Members of our staff visited the Montessori & Music daycare center last month to spread the word about the importance of taking care of your teeth so you can keep them for a lifetime.
We had a great time sharing information with approximately 75 children who were between 2 and 6 years of age.
We have lots of fun visual aids that kids these ages enjoy, including books about going to the dentist, coloring sheets, and a big stuffed alligator with braces and a giant toothbrush. Children can use the toothbrush to demonstrate their brushing skills on the alligator.
Group learning experiences such as these are a great way to get children accustomed to what can be expected when they visit their dentist’s or orthodontist’s office for the first time. They help alleviate fears children often have with going to the doctor.
“Sometimes when we get young patients in the office, they act scared because they don’t know what to expect,” says Dr. Yan Razdolsky, a Buffalo Grove orthodontist. “Reaching out to children when they’re young is something we like to do so they understand what they can do to keep their teeth healthy and their visits to the dentist or orthodontist positive experiences.”
You might be wondering why young children would need to be seen by an orthodontist. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that all children receive an orthodontic evaluation by their 7th birthday – and even earlier, if a parent notices something is wrong with the child’s teeth or bite.
By age 7, a child’s bite is established and we can determine whether any problems exist that should be treated early, such as underbite or crossbite. When we provide underbite treatment for children, we like to start as early as possible because we can use the child’s growth to our benefit and guide jaw growth to help correct the problem. Waiting until the child is older and jaw growth is complete often leaves no other treatment alternative than orthognathic surgery.
If the child has unhealthy oral habits such as sucking thumbs or fingers, there are appliances we can install that take away the pleasant sensation derived from thumb- and finger-sucking.
Several children’s parents were in attendance during our recent visit to Montessori & Music, so this created a great opportunity for us to educate them on these topics.
We’re always eager to visit schools and community groups, or to host fieldtrips to our office to share information about orthodontics and dental health. If your school or group is interested in learning more about our educational presentations and fieldtrips, please call Anna Razdolsky for more information: anna@razdolsky.com.
