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Make Dental Care a Family Affair
August 14, 2014
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Sacramento family dentist We know how tough it can be to get your kids excited about their oral health. When it comes to a child’s priorities, brushing and flossing are usually low on the list. From reprimands to healthy snacks, nothing seems to get them invested in staying cavity-free.

Exhausted by your attempts to foster positive dental attitudes? Bringing dental care into the family sphere will help change your kids’ views of their healthy teeth and of the office. By engaging in oral health-related discussions, participating in oral hygiene alongside your kids, and scheduling family-wide exams, you help your children stay on task and feel comfortable at the dentist’s. With this post, we offer a few tips as to why this works and how your family can get started.

What is Family Dentistry?

A family dentist understands the health needs of every age group. Whether the patient is a child, adult, or senior, family dentistry has their preventive and restorative care covered. This mindset extends from the office to the home. By talking about staying tooth-healthy with your family, you show your children that you care about keeping cavities and gum disease out of your life.

Why Patient Comfort is So Important for Your Kids

Sacramento family dentistDental anxiety is typically formed at an early age. Once a patient feels nervous about dental treatment, he or she is likely to feel the repercussions of that stress throughout life. The best way to avoid this ongoing anxiety is to prevent it in the first place. By getting your kids comfortable, pain-free treatment from their youth onwards, you show them that the dentist’s office doesn’t have to be a scary place. This means preventing cavities, so that they don’t have to experience shots and fillings until they’re older (and ready).

Your kids will struggle to stay cavity-free if they’re left to their own devices. They need your help and support to stay on point. You can offer this in the following ways:

  • Educate your kids – Your children respect you, and they’ll take the things you tell them seriously. Discuss how bacteria buildup works, when plaque forms, and how that leads to cavities. This will help them feel good about oral hygiene and healthy eating.
  • Brush and floss together – This not only shows your kids that you care about oral hygiene, but also gives you a chance to make sure they’re cleaning their teeth thoroughly and for long enough.
  • Provide healthy foods and drinks at home – Build great eating habits from the ground up, by buying groceries that foster oral health. With time, your kids will come to love healthy snacks and appreciate the taste.
  • Speak to your kids in their language – Find oral health activities that will illustrate the way decay takes hold, and the differences brushing and flossing can make.
  • Schedule family exams – When you visit the office alongside your kids, they’re instantly more comfortable with the entire endeavor. Show them that you share their dentist, and they’ll feel at home in the dental chair. You are your child’s role model, and you play a significant role in building their lifelong habits. Show them that dental care is one of yours.

Our Spanish-Speaking Dentists in Sacramento

Looking for a dentist that accommodates everyone in your life? Dynamic Dental is a bilingual practice, offering services in both English and Spanish. Led by the husband-wife team of Dr. Ricardo Andrade and Dr. Denisse Montalvo, our staff is prepared to lead you to improved oral health. Get in touch today to schedule your next appointment – it’s never too early to get it on the books!

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