The Need For Dental Care In Kids
Healthy adult teeth take their roots from healthy milk teeth. The primary teeth are responsible for keeping the jaw straight and giving it enough space to hold adult teeth.
When milk teeth decay, they require removal. This can cause other teeth to move around and decrease the space adult teeth will have when they come in!
Moreover, with continued poor dental care, adult teeth have a higher chance of decaying. On top of it, bad dental health can burn a big hole in your wallet. For these reasons, the best dentist at 4 Squares Dentistry offers tips to keep your child’s teeth healthy.
- Kids learn from their parents. When they see brushing and flossing every day, they will want to do it too. So, be a role model and show them what good oral care means. Once you make it a routine, the rest of the steps become easy.
- Teach them how to brush correctly. For kids under three years, use only a rice grain size toothpaste. For older kids who know that you shouldn’t swallow the paste, utilise a pea-size amount.
The ideal oral care is brushing twice a day for two minutes. Adults, forget kids, rarely follow it. Use a timer on your phone to show how long your child should brush to ensure every surface is reached and plaque is removed effectively.
More Tips On Dental Health For Children
- Sugary drinks and junk food harm dental health. Limit their consumption in kids. Remember, when sugar is left sitting on teeth, it causes decay and, ultimately, cavities. Ergo, make sure that your child eats healthy food, and their teeth will remain strong.
- Bacteria and germs from one mouth can be passed to another. This is unhealthy. So never share Sippy cups, pacifiers, bottles and other utensils your child users with another person. Moreover, sanitise all the items that go into your toddler’s mouth. It will prevent infections like thrush.
- Visit the best dentist in your area at least two times a year. Take your kids along. When you regularly keep dentist appointments, children learn that it is a ritual and routine that has to be completed. Further, ensure that your child visits a dentist within 6 months of the first tooth coming out. If your toddler is one year old and hasn’t grown his or her first teeth, still take him for a dental check-up.
- As a precautionary step, you can ask your doctor for sealants. These are substances that seal your child’s milk teeth, and prevent cavities and fillings.
When Should A Child Start Brushing?
The most common question about dental care in children is when they must begin brushing and flossing? – Click Here – The rule of thumb with brushing is starting as soon as teeth are visible with a tiny amount of toothpaste.
For flossing, the rule is different. Begin only when all the primary teeth have grown and touch each other. Often this time falls between 2 to 3 years of age. It is when teeth are in contact with each other that food particles get stuck in-between them. That leads to bacteria growth and then plaque. Flossing and then rinsing with a mouthwash, takes care of this issue.
Please note not all kids need to floss at the 2-to-3-year mark. Always ask your dentist before you make it practice for your kid.
It is never too early to start working on dental health. You can jumpstart good habits in your children by encouraging them to:
- Brush once in the morning and once before bed.
- Avoid packaged, sugary items as much as possible.
- Floss and use mouthwash daily, as long as the dentist gives the green light.
- Visit the best dentist in your locality twice every year.
And finally, make it fun. Dental health should not be a chore. It is a foundational skill that helps you achieve the brightest, happiest smile ever!
