How Can Your Child Benefit From Cosmetic Dentistry?

If you assume that your child's protruding front teeth can only be dealt with as a teenager or that your child with special needs will not also have special dental needs, it is important to discuss their dental health with a cosmetic dentist to clarify your understanding. Unfortunately, many of the dental problems that occur when kids are young can continue to impact them for many years into adulthood.

Therefore, it is even more important to provide the best possible care for their teeth and that often means cosmetic dentistry:

It Makes Planning For The Dental Future Of Your Child With Special Needs Easier

It is important to point out that some of the challenges associated with special health concerns contribute to the need for sophisticated dental care. Even with parental supervision, some children with developmental or physical delays are more prone to dental problems and abnormalities. 

For example, if your son or daughter has a sensory or tactile disorder, he or she may find it difficult to brush as often as they should, due to:

• the texture of the brush

• taste of the toothpaste 

• eye-hand coordination

Therefore, dental whitening may be necessary. Common needs for cosmetic dentistry in kids include the presence of  a heart condition that could worsen from poor oral health or periodontal disease  as seen with many patients with Down's Syndrome. Even with adequate dental care, periodontal disease can quickly require root planing or even dental implants as the disease impacts the gums and teeth.

Protruding Teeth Are More Likely To Be Damaged

If you have a child who would virtually live on the baseball field or basketball court if you let them, their protruding teeth are more likely to be hit during a fall than symmetrical teeth would be. That obviously presents with the added risk of  missing or chipped teeth, dental implants, infection, pain and emergency dental care.

As a result, many cosmetic dentists today recommend that if your child is physically active or involved with sports, it is important to protect their protruding teeth. A mouth guard is one choice, standard braces are another and cosmetic braces might also be suggested. Many children have difficulty with the mouth guard, so it is a good idea to speak with your cosmetic dentist about ways you can safeguard their teeth during childhood sports.

In conclusion, it is often challenging to know when more than basic dentistry is needed during childhood. When you seem to have gone past what the pediatric dentist can provide, it is time to speak with an experienced cosmetic dentist to be sure that your child always has the beautiful smile they deserve, even if it means fixing the problem early.

To learn more, contact a company like Associated Dental Center, LLC with any questions you have.