
The teenage years are a crucial time for teeth because maltreatment can be the route of future problems. It is also in the teen years where the rate of developing dental cavities increases!
Here are some important things you should discuss with your teenager about their oral care, remember this is the time for them to create the right foundation for overall health.
It starts with a smile!
Appearance is critical for teens. They think about their hair, their clothes, who they hang out with, but do they think about their smile? Good oral care will give them the confidence to smile big. Teens can get lazy about certain things; oral care should not be one of them. The last thing they want is to scare someone away because of their bad breath!
Break bad habits!
Work with your teen to nix the bad habit of biting nails or pens because these can lead to cracks and chips in the teeth which can be detrimental in the long run.
Be stronger than peer pressure!
Talk to your teen about smoking because this is the time that it would most likely start. Teach them about the health factors and also that when it comes to their smile smoking stains the teeth, creates bad breath, and lengthens healing time.
Oral piercings are a bad idea!
Try to present the health facts instead of making it about what you may think/want. Piercings can have detrimental side effects from hitting a nerve, losing feeling, choking on the ring, cracking and chipping teeth, shrinking gums, and slurred speech. They may be cool in theory, but in practice, there is too much that could go wrong for an oral piercing to be worth it.
Wisdom coming in!
Teens may start to experience the rumbling of wisdom teeth. You can avoid any problems early on by getting a panroex to see how your teen’s wisdom teeth will grow in and whether extractions will be necessary or should be performed as a precaution.
What do they want?
This is also the time that your teen may want to or need to get braces. Discuss their options and the responsibilities that come with orthodontics. Read more about teens and Invisalign here.
Book an appointment!
Let us help talk to your teen about their oral health at their next check-up. We can answer any question they may have about their mouth!
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