The effect of the pandemic on the dental sector is still prevalent, with many people still due to bring their children in for a routine check-up. As the school summer holidays approach, what better time to make sure your child’s teeth have had a set of professional and experience eyes look over them for signs of decay and gum disease and malocclusion? Decay remains the predominant reason why children between the ages of 5-9 are hospitalised, but with routine appointments, this is entirely preventable.
At Cliftonville Dental, we place huge emphasis on encouragement, finding fun ways to engage your child to care for their teeth, and prevention. Bring your child along to routine dentist appointments in Northampton to keep complications with their teeth to a minimum.
Getting your child used to the dental practice environment
Your child’s first couple of visits will principally be about helping them acclimatise to the dental practice setting. Even if no treatment or examination takes place (many children don’t actually open their mouths at all during the first couple of appointments!) this is time well spent, that will grow your child’s confidence and allow them to get to know our friendly team here in Northampton.
We’re a team of dentists who really enjoy working with children and we find it very fulfilling seeing children find a love for caring for their teeth, thanks to regular routine appointments.
Spotting bad habits early
During your child’s first few appointments with us, we will check for the following signs:
- Evidence of excessive sugar consumption.
- Evidence of thumb sucking and dummy usage (both of which can lead to protruding teeth).
- Check if your child’s bite is developing healthily.
We want parents to know that we are never here to judge, only to educate, inform and encourage you to adopt the right at-home care, so your child can have a beautiful and healthy smile as they progress towards their older years.
We know you will always encourage your children to brush regularly, but with all the will in the world, kids will never be perfect brushers. Routine appointments are incredibly important in bolstering at home care, and an opportunity for parents to ask questions about their child’s teeth as they evolve and grow.
Cultivating good habits
Because so much of children’s’ dental health is tied up with preventive care (and this goes for adults too), they’re never too young to learn about the threat sugar and neglecting to brush poses. We understand that it can be really easy to want to shield children from this, but early awareness is paramount.
If you’re struggling with instilling good oral care habits and a tooth-friendly diet at home, please don’t suffer in silence. We can come up with suggestions that will help you to apply these more easily day-to-day, whether you’re looking to encourage your child to drink more water, motivate them to eat more veg, or you’re struggling to get them to brush for the recommended time.
There are several apps that you can turn to which can do some of the positive reinforcement work for you. As parents, we’re sure you know that anything involving interactivity and fun is bound to result in kids being more motivated.
Spotting developing orthodontic problems
We also provide children’s orthodontic care at Cliftonville Dental, and if we suspect your child’s teeth are not developing as they should be, we can address this early, so that complex treatment is avoided.
The elements we look for when deciding if your child benefit from braces include:
- Tooth wear due to a poor bite
- Protruding teeth
- A ‘slanted’ appearance to the lower jaw
- Baby teeth which are in place after adult teeth have begun to emerge
As well supporting the development of healthy teeth, orthodontic treatment can help grow your child’s confidence in their smile. We know how tough it can be for kinds when their teeth look different to their friends’, and nipping any cosmetic issues with their teeth’s structure in the bud may well avoid any unwanted attention from bullies. It’s certainly worth remembering that children can be every little bit as self-conscious as adults when it comes to their smile, and in seeking to confront problems early, they can develop a healthy relationship with eating in front of others and speaking aloud in public.
Straight and well-aligned teeth will also ensure there is significantly less risk of any trauma through injury during contact sports at school (both rugby and hockey are autumn term sports for boys and girls respectively). Once your child’s teeth have been treated with braces, we recommend a custom sports mouth guard for partaking in contact sports, to reduce the risk of tooth loss through injury and impact.
Book your child in before the autumn term 2021
If you haven’t yet had the chance to bring your child in for a routine check-up, we strongly recommend doing so before the start of autumn term. Be safe in the knowledge that your child is returning to school for a new term, with a healthy and decay-free smile.
Book your child in for their routine appointment with us here in Northampton today by contacting our friendly team.