Starting at one year old, your child should be visiting a pediatric dentist every six months, or as often as the dentist recommends. But health needs don’t always align with appointments, and your child may require an additional dental care visit. Arrange a trip to the dentist if you notice any of these signs.

When to Take Your Child to the Dentist

1. Bad Brushing Habits

As a parent, you strive to teach your child good hygiene. But sometimes, kids get distracted or disinterested, and their dental health suffers. If you notice your kid isn’t taking brushing seriously, their pediatric dentist can help them catch up on dental care and learn why brushing is important.

2. Complaints of Pain

A toothache should always be taken seriously, whether it’s an adult or baby tooth. If your child is experiencing tooth pain, a trip to the dentist will help identify and treat the problem.

3. Not Eating

If your child is pre-verbal, they may not be able to tell you something is wrong, but you can still tell if you pay attention to their eating habits. Decreased appetite or avoidance of tough or crunchy foods is a telltale sign of a tooth problem.

4. Visible Decay

When cavities get bad enough, you may notice them yourself without any help from a pediatric dentist. At that point, your child urgently needs a tooth filling to keep the problem from getting any worse.

5. Dental Emergencies

Not all tooth problems stem from decay or bad brushing habits. A sudden injury can knock out or break a tooth—and when that happens, your child needs a dentist’s help immediately. Find the tooth if it’s missing, and take your child straight to the dentist’s office.

As soon as you notice one of these signs, call your local dentist’s office to set up an appointment. La Crosse Pediatric Dentistry is pleased to provide quality dental care for children throughout western Wisconsin. Pediatric dentist Jon Hanks and his team create a kid-friendly atmosphere, which will help keep your child calm and get them the care they need. To make an appointment, call the practice today at (608) 782-4054 or send a message online.