When was the last time you took your daughter to the dentist? Better yet, when was the last time you went yourself? Time tends to get away from us and it seems there is a holiday almost every month, right?
These days the hours seem shorter and sleep is even harder for children. But did you know that a check-up with the dentist could help you increase the amount of sleep they get each night?
Ready to learn the secret?
What the Dentist Checks in Your Mouth
Did you know that the most common cause of obstructive sleep apnea in kids is enlarged tonsils and adenoids? Guess where they are… at the entrance to their throats! The dentist sees them and documents any findings each time they see your kiddo.
What this means is that your daughter’s dentist could connect the dots for you as to why she’s not sleeping well, why you find them mouth breathing often, or why Jenny snores so loudly at night. The dentist may even be able to recognize that she has sleep apnea in the first place!
Better yet, this means there may be a cure for your kiddo besides wearing a CPAP machine at night. This is beneficial because you know they won’t want to wear it. It’s an odd and scary-looking mask, especially for a kid. Honestly, who can blame them for avoiding it?
Just think… they could fall asleep faster, have a better, more restful night’s sleep after seeing the dentist, allowing you to sleep better too!
But that’s not all, the dentist also checks for possible signs of oral cancer. When taking radiographs (x-rays), the dentist can check for tooth and jaw concerns such as tumors, cysts, infection, bone loss, decay and much more!
If your son could avoid missing school because of a toothache, or if you could avoid financial surprises due to pre-emptively planning for orthodontics rather than doing an expensive surgery later in life for him… wouldn’t you? And if your daughter can enjoy a better career and higher self-esteem because of her beautiful smile, isn’t that all we’ve ever wanted as parents?
Radiographs can be a very useful tool for the dentist and you, even more so when they are taken at their regular intervals (every 6 months to a year). That is why the ADA (American Dental Association) recommends a dental check-up every 6 months/ twice a year 🙂
So the dentist has checked your son’s throat, jaw and teeth at this point, but dentists don’t stop there! The soft tissues in his mouth are just as important as the hard structures like his teeth and jaw.
In fact, they may be even more important! Did you know that if you develop periodontal disease and it goes untreated, even teeth that are otherwise healthy could fall out?
That’s why dentists also check our gums and soft tissue! Not only do they give us instructions to help us prevent bad breath, but they are also helping us to keep our teeth in place!
Our soft tissue connected to our lip and tongue can also cause our babies to have nursing problems and our children to have speech concerns. All kiddos should have their first dental visit by age 1 (or 6 months after their first teeth come in) so you can catch any possible concerns early and make a plan that best suits your child.
Set an example!
Our children look up to us as their idols, their role models, their heroes! Now that you know what benefits come with a dental check-up, why not set the best example we can when it comes to visiting the dentist as well?
Call a pediatric dentist today (and your dentist too!) and set up that next dental check-up for you both 🙂
