When life gets hectic, it’s easy to forget that you were supposed to take your kids to the pediatric dentist in Kapolei this month. Missing one or two visits may not be a big deal—as long as you make up for it right away. However, making a habit of skipping dental visits will have long-lasting consequences for your little one’s oral health.
Even when your child’s teeth look fine, dental issues like cavities, gum disease, or orthodontic problems may develop, which are often unnoticeable to the untrained eye. Here are some other possible outcomes of missing your dental appointments.
Consequences of Skipping Regular Dental Check-ups
Good oral health is more than having a shiny, bright smile. Even unnoticeable dental issues can potentially affect a child’s overall health and future well-being. This can lead to many problems and more expensive treatments later.
For example, if cavities are left untreated, they may require root canal therapy, extractions, or even orthodontic procedures. Here are some other common oral problems that can be easily avoided with early intervention:
1. Tooth Decay
Neglecting dental visits can lead to tooth decay, a common issue even among children. In fact, about 40% of children can have tooth decay by kindergarten. This is especially concerning as it can negatively impact the development of their permanent teeth, causing them to erupt later than normal.
The overdue development of your kid’s adult teeth can make them crooked, leading to the need for orthodontic treatment. Tooth decay can also cause pain and infection, which has been proven to affect a kid’s academic performance. That’s right: children with cavities are more likely to miss school and have poorer grades!
2. Gum Disease
Gum disease is not limited to adults; it can also affect kids. The primary cause of this ailment is dental plaque accumulation, which increases a child’s risk of developing gingivitis, the disease’s mildest form. Red, swollen, and painful gums are among the symptoms.
Gum disease can worsen into periodontitis, a dangerous bacterial infection that eats away at the gums and the tissues that support the teeth if treatment is not received. However, you can maintain your kid’s healthy gums with early intervention.
3. Nutritional Problems
Eating a balanced diet may be challenging for your child if they have dental issues. After all, cavities or gum disease can lead to pain, irritation, or increased sensitivity. This inability to eat comfortably can hamper your child’s natural growth.
When a child’s mouth always hurts while they eat, they’ll reduce their daily intake and not get the nutrients they require for healthy growth and development. So, if you’ve noticed your kid has been struggling with finishing their plate lately, it may indicate that it’s time to receive professional dental care.
4. Speech Impediments
Speaking clearly requires having healthy teeth. The way your child pronounces words may be affected if they have dental problems. They may perform worse academically and in social situations as a result.
5. Jaw Misalignments
An irregular or crooked jaw is caused by a mismatch or misalignment between your child’s lower (mandible) and upper (maxilla) jawbones. This can be caused by anything from trauma, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, or dental problems like malocclusion.
Jaw misalignments are serious issues, as they may affect how your child eats and speaks, leading to issues like migraines or sleep apnea later on.
Luckily, crooked jaws can be easily fixed with orthodontic treatment. Moreover, kids’ bones are more flexible, so fixing issues like a crossbite or overbite is considerably easier while they’re young.
A pediatric dentist will be able to identify this issue and provide the needed guidance to fix it.
Legal Implications of Not Taking Your Child to the Dentist
Failing to take your child to the dentist may even result in a case of medical child neglect. When a parent or guardian neglects to give their child or children proper medical care, a legal problem arises.
Here are a few instances of medical negligence:
- Putting off seeking medical attention and not noticing clear indicators of physical harm, disease, or mental health issues;
- Disregarding and rejecting medical advice that puts the child in danger;
- Bringing the child into a medical facility only when they are in danger of dying;
- If a kid’s chronic illness causes them to miss too much school.
Other Don’ts When Caring for Your Child’s Teeth
So, now you know how important it is not to skip your child’s dental appointments for their oral and overall health. However, there are other harmful actions you may have overlooked that may lead to unwanted consequences down the line.
Here are other behaviors you need to avoid if you want to maintain your kid’s healthy smile:
1. Don’t skip the fluoride
Fluoride can significantly reduce the chances of tooth decay. Although fluorosis can result from excessive fluoride exposure, it would be foolish to completely avoid fluoride. Just make sure your child brushes using only a small bit of fluoride toothpaste and make sure they spit it out completely.
2. Don’t neglect the brushing
It can be hectic in the morning to get everyone out of the house, and it makes sense to be so worn out by the end of the day that you just want to get the kids in bed. But regular brushing is key to preventing cavities.
Although brushing twice a day is acceptable, it is ideal to do so after each meal. Once a day is not enough.
Remember to supervise your child’s brushing as well. When left to their own devices, most children do not brush their teeth at all, and some hardly ever do so, especially children under the age of six.
3. Don’t let kids carry around sippy cups or bottles of juice
Children’s teeth are constantly covered in sugar when they drink juice or milk regularly. Even unsweetened milk and 100% juice contain sugar. The natural sugars found in milk and juice (the ones that are not sucrose) can still harm teeth in the same way.
Should children carry a drink with them, it ought to be water.
Visit a Pediatric Dentist in Kapolei for More Tips
As a parent, worrying about your child’s health is something you do best. However, overlooking the importance of oral health is more common than you may think. Especially considering most individuals don’t know how tightly overall wellness and dental health are related.
Dental issues have been associated with an increased risk of various health issues in the future, such as heart disease and premature birth. So, detecting and treating any issue at Kidshine Pediatric Dental Group is important as soon as possible. If you’re due for a dental check-up, give us a call!