by Elizabeth - If you have school-aged children, they might have brought home a note from the school stating that a dental hygienist has visited their classroom and has done a quick assessment. Although dental hygienist are not allowed to diagnose cavities, they may recommend bringing your child to see a dentist if there are suspicious areas. Some parents are aware of the importance of bringing their child to the dentist at a young age but others don't believe it is necessary since children have baby teeth and they will only fall out.
It is true that baby teeth will fall out but the last teeth can fall out up until around 12 years old. Baby teeth also have nerves, just like adult teeth and can hurt just as much. Their enamel (outer layer of teeth) is also weaker than adult dentin. Children can develop cavities, infections, abscesses and gum disease just as adults can. We recommend seeing children as young as 1 year old (see blog about Happy Visits) and having them come in for regular preventative care before problems arise. If a problem is left untreated in baby teeth, like an infection, not only could the child be in pain but it could also affect the formation of the adult teeth growing underneath.
If you are concerned about anything in your child's mouth, please don't hesitate to call the office so we can address it before it gets worse.
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