If you have a child in kindergarten, you know that they are very concrete thinkers. This can lead to some entertaining conversations, as well as some seemingly irrational fears. When it comes to their dental health, this is no exception. Here is a look at a few of the concerns your five-year-old may want to address with the dentist at his or her next check-up.
"When will my tooth fall out?"
Because the typical age that children loose their first tooth is somewhere between 4 and 6 years old, this can be a valid concern. However, if your child was a bit of a late bloomer in getting their baby teeth, they may be waiting a little while. Permanent teeth generally follow the same progression as baby teeth when erupting, and each child is unique. Some simply take longer to get permanent teeth than others. If your child is particularly concerned about this, a dental X-ray may help to alleviate some of his or her fears by showing that, yes, there are permanent teeth under the baby ones.
"Why can't I just brush my teeth faster?"
To many kindergartners, everything is a race. For them, speed often trumps quality in many different areas. The concept of brushing their teeth for a longer amount of time makes very little sense. However, because establishing good dental habits early-on is important to growing teeth, it may be worthwhile to find a motivator in order to make sure that they are brushing all of their teeth. A toothbrush that blinks or plays music while they brush is a great way to ensure that they keep it in their mouth for long enough to get the job done.
"Is my dentist really the tooth fairy?"
With Hollywood often portraying the tooth fairy as a burly, middle-aged man with wings and a toothbrush, it can be easy to see where they might jump to this conclusion. There are striking similarities between the two: they both want your child to have healthy teeth; they both carry a toothbrush; they both advocate flossing. However, you can feel confident in gently telling your child that the dentist is not the tooth fairy, but you may want to let him or her ask the dentist first.
"Why can't I keep my tooth?"
As a parent, this may be the most difficult dental question to answer both gently and honestly. Young children are notorious for loosing things. Simply reminding them of this, and assuring them that the tooth fairy will replace their tooth with a prize, such as a toothbrush or a coin can often be enough. Besides, everyone knows that the tooth fairy treasures those baby teeth, and keeps them safe until the child is older.
Life with a five-year-old is never dull, and a trip to the dentist is no exception. Enjoy this time in their lives. They will only be five once, and your family dentist will be pleased that they have taken such a profound interest in their dental health!
Share29 January 2015
When the bottled water craze began, I jumped on the bandwagon with everyone else who was drinking water from bottles instead of from the tap. I wasn't sure why bottled water was healthier, but I liked the taste. When I went for my next dental check-up, I had my first cavity in a while, so I had it filled and didn't think much of it. Well, I had two more during my next check-up after that, and I began trying to think of why my teeth were suddenly going bad. The only change in my habits was the switch to bottled water, so I made the switch back to tap water and my teeth began to improve. I created this blog to encourage others who have begun getting cavities suddenly to look into their changes in habits. They may find they made a change similar to mine.