Your baby’s first tooth coming through is a major milestone for them and for you, and with that milestone comes the new frontier of oral hygiene. Helping your child to take care of their teeth and gums from an early age allows them to establish an oral hygiene routine that will last a lifetime, as well as preventing oral health issues like tooth decay and gum disease. Regular teeth cleaning should be part of the morning and bedtime routine. Here are some top tips on taking care of your child’s teeth.
Establish a routine
Helping your child to establish regular teeth cleaning routine as early as possible will make it much easier to get them into the habit of taking care of their teeth later on. The NHS recommends introducing an oral hygiene routine even before they have teeth, by gently brushing their gums at bath-time.
When their first tooth comes through you should brush it twice a day for at least two minutes with fluoride toothpaste. Guide their hand so they can feel the correct movement of the toothbrush, until you feel confident that they can do it alone. You should continue to supervise your child brushing their teeth until they are around seven or eight years old.
Which toothbruth?
It can seem overwhelming these days when searching for a new toothbrush. There are a wide range to choose from and recently my dentist told me that a powered toothbrush is considered the best. For a healthier whole mouth clean and smile with confidence, I am using the Colgate 360° Floss-Tip Battery Powered Toothbrush with its floss-tip bristles and tongue and cheek cleaner for bacterial removal. This brush is available from Waitrose and offers 5X cleaning action! Ideal for regular teeth cleaning which is so important.
Going to the dentist
After establishing a good teeth-brushing routine with your child, the next step is their first visit to the dentist. You should take your child to the dentist as young as possible so they become familiar with the environment, and at least have one visit by the time they are two years old.
A lot of adults dislike going to the dentist, so it may be that you expect your child to be wary of the experience. Make sure that you don’t pass on this nervousness, as it’s likely that your child will take cues from you as to how they should react to the new experience. Encourage them to feel excited about going to the dentist or at least let them know that it is part of their normal routine.
Foods to avoid
It can be hard at the best of times to deny your children their favourite treats, but if you want to ensure they avoid oral health problems later down the line, it is essential that you avoid giving them certain foods and drinks.
It would be hard to stop your children from having sweets altogether, but it is important that they don’t have sweets too often. If you can, try to avoid giving your children sticky or hard-boiled sweets as these get stuck in between teeth more easily, which can cause tooth decay. If you’re going to give your child sweets, make sure it’s at mealtimes as this way your child avoids the extra acid produced by eating sweets.
Avoid giving your child fizzy drinks altogether, as not only do they tend to be high in sugar, but the acids in fizzy drinks can damage the enamel on your child’s teeth, making them thinner.
Taking care of your children teeth and developing good oral hygiene is a really important part of parenting. Setting good habits from the start will ensure that reuglar teeth cleaning is part of getting up and going to bed. This will help your children develop good strong teeth and a healthy mouth.
One Response
A helpful tips for parents on how they can teach their children on dental hygiene. Great content.