How Important to Help Your Children to Build Health Tooth

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, tooth decay is the most common, chronic childhood disease, with more than 40 percent of American youngsters experiencing tooth decay before the age of five. To avoid this, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) encourages parents to bring their offspring to a pediatric dentist by the time their baby's first tooth appears. The AAPD additionally points to studies showing that dental costs for children who have their first dental visit before age one are 40 percent lower - in the first five years - than for those who do not take dental equipment prior to their first birthday.

As children get older, the American Dental Association (ADA) advises parents to turn their attention to what their offspring are sipping and snacking on, as this will affect not only their general health, but their oral health as well. The ADA cautions that a steady diet high in sugar can cause significant damage to one's teeth. Specifically, sugar-coated teeth serve as a breeding ground for bacteria; bacteria, in turn, produce acid - and acid can eat away tooth enamel.

"Good dental health also extends to protecting youngsters' teeth when they're playing sports, and even when they're engaged in recreational activities such as rollerblading or snowboarding," says Health Net's Shechet.

"We're trying to follow the dental instruments of care for children by preventing disease from occurring before it begins," he said. "What we want is to establish a 'dental home' for the child, as well as their parents, where they can go to get comprehensive and continuous oral health care."

To ensure a proper fit, the ADA suggests bringing the child - along with his or her mouth guard - to the dentist. If necessary, the dentists can custom-make a mouth guard to fit the youngster's specific needs.

If a primary tooth needs to be extracted due to infection, the permanent tooth may need assistance from a dentist in finding its proper location in the mouth, says Helpin.

Good oral health is a key component of good overall health in children, which is why an early visit to the dentist is very important.