Your oral health is a vital part of your health overall. If you ignore your oral health, it can have negative consequences not only in your mouth but throughout other parts of your body as well. This not only applies to adults but to children as well. Pediatric dentists will help you protect your child’s oral health. It’s also important to be aware of myths surrounding oral health. Let’s look at a few oral health myths and discover the truth about these topics.

Toddlers Don’t Need to Visit the Dentist

This is absolutely not true. Stanford Medicine suggests that children should visit pediatric dentists within six months after their first tooth appears. Getting into the habit of visiting the dentist early on helps your child develop a healthy relationship with oral health. Many people suffer from dental anxiety, and that is largely due to not getting comfortable with dental care. When children are exposed to dental care from a very young age, they are less likely to fear the dentist or feel anxious.

Visiting the dentist regularly is also important so that problems can be detected early. When problems are detected early, prevention methods can be put in place early on. This results in better overall oral health within a child’s life. Regular dental visits in your child's later years are also vital. In fact, according to the CDC, more than 50% of adolescents aged 12 to 19 have had a cavity in at least one of their permanent teeth.

Baby Teeth Don’t Matter

This is another harmful oral health myth that you should beware of. A child’s baby teeth are very important. If a child’s baby's teeth are in poor condition, it can lead to severe and painful infections. There are also problems that can develop due to poor placement of baby teeth.

This myth often leads parents to disregard the need for good oral habits with young children. Now is the time to create lifelong dental habits that your child will follow for years to come. If your child injures a baby tooth, they’ll need dental care as well. Often people will ignore a dental injury involving a baby tooth, and this is a mistake. If it's left untreated, it could result in damage to the permanent tooth as well.

These are just a few myths you should be aware of concerning your child’s oral health. If you’re looking for pediatric dentists in your area, please contact Cavitybusters Dentistry 4 Kids today. We look forward to hearing from you!