May 26, 2022

3 Serious Threats to Your Teen’s Teeth According to Pediatric Dentists

You’ve probably already said goodbye to the baby teeth and hello to the permanent ones as your youngster grows into a teenager. While you worked hard to teach excellent dental habits to them as children, their busy lives sometimes prevent them from brushing twice a day and flossing every day. If you want to keep your teen’s oral health in check, a pediatric dentist explains three of the most common dental dangers and what you can do to help.

Cavities

Let’s face it: our children are no longer the small children who follow us around. They’re teens with their own circle of pals and more responsibilities than you remember having at their age. One of the leading causes of cavities is an active lifestyle. Bacteria grows when your teen does not brush for two minutes twice a day and floss. This can result in gum disease, cavities, or both, which is why they should see an adolescent dentist on a frequent basis.

Teenagers are also busy drinking and eating too much sugar, which is hazardous to their teeth in addition to their lack of oral hygiene routine. Make sure they’re eating enough of high-fiber fruits and veggies and staying away from sweets as much as possible.

Mouth Injuries from Sports

Most teenagers participate in sports, ranging from football to soccer to tennis. More than 3 million teeth are knocked out at teen sports events, according to the CDC. Whether your kid has braces or not, arrange an appointment with the dentist to discuss mouthguards or facial guards. Soft tissue lacerations, as well as damaged or knocked-out teeth, will be avoided with them. Major head injuries can result in jaw injury, concussions, or a busted lip or tongue, depending on the location of the hit.

Whatever the injury, call your child’s dentist right once or schedule an appointment here to get it looked at.

Tobacco

Teenagers are increasingly attempting cigarettes, vape pens, and cigars. It is not only extremely detrimental to their health, but it can also harm their teeth and gums. Tobacco usage can lead to oral cancer, periodontal disease, bad breath, damaged saliva glands, discolored teeth, and even a delay in surgery recovery.

As an adult, discuss the dangers of smoking with your teen. Encourage kids to stay away from all tobacco and nicotine products.

Nobody ever claimed to raise teenagers was simple. You can add maintaining good oral health to the list of anxieties you have as a parent, among friends, extracurricular activities, and the dreaded word “dating.” Of course, you want your teen’s general health to be the greatest it can be, and because that includes their teeth and gums, you’ll need to make sure they keep up excellent practices as they get older.

We do not have the answers as to how to raise teenagers, but we sure do know how to protect their teeth and help them learn to take care of them. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment, it’s never too late!