Keeping a child’s teeth (including baby teeth) clean is vital to maintaining their overall health and ensuring proper growth and development. Encouraging healthy habits, such as regular brushing and flossing, as well as proper nutrition, will go a long way in keeping a child’s teeth healthy. Beyond daily care, scheduling regular visits to a pediatric dentist is essential to prevent infection, disease, and identify any potential problems in a child’s mouth. Following these three essential steps will help keep a child’s teeth healthy.
1. Regular brushing and flossing
For adults, brushing and flossing regularly may seem like a no-brainer, but for many kids, brushing and flossing can seem like a chore they’d rather avoid. To help introduce a child to regular brushing, it is best to start when they are two years old. At first, be careful to only use a small amount of toothpaste (about one-eighth of what an adult would normally use). Since many young children will swallow toothpaste and not spit it out, it is best to use a fluoride-free toothpaste until the child is old enough to stop swallowing it. At some point, children will want to brush their own teeth; it’s fine to leave them, but be sure to give them an extra brushing once they’ve had their turn. Most children do not get into the habit of brushing their teeth regularly until they are 8 or 9 years old.
It’s best to start flossing between a child’s teeth as soon as their teeth touch. Floss once a day or as needed with either regular floss or plastic floss picks. Eventually, repeated proper instruction will allow children to start flossing on their own. Let them try a few times under supervision, and be sure to reward them for a job well done to encourage them to continue flossing thoroughly.
2. Proper nutrition
Maintaining proper nutrition for a child is vital to keeping their teeth healthy and preventing cavities. Frequent snacking on unhealthy foods can increase the risk of cavities in children. Foods that are high in sugar can cause cavities if left on a child’s teeth for too long. The bacteria eat the sugar left on the teeth and create acid, which dissolves the enamel. To avoid this, try to limit a child’s intake of high-sugar foods and lengthen the intervals between snacks.
3. Routine visits to a pediatric dentist
To ensure that a child’s teeth remain healthy and develop properly, it is essential to schedule routine visits to a trusted pediatric dentist. Pediatric dental professionals can find and treat early signs and symptoms of infection and structural abnormalities and can provide parents with more information on proper care of their children’s teeth. Pediatric dentistry professionals can also provide early orthodontic information and advice as needed.
Following these three steps will ensure that your children are on the right path to proper oral health.