Does my child need to see a dentist before all his teeth have grown?

Truth: This is a common misconception.

Analysis: Even if your child is still in the deciduous teeth stage, regular oral examinations are crucial.

Here are some situations to watch out for and take your child to the dentist:

1. First dental check-up: The American Dental Association (ADA) strongly recommends that a child's first dental check-up should be performed as soon as possible after the first deciduous tooth erupts, and no later than 1 year old. This is essential to ensure the normal development of teeth and to detect and deal with potential problems early. The dentist will also check the child's oral hygiene and guide parents to help their children brush their teeth and use dental floss correctly to prevent oral problems.

2. Daily prevention of dental caries: Deciduous teeth are prone to dental caries. Timely detection and treatment can prevent dental caries from getting worse and affecting the health of permanent teeth.

3. Early orthodontics: Dentists can detect malocclusion or other tooth development problems during the period of primary teeth, and it is easier to intervene in advance than to deal with it after all the permanent teeth have grown out.

4. Dealing with oral problems:

Toothache, difficulty chewing: If your child has gum swelling, tooth pain, or refuses to chew food, schedule a visit to the dentist immediately. This may be an early sign of tooth decay or other dental disease.

Tooth injuries: Accidents during play or sports can cause tooth injuries such as loss, cracks, fissures or breaks. In such cases, you should seek professional evaluation and treatment from a dentist as soon as possible to prevent the situation from getting worse.

For oral problems such as bad breath, oral ulcers, and bleeding gums, dentists can provide professional diagnosis and treatment plans to help children restore their oral health.

Therefore, it is recommended that children visit the dentist every 6 months or so, regardless of whether their baby teeth have been replaced. Regular dental check-ups are an essential part of maintaining their oral health.

References

[1] Tanya Altman, translated by Tang Ya et al. American Academy of Pediatrics Encyclopedia of Parenting[M]. Beijing: Beijing Science and Technology Press, 2020.12.

Author: Fan Yunzhu, Chief Physician of Jiahui Medical

Reviewer: Wu Bin, deputy chief physician of the Department of Stomatology, Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University