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Teen Dental Care

Teenage Dentistry

The teen years are a time of transition from childhood to adulthood- but dental care is still very important. At Palisades Dental Care, we are here to help your teen during this transition by offering consistent, compassionate, comprehensive dental care.

Importance of Regular Dental Visits for Teens

Dental visits are important for your teen’s health for several reasons. Dental visits allow the dentist to remove plaque from teeth as well as diagnose issues that may arise with their oral and overall health. Here are the top reasons regular dental visits are important for teens:

Detects cavities early

Dental visits allow the dentist to examine/clean areas of the mouth that are not visible or easily accessible by the teen or parents. During the cleaning and exam, the dental team can address trouble spots before they advance and explain how those areas can be maintained at home.

When cavities are detected early, they can be filled before they get bigger, which saves time and money.

Diagnosing other health issues

Dentists often find “red flags” that may indicate other health issues during routine dental exams. This is due to the oral-systemic link. For example, gum disease may show symptoms in your mouth, but occurs when bacteria spreads into the surrounding tissue and affects heart rate and blood pressure.

Establishes a dental home

The more a teen visits the dentist, the less likely they will be to be uncomfortable with dental treatment as they get older. At Palisades Dental Care, we treat patients of all ages, so once you establish a dental home for your child with our team, they never have to go anywhere else. We can treat a variety of dental issues throughout their life.

Risk of Cavities in Teens

Teens are at an increased risk of developing cavities due to changes in their diet- increased snacking- and lack of proper dental hygiene. Girls tend to get more cavities due to diet, while boys tend to get more cavities due to dental hygiene habits.

Even if teens choose “healthy” snacks such as fruit smoothies, too many can cause decay because they are loaded with sugars, which leads to erosion of enamel, tooth sensitivity, and ultimately decay.

Another potential risk for teens is oral piercings. If not properly cared for, oral piercings can lead to swelling, bleeding, pain, chipped teeth, and more. When teeth get chipped, it opens them up to bacteria, which can ultimately lead to decay.

Right Age to Develop Healthy Dental Habits

By the time your children reach the teenage years, they should already have established healthy habits. Ideally, this should start from the time your infant gets their first tooth and should be encouraged as they get older. One way to keep teens motivated to keep their oral hygiene habits up is to get an electric toothbrush.

Invisalign for Teens

Teens with malocclusion require orthodontic treatment and may prefer Invisalign because it’s less obvious than traditional braces. The thing that makes Invisalign for Teens different is a series of blue dots. These dots, while not a fail-safe, are a good way for parents to determine if their teen is complying with treatment. The aligners must be worn for at least 22 hours a day for 1 to 3 weeks, depending on the treatment plan established by the dentist.

If the blue dots are not fading, you know that your teen is not wearing them as prescribed, but if the dots do fade, you can be sure they are compliant.

Schedule Your Teen's Dental Visit Today

Contact Palisades Dental Care and schedule your teen’s cleaning and exam today. We look forward to working with you and your teen to develop healthy habits and address any issues they may have.

FAQs

The teen years are a time of transitioning from childhood to adulthood, so many parents at Palisades Dental Care have questions about teenage dentistry. Here are a few of the most common questions we are asked:

Can a 14-year-old make a dentist appointment?

Legally, an individual must be 18 years old before making medical decisions, including scheduling appointments. However, if the teen has permission from a responsible parent/guardian, they can make the call to schedule the appointment.

What does a dentist do for a 1-year-old?

A 1-year-old may not have many teeth, but there are things that a pediatric dentist can do for them:

Establish positive oral hygiene habits
Look for dental issues including open bite or baby bottle tooth decay

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