal. Sadly, this could also lead to an increased risk of depression among adolescents.

With pediatric dentistry, a child with dental malocclusion can receive braces to put their teeth into their proper alignment. They’ll gain confidence in themselves if their uneven teeth pose an issue. While their teeth will take a while to heal and settle in the correct places, as long as they regularly visit their dentist, they’ll have fewer dental problems and become willing to interact and smile widely to loved ones.

  1. It Teaches Early Independence

Children are usually fussier than adults at the dental clinic, and many fear seeing a dentist. Nonetheless, they’re better at absorbing new information and applying what they know with enough guidance. Pediatric dentists know how to deal with kids and often take time to teach their young patients proper dental care during a checkup. Schoolteachers and parents can do this, too, but a dentist can better explain why kids need to brush their teeth using child-friendly terms.

Remember to also lend your child’s pediatric dentist a hand as a parent. It’s also your responsibility to implement your kid’s tasks, like brushing their teeth daily until it becomes their habit. If they forget or fail to complete a task, gently remind them and cheer them on when they do. Then reward them with something fun, like extra playtime. Avoid making them fear their dentist if they don’t because this may result in your kid’s avoidance of checkups.

It is also best to find a pediatric dentist who practices positive reinforcement for your child’s first dental visit. Most children don’t like being scolded. So, a dentist who encourages them to continue good habits and praises them for clean and healthy teeth will have patients enthusiastically coming back each time.

Conclusion

Aside from having checkups from a pediatrician, your child must also visit their pediatric dentist regularly. Pediatric dentistry is essential and cannot be ignored since proper dental care at a young age can promote a child’s overall health and well-being as they grow.

It’s best to start your kid early, preferably before their first milk tooth falls out. Not only will they get used to seeing their dentist, but they’ll also gradually learn the importance of dental health from a professional.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Children’s Oral Health. Retrieved January 4, 2024, from https://www.cdc.gov/oral-health/prevention/oral-health-tips-for-children.html

American Academy of Pediatrics. (n.d.). What is a Pediatric Dentist? Retrieved January 4, 2024, from https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/health-management/pediatric-specialists/Pages/What-is-a-Pediatric-Dentist.aspx

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