Healthy teeth are an important part of your child’s overall health. A good set of teeth will help your child talk well, eat well and feel confident around others. On the other hand, poor dental care can lead to a variety of dental problems, including infections and diseases.
You don’t need to wait for your child to grow up before laying down the fundamentals of a healthy dental hygiene. It is actually up to you to develop proper oral hygiene routines that your child will grow into.
Here we look at five simple tips you can implement to protect your children from tooth decay and other oral health related problems.
1. Make dental hygiene fun
Growing children are not the easiest people to handle. It takes a lot of patience and creativity to get them do things. An easy way to instill dental hygiene in your children is to make the process interesting and fun for them. There are many different ways you can do this. Here are a few examples to get you started:
- Let your children choose their own toothbrush. Even at a tender age, they may prefer one color over another, so allow them pick one that has their favorite color or cartoon character.
- While children may not know the difference between toothpastes, every time you go shopping, select different types and brands, then let them choose. They will be more interested in brushing if they were part of the decision process.
- Use a timer, or sing along to help children brush their teeth. Or you could make a game out of the teeth brushing process. Let it be something they look forward to.
- Reward your children for good oral hygiene. Don’t give them sugary treats; instead offer healthy snacks and fruits, or a bit more time at the video game.
- Make going to the dentist a fun activity, or you can merge the dentist’s appointment with a visit to the park or the zoo.
2. Teach by example
Even with your busy schedule, take time to be part of your children’s oral health routine. Brushing and flossing is a very important part of oral health and children have to learn this from an early age. Studies have shown that growing children learn more by observation.
Before your children grow to the age of supervision and brushing by themselves, you should personally brush their teeth for them. For infants, a clean soft wash cloth and clean water will do just fine.
As they grow into toddlers, change to a soft infant toothbrush and pea sized toothpaste. As your children grow older, create a routine whereby the whole family brushes together. Your children will emulate and learn faster this way.
3. Visit the dentist regularly
No matter how busy you get, you should never be too busy to take your children to the dentist. Adults need to visit the dentist as least twice in one year, the same applies to children. The American Dental Association recommends that children have their first dentist appointment by their first birthday. During this visit, the dentist will carry out a proper examination of your child’s teeth and gums, and also explain appropriate brushing and flossing practice for children to you.
This early visit will help your children get used to the idea of visiting the dentist and they would get more comfortable on every visit as they get older.
Dr. Neil Oza of Advanced Dental Concepts suggest you should think about taking your children to a dentist who specializes in children’s dental cases. These specialists are trained to handle a wide range of issues that concerns children’s dental health. An early and regular visit will allow the dentist discover if your child is at risk of cavities or any other dental issue and commence treatment immediately.
4. Watch what they eat
Every now and then, you may be tempted to give your children sweet and sugary treats. This is understandable as everyone wants the best for their children. However, sweet and sugary foods are the difference between healthy teeth and gums and cavities and tooth decay.
The side effects of sugar have been extensively documented. It causes bacteria to flourish in the mouth and puts the person at risk of gum infection and tooth decay. Even most fruit juice available in the market contains a high amount of sugar.
If you want to give your kids treats, look for snacks and other food types low in sugar but high in other nutrients. It will not be easy, but try as much as you can to avoid giving your children sugary snacks as treats.
Your children’s diet should contain lots of vitamins and calcium. Calcium is necessary for strong and healthy bones and teeth. Cheese, yoghurt and milk are some of the major sources of calcium, so ensure that your children’s menu contain these.
5. Watch medicines
Most of the drugs children take are flavored and sugared. This makes it easy for kids to accept and swallow them. However, if these drugs stick to their teeth, it can put them at the risk of cavities and tooth decay. There are also other drugs such as antibiotics and asthma treatments that can cause an overgrowth of candida, resulting in a fungal infection known as oral thrush.
Ensure your children drink enough water after taking drugs. Once in a while, inspect the inside of their mouth and tongue for white patches that signify the presence of yeast infection.
This is why brushing your children’s teeth two times every day is important. It will clean up any remaining sugar or medicine in their mouth, preventing cavity and tooth decay.
Conclusion
As earlier pointed out, children are not the easiest of people to handle. They have a mind and personality of their own and most times, these personalities come through. They may not want to brush their teeth or perform other dental hygiene tasks. When this happens, you have to be patient with them.
Some children start brushing their teeth without parental supervision from 3 years old but most get up to 10 years old before they get perfect with brushing and flossing. Whichever category your child falls in, constant encouragement and appreciation will make them better.
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