Obviously going to the dentist is important for oral health, but many parents do not know when to take children to the dentist. If you fit into this category, you may be asking yourself some of the following questions: When should I start taking my child to the dentist? How do I know if my child needs a dentist? How do I choose a dentist for my child? Should my child see a pediatric dentist? The list goes on. Let's try to answer some of these questions.

When should I start taking my child to the dentist?
The American Dental Association, also known as the ADA, recommends that parents take their child to a dentist around his or her first birthday. By this time children should have at least a few teeth. By going at about age one, the dentist a chance to look for early problems with your child's teeth.

Should I use a pediatric dentist?
Pediatric dentists are great for children as they specialize in treating children's dental health. However, your family dentist will also be able to treat your child, so you may want to review cost difference, experience and specialty, as well as how significant the dental problems (if any) your child has. You and your child's dentist, whichever one you choose, should review important information about diet, bottles, tooth brushing and fluoride use.

Why start seeing a dentist so young?
Visiting the dentist from a young age will help your child become comfortable with his or her dentist, and will also make your child much more conscious of their teeth, and how to properly clean them. It also establishes the good habit of regular dental check-ups.

What else should I know about my child's teeth, and seeing a dentist?
Well, obviously if your child ever has a toothache, or an abscess, seeing a dentist right away is important, however, by seeing a dentist before such problems occur, you greatly reduce the likelihood of them happening.

Good dental hygiene habits should begin before your child's first tooth comes in.
At this point you do not need a full on toothbrush, as your child will only have one or two teeth. However, good oral care starts before teeth even come in. For example, wiping your baby's gums with a soft damp cloth after feedings helps to prevent the buildup of bacteria. When teeth appear, you can either wipe them with a cloth, or start using a soft children's toothbrush twice a day.

Once your child is preschool-age, can talk, and has a better understanding of the concept of brushing teeth, you can start using fluoride toothpaste. Your child should know to spit their toothpaste out, but to be on the safe side, don't cover the brush with toothpaste; a pea-sized amount is just right.

How can I know if my child has a cavity?
You can look, cavities are holes that are formed when bacteria (germs) in your mouth use the sugar in food to make acid, which then eats away at the teeth. Cavities will appear to be brown or black spots on the teeth. Cavities are the most common disease in children. So, if your child has a cavity, take them in to your dentist, and teach them how good tooth care can keep cavities from growing. Also, limit their intake of sugary foods, beverages, etc.

Your child also might be at risk for getting cavities more easily than someone else if they were born early (prematurely) or weighed very little at birth (low birth weight), have ongoing special health care needs, or does not go to the dentist often. So, take your child to the dentist starting at age one, and return every six months for a checkup, cleaning, and evaluation

Why does the dentist ask all those questions about your medical history? The answer is simple, your mouth is indisputably connected to the rest of your body, and thus your medical history will directly affect your oral health. However, it is actually more complicated than that, so let's take a look at some of the specific reasons your dentist asks about your medical history:
1.    To determine allergies: During dental procedures you may be given a form of anesthesia, or you may be prescribed a pain killer, antibiotic for infection, etc. If you are allergic to it, the consequences could be tremendous. So, one of the major reasons your dentist will ask about your medical history is to find out if you have and allergies and possible drug interactions or intolerances.
2.    To avoid addictive behaviors: If you have a history of addictions to pain killers, etc. your dentist may need to try and use only local anesthetics, etc. to help avoid re-addicting you to something.  They will also need to know what kinds of pain killers to prescribe you should you need any after a root canal, implant surgery, etc. So, asking you for a detailed medical history can help them to root out any problems, addictions, etc. when it comes to pain killers.
3.    To help your overall health: Your dental health affects you physical health and your physical health affects your dental health. There are certain physical and physiological conditions that lead to you being more prone to have oral health problems. Knowing what your medical history is helps you dentist prepare you for prevention of common problems, or treatment of them. For example, if you have diabetes you are likely more susceptible to gum disease, and therefore if your dentist knows of this he or she can watch for signs and symptoms and help you with prevention.
4.    Discover links, prevent not treat: It has been shown that gum disease, cavities, oral cancer, poor oral health conditions are linked to diabetes, heart disease and poor overall health. Because of how these risk factors are related to each other your dentist will want to get you on a road to prevention. He or she may ask additional questions regarding your health if they discover you have gum disease, and no apparent reason for it. By illustrating links between the health of your body and the health of your mouth, your dentist can show you what to watch for, and how to prevent common oral health problems.
5.    Determine treatment options. Knowing your medical history can help your dentist to better determine what the best treatment options he or she can try without posing risk to you. For example, you may have trouble coming out of sedation, so sedation dentistry would not be an option.. The answers you give to the medical history questions help your dentist determine risk factors and create a specific treatment plan for you.
So, although many think their medical history is irrelevant to their teeth, you must realize that your body is complex machine, and every part affects the others. If your dentist has a better understanding of the functioning and capacity of the machine as a whole, they can better treat oral problems, and teach prevention. The more honestly you answer questions about your medical history, the better treatment, and better overall health you will have.

