2 situations in which your child should visit your family dentist
There are a number of situations in which it is important to take your child to your family dentist. Continue reading to find out more.
1. Their permanent teeth are growing in crookedly
If the permanent teeth that are emerging from your child's gums appear to be quite crooked, then it is worth getting your family dentist to perform an examination of them, to determine whether or not your son or daughter might need braces. It is best to do this at the earliest possible stage, as the longer you wait to have your child undergo orthodontic treatment, the more likely it is that they will experience problems as a result of their misaligned teeth.
For example, if their permanent teeth are extremely crooked, they may develop a lisp or another type of speech impediment. This could affect their self-confidence and make them hesitant to speak up in school or in social situations. This, in turn, could affect their progress at school and result in them struggling to establish new friendships. Additionally, the crookedness of their newly-emerged teeth could also affect their ability to maintain good oral health. This is because it is a lot harder to brush the plaque off of the sections of two teeth which overlap (as the bristles of a toothbrush cannot always fit into the minuscule gaps between these teeth).
This could then lead to them suffering from halitosis (which could also affect their self-confidence) and increase their risk of developing dental caries. As such, this is a problem which needs to be dealt with sooner, rather than later.
2. Some of their permanent teeth look transparent
If several of your child's permanent teeth look transparent, then you should arrange for them to have a dental check-up at a dental clinic. The reason for this is that if a tooth starts to look transparent, this usually indicates that the enamel has thinned out as a result of the erosive acids made by the bacterial plaque in the mouth.
It is crucial to take this problem seriously, as failing to do so could lead to your child experiencing lifelong dental health issues. If for example, their tooth enamel continues to erode, they may end up developing dental caries and abscesses. Furthermore, their teeth may end up looking permanently discoloured (as the complete erosion of their enamel will lead to the yellow-brown dentin layer of each tooth becoming exposed).
However, by taking your child to the dentist now, whilst they still have some enamel on their teeth, you can minimise their chances of experiencing these dental problems, as the dentist may be able to preserve what is left of their tooth enamel by carrying out a dental bonding treatment (this is where a protective layer is added to the outer part of the tooth).
