As folklore would have it, the Tooth Fairy is a magical being with the important job of helping children cope with the confusion and shock of losing their baby teeth. For some, the idea of the Tooth Fairy conjures up images of a Tinker Bell like character, while for others something more like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Either way you envision the magical being, both sport wings and a wand and sneak into your child’s room to capture a tooth and leave behind a coin as payment. Awesome, right?!?
As your child matures however, they will eventually come to the realization that the Tooth Fairy cannot possibly exist. Try as you might, if they come to this conclusion on their own do not persist for the sake of their innocence, simply take this important opportunity to talk with them about traditions and the significance of folklore in pop culture. You can also take this opportunity to first introduce your child to Dr. Razdolsky and the Forever Smiles team.
Now if your child is still young, learning there is no Tooth Fairy can be quite traumatic. Take your cues from them as to whether they still want to believe. If you child is age 7 though, this is the perfect time to schedule their first appointment with the Forever Smiles team.
“I recommend parents bring their child in as early as age 7 so that we can evaluate their jaw growth and see how their adult teeth are developing under the surface,” said Dr. Razdolsky. “This stage in their development is ideal as we can assess their mixed dentition and diagnose any orthodontic problems in the earliest stages.”
A motto of Forever Smiles is “Prevention is better than cure.” That said, if you suspect something is off and your child is younger than age 7, you should not wait to get a recommendation from your dentist to get an orthodontic screening. Just the same, even if your child is over 8 it does not mean it’s too late.
“An early orthodontic evaluation will help us determine if, and when it is best for your child to begin treatment. Because every child is different and can have differing issues, growth and development often plays a key role in treatment as we can use predictable stages of natural growth to our treatment advantage,” said Dr. Razdolsky. “For some children, early intervention can often ward off problems, reducing treatment time and overall expense.”
So whether the Tooth Fairy has come calling or hung up her wand, we look forward to seeing your child in our office. It’s never too early (or too late) to get them on the path to their beautiful forever smile!
