Dental health is important to your quality of life and your mouth can reflect the overall health of your body, showing signs of infection or disease before you experience other symptoms. While it may sometimes go overlooked, it is crucial to not only your own well being, but to your children’s as well. At Furumoto Dentistry in Diamond Bar, Dr.s Mike and Brent Furumoto provide expert dental care and advice to help you and your family maintain a happy healthy smiles through cosmetic and general dentistry services like teeth cleanings, extractions and more.
The Importance of Dental Health for Children
There are numerous studies emphasising the importance of starting children early in their lives with proper dental hygiene and oral care. Studies show that the most common chronic childhood disease in America is tooth decay, which affects 50 percent of first-graders and 80 percent of 17-year-olds. Early treatment however, can prevent these problems from affecting a child’s health, well-being, self-image and even their overall achievement in school.
Dental Health’s Affects on Academic Achievement
The National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research estimates that children will miss collectively over 52 million hours of school per year as a result oral health problems and nearly 12.5 million days of restricted activity yearly from symptoms of poor dental health. This significant loss in academic performance has made the children’s oral health a priority by the Surgeon General.
How to Ensure Your Child’s Dental Health
It’s important that parents take the responsibility of ensuring that children will pick up good dental hygiene practices. Early in a child's life, parents can introduce proper oral care – as early as infancy. A good oral hygiene routine for children as laid out by the American Dental Hygiene Association includes:
- Thoroughly cleaning your infant’s gums after each feeding with a wet cloth. This not only stimulates the gum tissue but also removes food.
- Gently brushing your baby’s emerging teeth with a small, soft-bristled toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste.
- Teaching your child at age 2 or 3 about proper brushing techniques and, around 7 or 8 years old, the importance of flossing.
- Regular visits to the dentist to check for cavities in primary teeth and for possible developmental problems.
- Encouraging your child to discuss any fears they may have about their dentist visits, but taking care not to mention words like “pain” or “hurt,” as this may associate pain with oral health
- Determining if your home water supply is fluoridated; if not, discussing supplement options with your dentist or hygienist.
- Asking about topics like sealant applications to protect the chewing surfaces of your child’s teeth with your dentist or hygienist, and about bottle tooth decay, which occurs when teeth are frequently exposed to sugary drinks.
Contact Us Today
At Furumoto Dentistry, we understand that proper oral care and hygiene are essential to your and your child’s personal health. Because of this, we are committed to helping you understand how to maintain proper oral hygiene. If you have any questions regarding your own or your child’s dental health, contact Furumoto Dentistry today, our skilled doctors are happy to help with any questions or concerns you may have