Some people ignore the health of their children’s teeth. This is because people hardly understand the importance of children’s teeth and how important it is to establish a healthy oral routine. If you teach a child about healthy oral routines earlier, then they will never fall into bad habits. Apart from their teeth’s health it also has a positive effect on their general health.
Good oral hygiene should be observed daily: it includes brushing twice on a daily basis, visiting the dentists regularly and eating a healthy diet. These are the most important things when it comes to the health of a child. For this process to be easier, you should start as soon as possible.
By following the steps explained below, you will give your child a healthy life generally and healthy teeth for a long time.
Tips on How to Look after Children’s Teeth
The best tip is to start early because if they learn to observe good oral hygiene when they are young, they will grow that way for the rest of their lives.
1. The role of tooth brushing and flossing
Proper dental hygiene has to start when a child is a baby. You can start brushing using a soft toothbrush and child-size labelled the age of 1 or 2 years. At least brush their teeth with water twice a day or even add a small amount of toothpaste that does not have fluoride. This is because a baby swallows a lot and that type of toothpaste is safe for them to swallow.
After a child gets to the age where they can spit it out, you can replace the toothpaste with another one that has fluoride. However, it should be a small amount of fluoride. You can then show them how to spread the toothpaste on their gums, teeth and tongue. You can consult a dentist who will guide you on how to correctly brush children’s teeth.
Mostly children need help when it comes to teeth brushing until they get to the age of 7 or 8. By then, you can get them a toothbrush that is large-sized. You must change toothbrushes whenever their bristles appear worn or every 3 or 6 months. The proper time to brush your teeth is 2 minutes.
Flossing is also very important when it comes to children’s oral hygiene. You should teach your children to regularly floss their teeth: at least once a day. For children, you can purchase floss that has a handle so that you can make the process easier for them.
2. The importance of Fluoride
It is a fact that fluoride is an essential element in dental health. In a child’s dental health, plays a very significant role. It strengthens children’s teeth by hardening the enamel and reduces the risk of getting teeth cavities. A high percentage of children get fluoride from drinking water because it is part of the law that fluoride should be added to water. In case your water doesn’t have fluoride, you can give your child a fluoride supplement. Remember that excess fluoride causes stains on teeth and it is harmful to a child’s health so you have to make sure your child does not swallow toothpaste that has fluoride.
3. Observing Children’s diet-avoid sugary foods
Letting your child have sugary drinks or foods is detrimental to their health. Consuming sugary foods or drinks, gives a child’s teeth an attack therefore, you should restrict the consumption of such foods. For example, you could allow drinking of sugary foods during meal times only. This will help reduce the occurrence of sugar attacks on your child’s teeth.
Children who consume a lot of sugary foods tend to get tooth cavities at a higher rate. You must make healthy food choices for your children. Do not let your children take too much sugar or soda, sweetened juice and fruit juice. The key secret is to limit their consumption of sugary foods. Again, after they have any of this, make sure they brush their teeth.
4. Teeth Protection
Mouth safety is very crucial and it is the role of a parent to ensure their child’s teeth are protected. For example, if a child plays sports ensure they put on a mouth guard. You can also warn your children from biting stuff that is hard so that they can never break their teeth.
Ensure you take your child to see a dentist from time to time. By following all these tips, your children will have healthy teeth for a long time.
