Children should see a dentist by the age of one!

Parents have to act to prevent the growing crisis of toddler tooth decayVery recently we read an article in the Times that echoes exactly with what we at Carisbrook have been voicing for a long time: It is never too early to introduce young children to a dentist. In fact the Times headline read: ‘CHILDEN TOLD TO SEE DENTIST AT AGE OF ONE’. The sub-headline of the article said that with the rising incidence of toddler tooth decay parents are urged to seek professional help early.We would actually go further than that because we always recommend that parents should arrange their toddler’s first dental appointment as soon as their milk teeth begin to come through – which is usually at around six-months.The chances are at that young age the toddler’s first teeth will be absolutely perfect. If there is by chance any sign of a problem then of course we will spot it at its very earliest stage.In reality though, the real purpose of that first dental appointment is to help the child to feel relaxed and confident within the dental clinic surroundings as well as of course with the dentists themselves. In all probability all we will do is to try and coax the child to open their mouth and let us look at their teeth. Nothing more, but of course we will take the opportunity to pass on cleaning advice to parents about the importance of oral hygiene, brushing teeth and diet.All too often, dentists report, for many children their first visit to a dentist comes when they are already in pain with tooth decay meaning that teeth have to be extracted under general anaesthetic.Toddler tooth decay is an unnecessary and unpleasant experience that can have a profound effect on how the young child views trips to the dentist in later years. Frequently it can lead to dental phobia in adulthood when as nervous patients they avoid dental appointments and as a consequence can suffer horrific oral health problems.The NHS report that as few as 3% of children are taken to the dentist before their first birthday and the Royal College of Surgeons Facility of Dental Surgery found that 80% of children age between one and two had not attended a dentist in the past year.Even worse … the report states that one quarter of five-year-olds have tooth decay!Worryingly the most common reason given by parents for their children not having their teeth checked is that the local dentist was not accepting new patients.Toddler tooth decay is becoming an ever-increasing problem, but the good news is that at Carisbrook we are accepting new patents – children as well as adults. If you would like to make an appointment and qualify for a FREE CONSULTATION please call us now on 0161 951 7295 or alternatively you can contact us by using the online form on our Appointments page.