How to Care for Your Child’s Teeth
As soon as your child starts getting teeth it’s important to take care of them so that your child develops good oral hygiene habits from the start and that no nasty dental issues occur throughout their childhood.
Your child’s teeth are important to their health as well as aiding them with eating and talking, but explaining this to a child can be difficult. Children want to run and play, so may be reluctant to take time out of their day to brush their teeth. The best way to help your children take care of their teeth is to make it enjoyable for them and feel like less of a chore. Here are some ways you can encourage your children to take care of their teeth:
Create a dental hygiene calendar where your child gets a sticker every morning and evening for brushing their teeth
Let your child choose the colour and design/character on their own toothbrush
Let your child choose their favourite flavour of toothpaste
Read child friendly material about dental hygiene to make it fun
Reward children with a sticker, healthy treat or an hour of their favourite TV show
Arrange to do something your child enjoys after a trip to the dentist
Fluoride
There are many toothpastes on the market than are targeted towards children and have different flavours than standard peppermint toothpaste, such as bubble gum, but make sure the toothpaste you select contains fluoride.
Fluoride is essential to strong, healthy teeth in both children and adults by hardening enamel as well as reducing cavities.
Start Brushing Early
As soon as your baby’s first tooth appears you should start taking care of their dental hygiene. When your child is very young, between the ages of 1 and 2, a small and soft infant toothbrush should be used with water to brush their teeth twice a day.
Ensure you use toothpaste that doesn’t contain fluoride as this shouldn’t be swallowed, you can switch to fluoride toothpaste once your child is old enough to spit it out. You can ask your dentist to show your child the best way to brush their teeth and keep their mouth healthy just to confirm what you have been saying to them.
Diet
Consuming too many sugary drinks and snacks can form acid that eats away at your child’s teeth which turn into cavities. Your child’s diet will be a huge factor as to the health of their teeth. Avoid drinks such as fizzy drinks, energy drinks and fruit juice. Contrary to popular belief, chewing gum can actually be beneficial for older children as long as it’s sugar-free.
