Dental care is one of the most important aspects of life.

As a parent, one of your major responsibilities is to keep your children’s teeth healthy and strong for as long as you can until it’s time for them to grow up and care for themselves. Hopefully, after years of proper dental care, your kids will develop an appreciation of their own for having healthy teeth.

There aren’t too many kids in the U.S. or on planet earth, for that matter, that actually enjoy going to the dentist. Because children are afraid of those bi-annual trips to the dentist, it’s up to you as parents to help them get over their fears of dental care.

Teach Your Kids About Proper Dental Hygiene

The best way to get relinquish their fears of the dentist is to teach them how to properly take care of their teeth in the first place. If your child has poor teeth, they will likely need major dental procedures performed every time they go to the dentist. That would make anyone fear the dentist. Ensuring that your kids are taking care of their teeth from an early age, however, will result in seamless trips to the dentist that end with a bright smile and possibly a lollypop!

Beware of What Foods and Drinks You’re Letting Your Kids Consume

When it comes to keeping your kids’ teeth strong and avoiding these major procedures, consider rewarding your kids for excellent dental hygiene; but only buy food and drink products that won’t cause too much damage (avoid soda, energy drinks, potato chips, and candy). Also, teach them proper brushing, flossing, and rinsing habits, and be careful about how you talk to your kids about dental care — especially in relation to tooth decay.

“Tooth decay is the most prevalent disease of childhood,” said Courtney Chinn, D.D.S., a pediatric dentist in New York City and associate professor at New York University College of Dentistry. “[Tooth decay is] five to eight times more common than asthma. It can interfere with a child’s ability to eat, sleep, speak properly, learn, or pay attention in school.”

Consult With Dental Professionals

If your kids are in need of serious dental help, your only option is to visit a trusted family dentist. If your kids are terrified of visiting the dentist, consider dental sedation treatment methods at first until they are more comfortable with each visit. As dental professionals have gained advanced training in the proper ways to employ and monitor the use of pediatric dental sedation, its practice has become much more widespread. Currently, there are approximately 250,000 pediatric dental sedations performed each year.

According to My Republica, sedation dentistry is a great way to help kids deal with their fears of experiencing pain while at the dentist.

“NO2 is a harmless gas that patients are sometimes required to inhale during treatments. It is also known as laughing gas and it reduces mild pains that patients experience during dental treatments,” said Dr. Sneedha Mainali, a pediatric dentist and graduate from BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences.

As long as you’re regularly monitoring your child’s dental care habits, visiting professional dentists, and not buying unhealthy products, your kids will likely have strong teeth and a happy smile for years.