Good oral care is essential for your child. If your kid has healthy teeth, they’ll not have a challenge when eating or talking. Moreover, good oral care helps to teach your child good dental habits as they grow. On the other hand, poor oral care can cause infection, disease, tooth decay, and cavities, among other issues.
However, this brings one question—what are the best dental care practices for your child? Well, below we discuss the best dental care tips for your children.
Start taking them to the dentist when they turn 1
According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), your child should see a dentist the moment they turn 1. Experts in Townsville Orthodontics, Casey Dentists, state that this might not look essential to you, but it can go a long way towards preventing cavities and other dental related issues later in life.
Most parents, particularly new parents ask this question so often. If you are one of them, you have the answer now. Most dentists agree that it’s never early to take your kind for a dentist appointment at the age of 1. This makes them start getting comfortable with dentist appointments. Whether this is at a dentist in Warrington or elsewhere, any dentist is welcoming to children that may be fearful of a check-up.
Furthermore, it is important to take your child to the orthodontist around the age of seven when their permanent teeth start to come in. This will allow your Calgary orthodontist to ensure that their teeth are coming in properly and take any corrective actions needed as soon as possible if they spot any issues. Your child will thank you later.
Consider dental sealants
This is an essential dental treatment, which helps in preventing tooth decay in the permanent teeth of your kids. The permanent teeth have many fissures and pits, which harbor food particles—and this can lead to tooth decay in the long run. Dental sealants, however, help to seal these groves, thus protecting your kid’s teeth from tooth cavities.
The process of applying dental sealants is fast and painless, and your kid is set to enjoy the benefits for years to come. For the dental sealants to be effective, ensure that they are applied the moment your kid’s molars appear. Moreover, dental sealants should be applied after each set of molars appear.
Teach your kid good dental habits
Brushing is essential, even when the teeth haven’t started to appear. Before your kid has teeth, you can start to brush their gums gently with a soft baby toothbrush. Or, you can use a soft washcloth to do so. Now, when the teeth start to appear, make sure that you brush them twice using an infant toothbrush and toothpaste with fluoride.
If you notice that two of their teeth touch each other, it’s time to start using dental floss. However, you must consult a dentist to make sure that you do everything safely. The best way to go around it is to brush and floss their teeth just before they sleep. Then don’t give your kid anything to eat or drink, except for water until the next morning.
Avoid giving your kid sugary, starch, and sticky foods
Always limit your kid’s sugar intake.
Professional dentists at the dental clinic, Bajars&Bajars say that sugar is one of the greatest contributors to tooth decay. The bacteria in your mouth turns sugar into acid, which then causes tooth cavities and decay. One of the worst enemies of your kid’s dental hygiene is sticky, sugary candies. These can stick on the teeth for hours, even after eating them. The more time the sugar remains stuck on the teeth, the higher the chances of bacteria growing.
Also, starchy snacks like crackers and potato chips are products of refined carbohydrates and are broken down into simple sugars when you chew them. As these snacks soften in the mouth of your child, they can stick into their teeth, thus providing grounds for bacteria to grow.
Give your kids meals that promote good dental hygiene
Your kid’s diet has a big impact on their dental health. Eating meals rich in calcium, such as dairy products, green veggies, and broccoli promote the growth of healthy bones and teeth. Also, you can consult with your dentist to see if you can give your child calcium supplements.
Also, other vitamins, like vitamin B complex, vitamin D, copper, iodine, zinc, potassium, and iron are essential when it comes to the development of your kid’s teeth. Giving them a healthy and balanced diet will assist them to get the proper nutrients that they need to have good oral health.
Avoid giving then soda and fruit juice
Most people believe that fruit juice is a healthier substitute for soda. However, fruit juice can be very harmful to your kid’s oral health. Most of these juices are not natural and have added sugar, almost the same quantity as soda. As highlighted earlier, sugar is harmful to your kid’s teeth and will promote the growth of harmful bacteria.
Besides, fruits lose most of their nutritional components when converted into juice. That means your kid will not get most of the nutritional benefits from the juice. Soda, on the other hand, is worse because of the added sugar. Moreover, it’s very acidic because of the phosphoric and citric acids used in the carbonation process. The acid can cause the enamel of your kid’s teeth to wear down, thus leading to tooth cavities, decay, discoloration, and sensitivity.
