Parents worry about their kids. It’s normal.
You worry if they don’t call. You worry if they don’t answer the phone. You worry every time they get sick and need to go to the doctor.
You worry when they go to the dentist for a cleaning.
At Beaumont Family Dentistry in Lexington, we understand your concerns, and this is why we put a strong emphasis on preventive care in our practice.
We suspect you already know the basics of preventive care:
- Brush twice a day for two minutes each time
- Floss once every day between each of your teeth and behind you back teeth
- Visit the dentist for routine cleanings and examinations.
So instead, we are going to discuss some of the other ways we provide preventive care for patients, young and old.
◼︎ DIAGNOdent
This is one of the ways we are using technology to benefit all our patients and their families. The human eye can only see so much, but technology allows us to detect problems before they become visible to the naked eye.
The DIAGNOdent is a tool that uses lasers to find cavities when they are just starting to form, and therefore, easier to treat.
◼︎ Sealants
One of our primary concerns with all our patients is preventing cavities and tooth decay. The bacteria that cause these problems live inside our mouths. Brushing and flossing remove a lot of these bacteria on a daily basis (but the always come back).
Bacteria use sugars in the foods that we eat. While this includes the cake, candy, and cookies that children would be more than happy to live on if we let them, it also includes the carbohydrates found in bread and some fruits and vegetables.
Sealants are resin coatings that we can apply to your or your children’s molars (which are the teeth most likely to develop cavities). The sealants serve as an extra layer of protection for your kids’ teeth and one more barrier that bacteria have to break through before they can cause damage.
◼︎ Fluoride treatments
The Internet is a wonderful invention. It gives people access to a lot of information. Unfortunately, you have to be able to distinguish accurate information from misinformation … and there is a lot of misinformation about fluoride.
Fluoride is a mineral, and one of its primary benefits is that it helps strengthen the enamel on your and your kids teeth. This is why fluoride is found in nearly all types of toothpaste and why many cities have fluoridated water.
Fluoride can help repair enamel that has been damaged, too. Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body. It is part of how our teeth defend themselves from the bacteria in our mouths.
◼︎ Nutritional counseling
We know that we should eat healthy foods and exercise. While we may understand this, it’s not always easy to do. With all the other things parents have going on in our lives, sometimes you are just happy that your children eat anything for dinner.
We know you are busy, which is why our staff is happy to offer you help with nutrition. We can share advice that may help you and your kids make healthier food choices, both for your oral health and your overall wellness.
◼︎ Athletic mouthguards
You may not have considered this as part of preventive dental care, but it is. Athletic mouthguards help to protect your children’s teeth from damage that can occur during any high-impact sport.
The most well-known examples are contact sports like football and basketball and combat sports (like boxing, mixed martial arts, and wrestling). You would be mistaken if you think those are the only sports when you child should be wearing a custom-fitted athletic mouthguard, however.
High-impact sports involve a lot of jarring movements. Frequent jumping and landing, frequent periods of sprinting, and sudden changes in direction affect every part of your child’s body, including their teeth and jaw. An athletic mouthguard can reduce their risk of injury during those activities.
◼︎ Nightguards
Usually, when we discuss clenching or grinding teeth, we are talking about adults suffering from TMJ disorders. Yet many children grind their teeth while they are sleeping, too.
The good news is that many children who do this will outgrow that unconscious behavior as they get older. If this is a severe problem, however, we may want to intervene with a mouthguard that your son or daughter can wear at night.
Healthy Habits
To keep your children’s mouths as healthy as possible, encourage them to practice preventive care at home. Also, remember to bring them to Beaumont Family Dentistry in Lexington for routine cleanings and examinations.
While you are here, we will be happy to discuss other preventive steps we can take to help you and your family.
To make an appointment, call or click on the link for the office closest to you to fill out our online form.