Childhood Cavity Prevention: 5 Invaluable Benefits of Regular Dental Visits 

The American Dental Association (ADA) celebrates National Children’s Dental Health Month in February. If all American families participated, it could go a long way toward preventing an incredibly common childhood health issue.

The latest data from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research reports that 23.3% of kids ages 2-5 have cavities in their primary teeth. In kids ages 6-8, that number jumps to 52.1%. That means that before your child turns 8, they have a roughly one-in-two shot at developing a cavity.

During National Children’s Dental Health Month,  Irene Zaki, DDS, and our team at Happy Teeth Children’s Dentistry want to do what we can to lower that statistic. That’s why we encourage all families to visit us at our Riverside, California, office every six months. 

Regular dental visits help you actively fight childhood cavities by delivering the following benefits:

#1: Monitoring your child’s at-home oral health habits

Whether you still help your child brush and floss or they manage it themselves, the twice-yearly checkups with Dr. Zaki are valuable. 

At each appointment, Dr. Zaki evaluates their oral health. She can identify areas where your family might need to make changes to ensure your child’s daily oral hygiene routine does what it should to prevent cavities. 

#2: Removing dental tartar

Visiting our office means getting hardened plaque called tartar off your child’s teeth. 

When it first develops, plaque is a fuzzy-feeling film that a toothbrush or floss can remove. However, given time, it develops into tartar, which is too strong to be removed with at-home oral care tools. 

Fortunately, at our office, Dr. Zaki has specialized instruments to get rid of tartar — and its cavity-causing bacteria. 

#3: Catching cavities early

Ideally, between your at-home oral hygiene routine and regular trips to our office, we help your child avoid cavities altogether. But if tooth decay does develop, visiting us biannually means Dr. Zaki catches it early. 

This way, she can treat the cavity when it’s easiest and most comfortable for your child and helps them avoid needing more involved treatment like a root canal. 

#4: Adding extra measures when needed

Dr. Zaki can advise you on additional protections that your child might need. For example, she might recommend dental sealants if they struggle to brush their back molars properly. Or if they’re particularly prone to cavities, she might recommend silver diamine fluoride treatment. 

#5: Building lifelong healthy habits

Visiting our office twice yearly helps kids get comfortable in the dentist’s chair. Regular visits make this routine familiar rather than stress-inducing, helping them avoid cavities during childhood and throughout their lives.  

In short, visiting our office twice a year can help ensure your child doesn’t become another cavity statistic. To schedule your child's next appointment, call Happy Teeth Children's Dentistry or book your visit online today.