There is much debate about what dental work you should have when you are pregnant. Much of this debate is simply due to a lack of research. Obviously, it is difficult to obtain research on the subject when most pregnant or breastfeeding women are unwilling to risk anything when it comes to their baby.

The following are some guidelines for getting dental work while pregnant:

    If you are pregnant, and also if you are lactating, you should wait to have you teeth whitened. This is dentist recommended, but is also advised by the American Dental Association. So, while there is little research on the effects that bleaching products may have on pregnant or breastfeeding women, it is safest to not try it. The chemical agents in the bleaching compound could be potentially harmful to a fetus or infant.
    If you are pregnant you will want to visit your dentist regularly to check for problems. In fact, you may want to visit your dentist more often when pregnant than you would otherwise because when you are pregnant, if your diet does not consist of enough calcium and other important minerals and nutrients needed for proper fetus growth, it could leech these from your bones (teeth included). Also, many women neglect oral health when pregnant due to tiredness, nausea, etc. So, because of this, the ADA strongly encourages and recommends that pregnant women eat a balanced diet, brush their teeth thoroughly with a fluoride enhanced toothpaste at least twice daily, floss at least once a day and schedule regular dental visits and periodic professional teeth cleanings.
    During pregnancy there is some dental work you would want to avoid. If you are pregnant, due to lack of information, and to be on the safe side, avoid all elective dental treatment. If it is not necessary now, it can wait until you give birth. You want to avoid things like routine dental X-rays, whitening of teeth, and bonding. This is most important during the first trimester, as much of the baby's foundational growth and nutrition comes during that time.
    Even if you are pregnant, if you are experiencing dental pain, emergency treatment including emergency X-rays should be sought. The sooner the better, just make sure you remind and inform your dentist that you are pregnant, and if you are at all worried talk to your obstetrician about it. (keep x-rays at a minimal though, and wear the lead shield)
    Local anesthetic and X-rays should be used conservatively, when pregnant as their effects on a fetus could be great. If at all possible avoid them completely. If you have a lot of dental work to do, try to do it quickly, or hold off pregnancy until it is complete so you do not run the risk of hurting your child.
    Get your teeth professionally cleaned. If you already go semi-annually, and your appointment falls during your pregnancy, keep your regularly scheduled appointment. If you have not been in to see a dentist in a while, schedule an appointment. You may find it helpful when you are pregnant to have your teeth cleaned more frequently than usual.
Despite any horror stories or rumors you have heard, not visiting a dentist when you are pregnant can take a toll on your health as well as the health of your baby; believe it or not, gum disease has been linked to preterm birth, so get your teeth healthy.

When you go in to the dentist for a professional cleaning, the dentist scrapes your gum line and removes all build up plaque and tartar. This can only be done professionally, and is very important as it leads to tooth decay and rot. The question is, "How often should you get your teeth cleaned?"

The answer: that depends on who you are. So, let's take a look.

