Help Your Kids Brush: Most children don’t have the motor skills to brush effectively until they are close to seven years old. It is recommended that parents brush their childrens’ teeth until they can tie their own shoes which requires a similar level of coordination. Once children are able to brush independently, it is still important that they are present in order to make sure their children are doing a thorough job brushing every surface of each tooth.
Avoid Bottles In Bed: The easiest way to cause tooth decay at a very young age is sleeping overnight with a bottle of milk or juice. Only water should be provided to children overnight. If a baby wakes up in the middle of the night for a bottle or to nurse, after feeding, the mouth should be brushed or wiped out with gauze or a soft cloth in order to remove the residual milk or formula that will linger on the teeth and contribute to enamel breakdown.
Start Dental Visits At One Year Old: While your child might not have many teeth by the time they turn one year old, it is still time to visit their pediatric dentist in order to get ahead of the common issues that can cause dental decay and other issues early. Dental visits every six months, that are cavity-free because of established good habits, will be painless and even exciting. Unfortunately, it is common for children that are two or three years of age to go under general anesthesia for dental treatment of infections and cavities because of a lack of knowledge about what to do and what not to do. Pursuing education from a dentist early is the key to starting off on the right foot.
Understand Healthy Foods: Many snacks that are healthy for the body have qualities about them that make them risky for the teeth. While snacks like bananas, raisins and whole-grain crackers seem like healthy options, they contain concentrated sugars in them and become sticky in the mouth causing cavity formation in the grooves of the teeth. Instead of eliminating these foods from the diet altogether, try to have your child eat them at mealtimes when there is more saliva to clean the tooth of debris, and remember to always brush afterward.
Baby Teeth Do Require Treatment: Healthy baby teeth are crucial to childrens’ everyday functions for many years. Baby molars and canines actually don’t fall out until children are in middle school. Additionally, baby teeth are essential for eating, speaking, and maintaining space for future adult teeth. If a cavity in a baby tooth becomes infected, the development of the adult teeth can be negatively affected and the systemic health of a child can be at risk. Untreated cavities at an early age can lead to problems with speech, sleep, poor school performance, and low self-esteem. While baby teeth do eventually fall out, there are still many reasons as to why they must be maintained long term and can’t be ignored if decay develops.
Use Fluoride Early and Effectively: While fluoride is often a debated topic, the research is clear that it is one of the best ways to prevent cavities when dosed appropriately. Too much of any good thing can be a bad thing. Therefore, it is important that children of all ages are using fluoridated toothpaste at the proper volume. When they are three years old and younger, a smear of toothpaste equivalent to a grain of rice is enough and children between three and six years should only use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. These volumes are safe for both the mouth and the digestive system if the toothpaste is ingested.
Limit Sports Drinks: Sports drinks and soda are highly acidic and full of sugar. The best way to drink one of these drinks is all at once, as opposed to sipping throughout the day. This will allow the pH of your mouth to re-balance from the acidity. That being said, nothing is more hydrating than water so trying to limit the volume of sports drinks consumed is best for the body and the mouth.
| Make Your Child's Dentist Appointment Today |
 |
