How to take care of your childrens teeth

Some parents wonder whether it’s worth taking care of their children’s first teeth because the adult teeth will replace them anyway. But good oral hygiene in childhood is a cornerstone of healthy teeth in adulthood, especially now when it’s coming up to Christmas. So from brushing to sugar to dentist visits, this post will show you how to take care of your children’s teeth.

Brushing

The foundation of any oral hygiene routine is brushing, and children are no exception to this. You should begin to brush your children’s teeth as soon as their first teeth appear, which is typically around the age of four to seven months.

Some dentists recommend parents to brush their babies’ teeth with water because babies tend to swallow toothpaste and the fluoride can be harmful. However, we do recommend fluoride toothpaste because it’s better at protecting teeth. One compromise is children’s toothpaste, which has less fluoride than adult toothpaste. If you do go down this route, ensure the toothpaste actually contains enough fluoride to do its job: at least 1,000ppm fluoride is needed. You should also use toothpaste sparingly on young children. Children under the age of seven shouldn’t be brushing with more than a pea-sized blob.

Some children dislike brushing their teeth, and this is entirely normal. However, it’s still important that children do brush their teeth. You can encourage them by brushing your teeth at the same time as them. Also, flavoured toothpaste can make brushing more enjoyable for children.

Seeing a dentist

It’s a good idea to take your child to the dentist as soon as their baby teeth have started appearing. This is because the dentist can check to ensure that the teeth are erupting normally, and they will also check your baby’s mouth for any sign of other problems. Another advantage of early dental visits is it helps your child get used to going to the dentist. Unfortunately, many children are apprehensive about dental appointments, and this fear can continue into adulthood and cause poor dental health. Therefore, it’s a good idea to get your child used to the dentist by taking your child at an early age.

Sugar

It’s a fact that kids love sugar. Unfortunately though, plaque loves sugar just as much as kids do! It doesn’t help that sugar is found in so many foods these days. One way to manage your kids’ sugar intake is to read the back of food packets. This will allow you to determine how much sugar is in each food. Snacks such as dried fruit, cereal bars, fruit juice, and fruit rolls are among the worst culprits for sugar. You might think that dried fruit would be healthy, but it’s actually one of the worst snacks you can give to a child. That’s because it contains around 60 g of sugar per 100 g of fruit, and it also gets stuck between teeth easily where it can stay for hours. For healthier snacks, try popcorn, cheese, peanut butter, milk, or sliced apple, and keep the sugar just to special occasions.