    Most children and adults should get a regular dental cleaning and check up every six months. In other words, schedule semi-annual appointments to get your teeth cleaned, and keep them.
    People at a greater risk for oral diseases should have dental check ups more than twice a year.
o    Tobacco users, including chew, cigarettes, and cigars, should get their teeth cleaned more than twice a year, and have their gums checked for gum disease. This will do two things, keep them from being quite as stained, and allow you to keep your teeth longer by better maintaining healthy gums.
o    Alcohol users, if you drink alcohol on a regular basis, then you will likely need to have your teeth cleaned more often than twice a year. This is especially important if you drink red wines or draft beers. They stain teeth more readily, and can lead to tooth decay.
o    Diabetes, this condition makes you more susceptible to poor oral health, so talk to your dentist about how often he or she thinks you need to get your teeth cleaned.
o    Pregnancy, pregnancy can be very hard on your teeth, so do not avoid getting your teeth cleaned while pregnant, get them cleaned more often. At least twice during your pregnancy it would be wise to have your teeth cleaned.
o    Periodontal and gum disease, clearly if you already suffer from periodontal and gum disease you will need professional cleanings regularly, so talk to your dentist and let them help you determine how often is necessary.
o    Or if you simply practice poor oral hygiene. Let's be honest, if you are not very effective when brushing, or do not brush and floss as often as you should, or even if you simply neglect to floss altogether, then chances are pretty good that you should see your dentist for a teeth cleaning more than twice a year. Often going to the dentist will motivate you to do a better job of taking care of your teeth when you are at home.
o    Other specific medical conditions, if you have any medical conditions, ask your dentist to take them into consideration when deciding how often you need your dental cleaning and check up.
Why should you get your teeth cleaned semi-annually?
Going to your regular check ups will help to keep your gums and teeth healthy as well as detect any early problems such as gum disease, oral cancer and cavities. The sooner you treat these problems the less expensive and better taken care of it is. One of the best ways to maintain good oral health is to visit your dentist on a regular basis, so at the very least be sure to get an exam and cleaning every 6 months.

The ADA, your dentist, and anyone who knows about dental health will tell you that you need semi-annual cleanings, but do you know why? Why is it recommended that you have a dental cleaning and check-up every six months?

The following are some of the most important reasons why you need semi-annual cleanings:

Prevention: Your teeth might be healthy now, and thus spending some time and money to get a cleaning may seem unimportant, but by not having these semi-annual cleaning visits there is also some damage to your teeth and gums that cannot be repaired. So, recognize that these cleanings are for prevention.

Less expensive: Semi-annual cleanings are often covered 100% by your dental insurance because by having them, your insurance pays out less money later. Sadly, some people who do not have insurance, or never took advantage of getting free cleanings will end up just having their teeth pulled because they can't afford the $1,000 bill to get one repaired. Believe it or not, the cost of having a tooth repaired can cost the same amount as having semi-annual cleanings for 10 years. And, since those cleanings often result in healthy teeth that do not need repair you get a double benefit, saved cost, and healthy teeth. Years of experience has shown that the best way to prevent dental expense is to prevent the problem in the first place. Prevention means brushing and flossing, and semi-annual professional cleanings. 

Defense against problems: When you go to a dentist for a semi-annual teeth cleaning, the dentist will clean your teeth, scrape off hard food deposits, perform a gum evaluation and polish your teeth. These steps are all important for various reasons, but all of them help you defend against future problems. Cleaning and scraping your teeth means defending them against plaque build up, discoloration, and gum disease. Dental polishing acts much like the dental equivalent of car waxing.   The combination of a prophy (or the stuff used to polish) and a routine examination is the first-line defense against catastrophic dental problems. Which again results in healthier teeth, less expense, and a better smile.

Less pain: No one likes pain, and pain comes from cavities, tooth decay, and poor oral health. Did you know that some studies have shown that those who get semi-annual cleanings have 80% fewer cavities, root canals, etc.? Those are pretty staggering numbers. So, avoid mouth pain, tooth pain, and the other problems that go with it, and get your teeth cleaned semi-annually.
 
Better health: Bacteria in your mouth can move to your blood steam, increase chances for heart attacks, increase blood pressure, and a whole host of other problems.  At least half a dozen studies have shown that people with poor oral health tend to be at risk for heart disease. Also, your mouth is connected to your body, oral health problems lead to other, more serious health problems, so avoid, and prevent these by getting semi-annual cleanings and check-ups at your dental office.

Cosmetic: Cleaning your teeth makes your mouth not only feel clean, but look clean. Scraping away tartar and plaque means whiter teeth, and teeth that stay whiter because the surface of your tooth, when clean, is smoother, and more difficult for stains to adhere to. So, if for no other reason, go to your dentist for a semi-annual cleaning so your mouth will look better.