One of the most important things any new parents can do is make sure that their child is healthy. This means not only taking care of them when they are sick, but also going for regular checkups to make sure that they are developing properly. The CDC has stated that it is not only important to take your child to the doctor/dentist when there is something wrong, but on a regular basis to make sure everything is alright.
If you are a new parent, everything you need to know about taking care of your child can be a bit overwhelming. You may think that the only time you’ll need to see a doctor after your child is born is when they are sick. This is not the case however, and you should actually be seeing them every few months or so until they are three years old. Why is it so important to see a doctor so often? There are four main benefits that come with frequent doctors visits:
Detect Problems Early
If something is potentially wrong with your child, you would like to know it as soon as possible. In most cases the earlier you detect something, the better your chances are at dealing with it. As a new parent, you may worry over every little thing. Seeing a doctor regularly will help alleviate some of this stress.
Proper Immunizations
You can’t protect your child from some of the most common diseases without vaccinations. Things like ear infections, chicken pox, and hepatitis B can all be essentially avoided with the right vaccinations. When you talk with your doctor, he will go over each and every vaccination your child should be receiving and when they should get it.
Discuss Proper Health Habits
As your child grows older, it will be important to talk with your doctor about developing healthy habits. The child’s doctor can ensure that they are exercising enough, eating right, and getting enough of the essential vitamins.
Develop a Relationship
When you are seeing your child’s doctor every few months, you develop a relationship with them. It is important to feel safe with your doctor, and know that if something bad were to happen with your child, you would have a doctor who not only knows your child, but knows you as well. This sense of familiarity and comfort can’t go ignored when choosing your child’s doctor.
Don’t Forget to Take Your Child to the Dentist for Regular Check Ups
Not only is it important to take your child to the doctor every few months, but they should also be seeing a dentist as they grow older. Similar to doctor’s visits, seeing a dentist can help you detect early signs of any problems, and talk with you and your child about the proper habits for taking care of their teeth. According to Great Grins, a kid’s dentist in Oregon, seeing a dentist regularly at a young age can help reduce the odds of future problems, like cavities and needing braces. Seeing a dentist also allows your child to get a cleaning done, which will help keep their teeth cleaner than simply brushing would.
If you are about to have a new child, schedule your appointments with a doctor and a dentist now. For those of you with children already, make sure you are taking them to their appointments as regularly as you can, no matter how much they may kick and scream. The benefits are far-reaching, and your children will be grateful for it when they get older.
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Do you take your child into the doctor and dentist for well check ups? When was your child’s last check up?
Comments
14 responses to “Sticking With Your Kids Physicals and Dental Care”
Great tips! Thanks for the reminders!
We just had our Dr Check up in Dec and the teeth cleaning in Oct– I was better for the first 4/5 years –then I slacked now after Son had to get 6 teeth capped we are staying on top of things!
I know I need to take my kids in for a check up as well. My kids have soft teeth (they got it from their bio dad).
Eye doctors are a must too in our house!
Taking care of the eyes and teeth are important.
I take the kids for dental check up every 6 months when they were toddlers and now in school they get free dental check up twice a year. So far so good.. they don’t have any problem with their teeth.
I so agree that eyes and teeth or very important; always good to keep a look out for them!
Great tips- I really stressed this to my kids growing up, and thankfully they all have great teeth now that they are in their 20's… Thanks for sharing!
We’re visiting the dentist next month for our regular bi-annual check-up. I take extra care of my son’s teeth as I do not want him to go through the same ordeal that I did – braces, gum surgery, fillings, and all. 😀
All great tips. Taking my kids to get their yearly physicals is something I always do and they see the dentist twice a year. Having insurance helps out with that.
Lately I find myself having really mixed feelings about going to the doctor or dentist. The dentist wants me to get X-rays that I don’t want or need. And doctors have given me so much erroneous advice over the years, I’m having better luck with holistic healing methods. Still finding the right balance.
I always try to make sure my son brushes well, but you’re right. Dental relationships are so important. Just like doctor’s relationships as well because they pretty much age with your child 🙂
This is awesome information for the new parents indeed. It is so important to take the kids to all their checkups and that includes the dentist. My baby who is 18 yrs old has a dentist appt tomorrow morning. I have never missed an appt for my kids because it is so important. Thanks for sharing. It will stick with them too their whole life that it is important to stick with the year appts.
My son is vaccinated, but I had no idea there’s a vaccination that prevents ear infections?!? Which one is that? Regular check-ups are definitely a must so anything can be caught early, and just to ease any worries and get answers about behavioral questions, too. It’s always been helpful to discuss any dietary questions with my son’s pediatrician.