Top 3 Myths about Children’s Dentistry: What to Believe

When you become a parent, you get a lot of advice and information from people around you, often without you even asking for it! Unfortunately, not all of the guidance from others is true, and when it comes to kid’s dental health, there are a lot of misinformation circulating. Keep reading to learn about just three myths about children’s dentistry and the truths behind them!

Baby Teeth Aren’t Important

Many people figure that baby teeth come out at some point anyway for the adult teeth to come in, so there’s not much point in maintaining them. If one gets knocked out or it gets a cavity, it’s no big deal. But it is! Although primary teeth eventually make way for permanent ones, if you allow tooth decay to take over them, the cavity could spread to the still developing teeth underneath the gums, causing irreparable damage. Or if a baby tooth is knocked out prematurely, it throws off the alignment of the permanent teeth, potentially leading to more severe misalignment.

The overall message here is that baby teeth should be cared for and kept clean and strong too!

Only Sugar Causes Cavities

There’s no doubt that sugar is a main cause of tooth decay, but it isn’t the only culprit. Starchy foods like crackers, potato chips, and the like break down a lot like sugar in the mouth, which means harmful bacteria feed on these foods and form plaque. As a result, you may need to be more careful about what your child eats than just limiting candy.

Sometimes it’s easy to identify sugary foods—candy, soda, cookies, and cake. But keep in mind that sugar is often hidden in various food products. Even something you consider to be healthy could contain a lot of sugar, such as fruit juice, sports drinks, dried fruit, and “healthy” cereals. Before you buy snacks or drinks for your child, take a look at the sugar content to see whether it’s really as good as you think.

Young Kids Can Brush Their Own Teeth

As a parent, you know that your child wants to do everything on their own, even before they are ready to handle it. When it comes to brushing their teeth, your child will require more than just your supervision for quite a while. You will need to do the brushing yourself to ensure a more thorough clean. If you want to teach your child independence, you can allow them to brush for a certain amount of time and follow it up with your round of brushing to catch what they may have missed. Eventually, your child will learn proper technique and can do it themselves, but until that time, they need your help!

Luckily, you don’t have to discern truth from myth on your own. You can take your child to a board-certified pediatric dentist and ask them questions about your child’s oral development, at-home dental care, and other important information. They can help you know what to expect, how to encourage and teach healthy habits, and how to protect your favorite smile.

About the Practice

Of the five doctors at Chicago Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, three are board-certified pediatric dentists. Dr. Justin, Dr. Deric, and Dr. Bindi come from various backgrounds, but they all believe that oral health should start early on in life. If you would like to schedule an appointment to ask questions, please reach out to our team online here or by calling the office at 312-766-0995.