Why Dental Checkups Matter: “Look, mom, my tooth’s moving around,” your child says to you, smiling wide. If you’re a parent of a child, then you’re probably wondering how you can prepare your child for the upcoming school year. This article will provide you with information on just one area where you can help your child get ready for the school year: the dentist. In this article, we share 3 reasons why back-to-school checkups are important when it comes to your child’s oral health. 

Back-to-School Checkups: What are they?

Back-to-school checkups are regular check ups children should be getting before they go back to school. When it comes to the dentist, a dentist might check your child’s teeth for:

• Abnormal growth: sometimes, a child’s teeth might not be developing as they should. A dentist would be able to identify if your child’s teeth are following a regular growth pattern that is typical for their age. 
• Potential cavities: cavities can be really painful and can be distracting. Identifying them before they become a problem is important to oral health and prevention. 
• Dental issues like misaligned teeth or teeth growing in areas they shouldn’t. Your dentist would let you know if your child seems to need braces or if there are other issues. 
• Tooth decay: tooth decay often leads to cavities. Since children have a whole life to live, having and promoting good oral health is important. 
• Oral health: your dentist would check to see if there are any issues like oral cancer. 

So, as you can see, back-to-school checks at a dentist office involves factoring in different aspects of oral health. 

3 Reasons Why Back-To-School Dental Checkups Are Important

Now that you have a basic understanding of what a dentist might be on the lookout for, here are 3 reasons why back-to-school dental checks are important. 

Back-to-School Dental Checkups Focuses on Prevention 

Oftentimes, people will bring their children to the dentist office if the child mentions a toothache or other dental issue. At Mountain View Dental, we believe in preventing dental issues before they arise. That is, if you’re waiting until there are issues, then a dentist is only there for treatment. What we mean by this is that a dentist should also be helping you with prevention.  

That also means you’re not able to identify issues so that they don’t become an even bigger problem. For example, some cases of tooth pain or tooth misgrowth are signs of oral cancer. Waiting until the last minute means that the cancer can get worse. In other cases like cavities, a back-to-school checkup can help the dentist save your child’s tooth rather than having it remove or needing an intense root canal. 

Back-to-School Dental Checkups Help You Identify Any Potential Issues

Visiting a dentist would help you and your child understand if there are any lifestyle changes that need to be made. For example, if your dentist notices that your child has tooth discoloration or decay, they may ask you questions about what type of foods or drinks your child is having. Then, your dentist would be able to provide you and your child with information on limiting foods or drinks that are causing the decay or discoloration. So, it’s important to see a dentist so that they can help you and your child with overall good dental health. 

Back to School Dental Checkups Helps With Dental Anxiety 

If your child is scared of visiting the dentist, encouraging them to see a dentist with you there with them can help them not be so scared. Dental anxiety, which is more common than you think, is often a barrier to people getting help with their teeth. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s National Institute of Health, 36% of Americans have dental anxiety. Dental anxiety is fear of seeing a dentist. According to the Institute 12% of those who have dental anxiety have an extreme fear of visiting a dentist. 

So, if your child is scared of visiting the dentist, encourage them to go with you on a regular basis so that you can slowly get them used to it. 

Mountain View Dental Can Help You and Your Family

If you’re looking for a dentist in the state of Utah, Mountain View Dental can help you and your family. At our Office, we will help you and your child with all types of dental issues. Give us a call at 385-324-3557 to schedule your child’s dental checkup before returning to school. You can also contact us here. We look forward to providing you with the best dental care possible.