It is Never Too Late to Straighten Your Teeth

Whether you are newlyweds or you have already started a family, it's great that you want to focus on good dental care. You probably already know that healthy teeth and gums make for better overall health. In fact, when people don't take care of dental needs, serious health issues can result. In fact, decaying teeth, infections and numerous other mouth problems can lead to serious diseases like diabetes, heart disease and stoke. Here are some ideas that might help you in making dental health a family priority.

Getting Started Young - It's a great idea to make appointments for your children before they even have teeth.

• Take little ones to the dental office and let them experience just sitting in the impressive dental chair and having the hygienist or the dentist look inside their mouth and even touch it.
• If your children are older, find out if they can hold the instruments and ask questions about their use. 
• Even at a very young age children can go back to the actual dental room without parents or guardians. Just stay close by, in case you are needed.

What To Expect - Part of children's apprehension often comes just because they don't know what's going to happen when they go to the dentist.

• Consider getting to the office in plenty of time for them to play with whatever toys or games have been provided for them. This is a great way for them to start to relax.
• Sometimes children will listen to other people more than to their parents. Consider asking the hygienist or the dentist to talk about the importance of home dental care and healthy foods snacks. 
• For children to take responsibility for their own dental health, consider keeping a chart that the kids fill out at the end of each day. They could indicate how many times they brushed and flossed, and they could even write down the snacks they ate. A great incentive is to offer points toward an award at the end of the week or at the end of the month.

Special Care - As your kids get older, they may need the services of a specialist.

• You'd be surprised at how young some children are when they need braces. Your family dentist will probably be the first person to detect tooth or jaw problems and will be happy to recommend an orthodontist.
• Another concern may come when your child is older. Your family dentist is usually able to pull wisdom teeth. However, if a root canal is ever needed, your dentist will probably refer your child to an endodontist. 

Congratulations of making good dental health a priority for your family. For more information contact a professional like Sarah M. LYNCH DMD.