Somers, NY (PRWEB) September 12, 2017
As the start of a new school year is upon us, now is the perfect time to schedule dental examination and cleaning for children. Oral health is vital for children and young adults. Many parents don’t realize that keeping up a child’s routine dental visits starting from a young age will undoubtedly save money by avoiding larger issues, and thus more expensive treatment plans in the future. Bringing kids in when they are young is similar to bringing an infant to the pediatric doctor for a wellness and training visit for parents. Not only are parents monitoring a child's growth and teeth, but even more so educating parents on what to expect during tooth eruption, teething tricks, bottle issues, dietary advice, how to brush baby teeth, pacifier use, finger sucking, the pros and cons fluoride, etc. It is a positive visit for the child to just become acclimated with the dental chair and the people who will be overseeing their dental health throughout their lives. The greatest thing about being a family dentist is that they can establish a trust and relationship that literally lasts throughout their lifetime.
One question that Dr. Gianna Ferranti gets asked a lot is: At what age should parents start bringing a child to the dentist? Dr. Gianna Ferranti tells people to schedule a dental visit as soon as they begin to “cut” teeth, but no later than age 2. Dr. Gianna Ferranti can do a quick examination to see if there is any decay; check on the child’s bite, jaw and gums; and, look into any issues that may impact the future growth of teeth or speech patterns. One common issue in young patients has to do with frenums. The frenum is the piece of skin that connects the front of upper and bottom lips to the gums. Some children have a frenum connection that sits just above/below their teeth, which could impact speech and the spacing of teeth. Dentists can do a quick procedure to relieve this issue before having lasting impacts. It is also possible, and relatively common, for baby teeth to get cavities. However, there is the belief that baby teeth do not need to be treated as they’re eventually going to fall-out. This is a dangerous misconception. Leaving cavities in baby teeth untreated can impact the development of a child’s permanent teeth; can lead to more serious infections; and, can cause severe pain, ultimately affecting the quality of life and appetite of a child. These cavities are easily diagnosed and treated. Another important aspect of dental visits for young patients, and perhaps the most important, is getting a child comfortable and familiar with the dentist. It eases their anxieties and makes going to the dentist effortless. Dr. Gianna Ferranti's pediatric patients who are the easiest to treat are those she has been seeing since their first tooth erupted. They know, and trust Dr. Gianna Ferranti and they’re familiar with the instruments the dentist uses. This makes a huge difference.
As a child ages, keeping up with dental visits every six months is tremendously important, especially as they become pre-teens and teenagers. Preventative dentistry is important to a child’s oral health and parents wallets. Dental issues left untreated in young patients eventually turn into more serious problems and more expensive treatment plans down the road. Most of these issues are avoidable, if the young patients simply keep up with their dental visits.
Please feel free to call Dr. Gianna Ferranti's office, Somers Smiles in Somers, NY, to schedule an exam. Somers Smiles can be contacted at 914-277-4222 or via email at frontdesk(at)somerssmiles(dot)com. More information can also be found on our website at http://somerssmiles.com.
