When it comes to caring for an infant, most parents are well aware of the need for routine pediatrician visits as part of their baby’s health care regimen. What’s less well-recognized is the importance that early and regular dental care plays. For optimal oral health, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends that dental visits begin with the appearance of a child’s first tooth as an effective way to kick-start a lifelong program of preventive dental care.
One Baby Tooth + One Pediatric Dental Visit = Zero Cavities
“The ‘first-tooth visit’ lets the pediatric dentist check for proper oral and facial development, see if the teeth are growing in properly, and detect early tooth decay,” says H. Pitts Hinson, president of the AAPD. “It also gives the dentist a chance to walk parents through a complete program of home dental care for the child.”
Tooth decay, even in the earliest stages of life, can have serious implications for a child’s long-term health and well-being-and it’s becoming more of a problem every day. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and...