It's not always easy to tell if your child is in need of dental treatment. Here are two signs that you should arrange for your son or daughter to have their teeth and gums examined by your family dentist.

There is blood in the sink after they brush their teeth

Your child's gums should not bleed (unless they accidentally floss a bit too vigorously). If you notice that there are droplets of blood in the sink when they rinse their mouth out after brushing their teeth, you should book an appointment with the dentist as soon as possible.

The reason for this is as follows: bleeding gums are often a symptom of an infection known as gingivitis. Gingivitis is the first stage of periodontal disease.

If your child has this infection, it is essential to make sure that they undergo dental treatment quickly in order to eliminate the infection and prevent it from progressing to the second and third stages of the disease. If they do not receive prompt treatment, they may go on to develop periodontitis and eventually advanced periodontitis. If this happens, both their teeth and gums may sustain irreversible damage.

If your family dentist diagnoses your child with gingivitis, they will probably perform a scale-and-polish to remove any tartar build-up that could be inflaming the gums and contributing to the infection. Additionally, they may prescribe a medicated mouthwash to kill off any harmful bacteria in their mouth.

They have bad breath all of the time

If your child seems to have bad breath all of the time, even though they are brushing their teeth twice a day, they may need to visit the dentist to determine the root cause of the problem.

Their bad breath, could, for example, be caused by their overlapping or crooked teeth. Food and plaque can often get trapped inside the tiny openings between two overlapping teeth. If this gap is so small that a toothbrush's bristles cannot fit inside it, the food will remain stuck in between these teeth, and eventually become rancid and malodorous.

In this situation, your family dentist may refer your child to an orthodontist so that they can get braces fitted to straighten out their teeth.

An accumulation of tartar (solidified bacterial plaque) on the surface of a person's teeth can also cause bad breath. If this is found to be the root cause of the problem, the dentist will probably scrape off the tartar with a dental instrument.

For more information, contact a family dentist.