Kids are very delicate and more vulnerable to certain health issues, unlike adults, who can easily tell when their body or system has changed and is reacting to something. The oral hygiene of our toddlers is important, and certain measures should be put in place to ensure that they stay healthy.
Fluoride treatment is one such treatment that is best prescribed for kids who are prone to decaying teeth. The fluoride treatment is carried out by a pediatric dentist. This is why it is advised that as a parent, you should have your kid register for routine oral checkups as this will help the kids’ dentist keep track of the oral health of your child. They can also call your attention to any abnormality when they occur.
It is no doubt that there is every tendency that a child who is not yet accustomed to paying a regular visit to the dentist may become scared when they find out that they are about to have a fluoride treatment. Most dentists advise that the moment you notice that your child has started growing teeth, that is the best time to have them register with a toddler dentist. The pediatric dentist will monitor how the kid’s teeth are developing, check if they are properly aligned or not, and check for any trace of decay or cavity.
Fluoride treatments are one of such treatments that are recommended for kids. This treatment is usually painless as it does not require any form of insertion other than the fluoride that will be coated on the teeth, this helps to prevent the pain that a child has to suffer from if the teeth are decayed or have developed cavities. This fluoride treatment is a recommendation by the kids’ dentist for those kids who, after having a close examination on their teeth, it has been detected that their teeth are prone to getting decayed or having cavities. The fluoride, when added, will help make the vulnerable teeth become stronger than before, so they do not develop cavities.
The Fluoride treatment takes the form of a solution, sometimes foam or gel; in whichever form, it gives the same effect to the affected teeth. It is no different from the fluoride added to our toothpaste. The only difference is that the fluoride content in this treatment is more and the benefit is also more unlike the regular fluoride contained in our toothpaste.
In the case of having your routine checkup, the dentist may discover that the kids’ teeth would need a fluoride treatment while for some other kids, the treatment may not be good for them and another treatment will be prescribed for them.
Why Is Fluoride Good for Your Kid?
You may have heard or been advised by a dentist not to use fluoride toothpaste for your child until they are up to three years of age. This is because children do not need the same level of fluoride content on their teeth as adults do. This is also why it is best to have the kids’ dentist recommend the treatment for the child and have them apply it on the affected teeth of the child.
The kids’ dentist knows the amount of fluoride that needs to be applied to the affected or prone teeth, hence the recommendation for it. Fluoride treatment for kids has immense benefits. These benefits are:
- The application of fluoride to the child’s teeth helps the teeth be more receptive to certain minerals that will help prevent weakness of the teeth in the future, like calcium and phosphate.
- When fluoride is applied to the child’s teeth, it helps eliminate the presence of bacteria in the teeth that are likely to result in cavities.
- Due to the fact that the enamel of a child is still developing, when fluoride is applied to the teeth, it gives strength to the enamel while it is developing. This enables the enamel to be more healthy and strong enough to resist decay that may try to arise.
- Children are more prone to experiencing loss of teeth and gum disease. Fluoride helps to protect the child from experiencing regular teeth loss, unlike other kids. For some children, they end up not growing back the lost tooth. This is why fluoride treatment is good for them.
There is no fear in taking your kid for a fluoride treatment. This is because it is painless, and there are different ways they can be administered. It is true that fluoride could be harmful to a child when consumed, hence the many ways by which they are administered. The fluoride treatment for an adult is different from the fluoride treatment for a child. That of an adult is seen in different ways. It could be given to them in the form of a mouthwash, cream, or varnish, but for children, it is strictly administered to them in the form of varnish.
In some cases, the treatment also goes beyond the confines of the dentist’s office down to your house. The dentist sometimes prescribes certain fluoride supplements that will be taken at home; they are sometimes in solid and liquid forms. It is best to follow through with the prescription to get a better result of the treatment.
Conclusion
Every child should be given an opportunity to have a healthy oral condition. This can be achieved when the parents or guardians of the child pay close attention to the oral health of their children. This is why, for starters, doctors advise that you have the child register at a dental hospital, have them attend their routine checkups, and ensure that the treatments recommended by the kids’ dentist are adhered to.
It is hard to tell when your child may need a fluoride treatment, and this treatment is not suitable for everyone, hence the need to have a dentist and keep to the scheduled routine checkup. Fluoride treatments are painless. It would do well to meet with a dentist to have your kids’ teeth checked.