Do you want your children to have healthy teeth?
Is your child brushing properly?
Are you taking preventive measures to avoid tooth decay for your child?
Oral hygiene for children is as important as adult dental care. In fact, children are more vulnerable to get dental problems like tooth decay, cavities, gingivitis, and many more. As candies and sugar are children’s favourite food, it is crucial for parents to focus on dental care for kids.
If you teach proper guidelines to your children from an early age, habits will help them to have healthy teeth. Certain practices are inherent to keep your child’s teeth in good shape. Have a look at the top tips for children’s oral care from the expert.
Teach good habits
Teaching your children good habits are the imperative way to maintain oral hygiene. As mentioned encourage them for a salubrious diet. Do not just instruct them. Practice the habits along with them because they learn by what the see.
Besides, let them drink sugary drinks with a straw. Brushing before going to bed prevents the risk of tooth decay and cavities. For fun, you can set a timer to make sure your kids brush their teeth at least for 2 minutes. The early formation of healthy habits will help you to keep your child’s teeth in good condition.
Healthy Diet
Generally, kids love to consume candies, chocolate, and sugary drinks which are the main cause to create dental problems. So, it is essential to encourage them to eat a healthy diet. The food children consume has a lot of impact on their teeth. Having foods that are rich in calcium and other nutrients such as broccoli, leafy green vegetables, and dairy products, results in healthy teeth and bones.
You can also ask your children’s dental specialist about calcium supplements if required. Moreover, other essential vitamins such as vitamin D, copper, iodine, iron, zinc, potassium, and vitamin B complex play vital roles in the health of your child’s teeth. Hence, make sure to include those in their diet. Feeding a wholesome and well-balanced diet will help them to have stronger and healthier teeth.
Brushing techniques
Most of the dental problems caused by poor brushing. You should teach your children to brush twice daily with the appropriate technique. When they are young, brush their teeth with non-fluoride toothpaste (which is safe if they swallow). Contrarily, when your child gets old enough to understand to spit out, allow her to use a pea-size fluoride toothpaste that helps to protect teeth from the potential danger of cavities.
Go through these guidelines to learn proper brushing techniques that will help to avoid dental problems. Also, change the toothbrush every 3 – 6 months or when the bristles look worn. Form the habit from an early age so that your children practice the right brushing routines when they grow up.
Floss Daily
Flossing is an essential part of maintaining oral hygiene. Ideally, it is advisable to floss daily. Children’s oral care is as important as yours. So, teach them how to floss, and entice them to make a routine practice for the same. It is best to floss your child’s teeth before bedtime so that it can remove the stuck food particles from teeth. Though brushing cleans the front and backs of the teeth, flossing wipes the sides of the teeth. Hence, it is important to floss daily even for kids.
Get a regular checkup
According to the American Dental Association, a child should visit dental check-ups regularly from her first birthday. Parents should take their children for dental visits twice a year to maintain oral hygiene for children.
Moreover, before taking them to the children’s dental specialist, mentally prepare them about what to expect at the clinic. So, they can co-operate without fear at the visit. Visiting the dentist from a growing age will help your child be more comfortable. It further ascertains the good habit of regular dental checkups.
Opt for dental sealants
Sealants are the fastest and easiest way to protect your child’s teeth. They act as barriers to the cavity-prone surface of the teeth. Usually, they are applied to the chewing surface of molars (back teeth). Or sometimes to cover the pits or grooves.
When a toothbrush can’t reach some surface of kid’s teeth, sealants work as a protector. And, the dental sealants help to reduce the risk of dental cavities or caries on young children.
Things to consider
It is absolutely normal for toddlers to suck their thumbs, their fingers, or a pacifier. By age 4, most children give up this habit on their own. If these habits are prolonged, they can cause problems with teeth alignment. Do not wait to consult your dentist if your child continues sucking habit after age 4. They can monitor for the problems as your children’s teeth develop.
In addition, involve children to participate in fun activities to make them aware about dental hygiene.
- Allow your children to help in choosing their toothbrush.
- Read stories or let them watch videos about dental hygiene.
- Do not forget to reward children if they follow good dental habits.
- Always plan a fun activity before taking your child to a dental visit.
These activities will create enthusiasm for your child. And, it will help them to firmly practice the right oral hygiene habits.
Follow the above-mentioned tips to have good oral hygiene for your child. Whether it is about forming good habits or visiting a dentist regularly, these practices will be beneficial to both parents and children. Take advantage of children’s grasping power and let them follow the healthy oral care practices daily. Follow the oral hygiene practices along with them so that they can learn the right things from you. Remember, children follow what they observe!
If you have any concerns about your child’s dental health, contact TruCare Dentistry, your children’s dental emergency clinic. You will get the treatment from the best children’s dental specialist in Roswell, GA. Get more details on how we provide dental care for children at our clinic.