For most parents, they opt to have their child only visit a dental pediatrician in Fairfax VA should their little one’s first few teeth erupt or should there be a problem with their teeth. However, it’s advised that they should see the dentist every 6 months. This is essential in helping them keep their teeth and gums healthy.
What Should You Tell Your Children When They Ask About the Dental Appointment?
You can tell your children that the dental check-ups will make up two parts: the examination and the cleaning.
For the dental check-up, their dental pediatrician in Fairfax, VA will check their teeth for any cavities. If needed, X-rays may be taken to detect the cavities between teeth. Furthermore, the examination will include checking if there are plaque and tartar on your teeth. Plaque is the clear and sticky layer of bacteria that hardens and becomes tartar if not removed from their teeth. Tartar cannot be removed from brushing or flossing alone. If tartar and plaque build up on their pearly whites, it may cause oral diseases.
After checking their teeth, the dental pediatrician in Fairfax, VA will also check their gums. It will be done through a special tool that will measure the depth of the space between their teeth and gums. To determine this, healthy gums have shallow spaces. On the other hand, those that have gum disease have deeper spaces.
The assessment of their teeth will also include the tongue, throat, head, face, and neck so that the dentist can check for any signs of redness or swelling.
Once all the assessments are done, the dental pediatrician will then move on to the teeth cleaning. Although brushing and flossing can eliminate the plaque that’s stuck in their teeth, it can’t remove tartar. During cleaning, the dental pediatrician in Fairfax VA will use tools to remove the tartar. The process is called “scaling.”
The next step would be polishing the teeth to remove any surface stains. And finally, the dentist will floss their teeth to make sure the areas between them are clean.
Daily Habits to Maintain Before Your Routine Visit
So that in your children’s next check-up, the dentist won’t have to recommend any dental procedures due to oral problems, your children must have healthy dental habits? Here’s what we suggest in ensuring your children maintain healthy and clean pearly whites:
*They must brush their teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste
*They must floss after washing their teeth
*They should mouthwash to help in controlling plaque bacteria in their teeth
*They should limit their sugar consumption as this could cause bacteria and surface stains on the teeth
*They should maintain a healthy diet; this includes healthy amounts of calcium
Are you looking for a dental pediatrician in Fairfax, VA that you can trust with your children’s routine dental checkup? Greater Washington Dentistry has experts who have helped numerous children in the community of Fairfax, Virginia get cleaner and healthier teeth. We see to it that with every visit, they are given preventive care procedures that will prevent bacteria to cause oral health problems in the future.
We also offer other dental health services that are customized to help keep children in Fairfax, Virginia confident in their smiles.
If you want to know more about the services we offer, feel free to contact us today.