Why Children Need Dental Cleanings
We always urge parents to bring their kids in for a routine cleaning every six months. Without one, the risk of tooth decay and even gingivitis can rise. In today’s blog, your team at Pediatric Dental Care at Casa Linda talks about why kids need a regular cleaning every six months.
The Impact of Plaque and Tartar
The purpose of a dental cleaning is to remove all plaque and tartar buildup from the teeth. While brushing and flossing is vital and helps limit buildup severity, a cleaning is needed to remove the layers completely from the teeth. Otherwise, plaque and tartar can weaken and erode the outer enamel to make cavities and even infection possible. This could also irritate and inflame the gums to cause sensitivity. Your child could experience toothaches and other uncomfortable symptoms, and risk the potential loss of a tooth without treatment!
How does plaque and tartar form? When kids eat items with sugar and starch, these ingredients cling to the tooth and become trapped between them. Harmful oral bacteria then consume them, which creates the plaque that coats the teeth, hardening with time into tartar.
The Dental Cleaning
The dental cleaning process is simple. Our team will use an ultrasonic scaling device to gently and thoroughly remove all plaque and tartar from the teeth. The device will emit gentle vibrations to loosen and remove these layers, and we can then rinse them away from the teeth. We also have a manual pick for any stubborn portions of tartar that may cling to the teeth along the gum line. The entire procedure only takes a few minutes, but is essential for safeguarding kids against threats like tooth decay and infection, as well as bad breath, teeth stains, and even gingivitis in older kids!
The last step is to polish the teeth, which not only helps brighten them a bit, but limits the ability for major plaque and tartar buildup to accumulate before their next appointment.
Keeping Smiles Clean at Home
Our team also recommends a few simple actions at home to help limit buildup until we can see your child again for their next visit. Be sure they take time each day to brush for two minutes, using a soft-bristled toothbrush and a fluoride toothpaste each time. Kids also need to floss every evening before they brush that second time, as this removes what a toothbrush alone may not reach. Otherwise, cavities could form between the teeth!
A diet low in sugar is also helpful, as well as a mouthguard if your little ones play sports!
PDC Kids Provides Bright and Healthy Smiles
We are ready to help transform smiles and keep them healthy throughout childhood. To find out more about children’s routine appointments, then call Pediatric Dental Care at Casa Linda in Dallas, TX, today at (214) 321-4880.
filed under: Preventive Treatments