Tooth or Consequences?
Are your kids over due for their dental exams & teeth cleanings? Even during a pandemic, avoiding the dentist and routine dental care can be bad for your kids’ oral health.
So how safe is it for your kids to maintain their routine dental visits during COVID? Let’s say it’s safer for your kids to see us than to play “tooth or consequences” with their future oral health. Since we reopened last May, we’ve made many updates to protect you and your family during dental care visits with us. Thanks to these efforts, we continue to successfully prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. Now, 9+ months later, we’ve had zero positive occurrences after seeing well over 7000 patients. We’re keeping everyone safe.
Keeping up with routine dental care is important for all of us, but it’s especially vital for kids. By the age of 5 about 50% of them will have at least one cavity. And nearly 30% of kids between 6 and 11 will already have cavities to their permanent teeth. Tooth decay for kids was already on the rise before COVID and social distancing turned everyone’s schedules and dental hygiene routines upside down.
So, what can a parent do? Here are 5 ways you can keep your kids’ teeth healthy during a pandemic.
- Don’t Miss Routine Dental Check-ups & Cleanings – For children and adults, the ADA recommends that during the COVID-19 pandemic people continue routine oral health care, including dental checkups, cleanings and preventive care. These visits are just as important for toddlers, tweens & teens, as they are for adults. Keeping your kids on track with their semi-annual exams and cleanings is the #1 thing you can do to help your kids avoid tooth decay and gum disease. Even if your kids’ permanent teeth haven’t come in yet, it’s vital to take good care of these ‘baby teeth’ because they lead the path for permanent teeth. Healthy baby teeth will ensure the health of your kids’ permanent teeth. Keep Your Kids On Track – Schedule their routine dental exams here! (we’re keeping everyone safe!)
- Good Oral Hygiene at Home is Critical – Home, not alone? The days can get hectic with everyone working or studying from home. Maintaining good oral hygiene is probably harder than ever, but don’t let it slide. Brush twice a day, for two minutes. And don’t forget to floss. A little supervision may be necessary to get this started. Here are some brushing tips!
- Visit the Dentist Early – Baby Well Dental Visits – When should your child first visit the dentist? Usually, by the time the first tooth appears, or on their 1st birthday. We try to create a fun, fear-free first trip to the dentist for your kids because we know that it will go a long way towards maintaining a good, lifelong dental experience for your kids. Learn More About our Baby Well Visits!
- Avoid Foods that Torment Kids’ Teeth – Social distancing can test the dental hygiene of any family. Rules ease up, and more candy and snacks sneak in. Some of these foods create a cavity causing bacteria playgrounds in your kids’ mouths, while others will wear away the enamel of their teeth. Here are the foods that torment your kids teeth!
- Get Extra Help for Cavity Prevention – A little help from sealants can work wonders to keep your kids’ teeth cavity free. This simple and safe preventative treatment places a thin coating painted on the chewing surface of the teeth to fill in any pits. School age kids are three times more likely to get cavities on their molars compared to kids with sealants. See how sealants can help your kids!
Keeping kids teeth healthy, and free of cavities & gum disease has always been a tough, year-round job for both parents and kids! And now there’s social distancing to contend with too. Fortunately, most dental diseases are preventable with a little effort and mindfulness.
If your child is due their check-up and teeth cleaning, please call us at (206) 524-1000 to schedule their appointment, or request your appointment online.
You can rely on us to take every precaution to protect your kids’ oral health, and to keep them COVID safe when they visit with us for their dental care – from the moment they arrive, to the moment they leave.