Your child’s first teeth are important. This is because they hold the space for adult teeth. Taking care of your child’s teeth helps to protect your child from tooth decay. Tooth decay may cause your child pain, making them feel embarrassed to talk or smile. It may also make them find it hard or chew and create problems with your child’s adult teeth. Your child may not be easy to practice oral hygiene daily, but you should always ensure they brush their teeth.
As a parent, ensure that your child’s dental health is maintained. You can do so by following these tips:
Kids like to imitate the people around them, so be a good role model and demonstrate good oral health habits for your child. Brush band floss with your kids rather than sending them alone to the bathroom on their own.
Show your kids how to use a rice size amount of toothpaste. Once your kids can understand how to spit rather than swallow the paste, they can use a smaller amount. Then, when teeth have grown to touch, your child can floss and rinse with mouthwash daily.
Maintain dental appointments. Maintain a routine of twice-yearly dental visits and involve your children. You make it a habit to keep your appointments, and they will follow suit. Your child should have their first dent appointment with their pediatric dentist in Mississauga within six months of the onset of their first tooth or their first birthday, whichever comes first, and then every year after that.
Talk to your children about what they can expect at the dentist. Discuss any concerns you have with your dentist during their dental visits, such as crowding, tooth loss, thumb-sucking mouth guards, and anything else that concerns you.
Avoiding sugary drinks and foods improves overall health and can spark a conversation about cavities. On the other hand, allowing sugar to sit on their teeth can cause decay, and we all want healthy, strong teeth to enjoy the things we love.
Brushing for at least two minutes twice a day is recommended, but it is not always achieved. Set a timer and, if desired, use a tartar dye to ensure that all tooth surfaces are reached and that brushing lasts long enough to remove plaque. There are sites that make brushing and caring for your teeth enjoyable.
Talk to your dentist at Millway Dental about having your child’s teeth sealed for healthy kid teeth. Dental sealants can aid in the prevention of cavities and subsequent fillings.
Allow children to choose their toothbrush (within reason), and consider using a goal chart to track their progress toward a goal that leads to a reward, such as going to the movies or shopping at a toy store.
Do not share or allow others to share utensils, sippy cups, bottles, pacifiers, or other items with your children. Bacteria in our mouths can spread to one another, which is unhealthy. Sanitize all things that may come into contact with your baby’s mouth to avoid bacterial infections such as thrush.
The American Dental Association recommends that children see a dentist by their first birthday. The dentist will explain proper dental hygiene techniques and perform a modified exam while your baby sits on your lap during this first visit.
These visits can aid in the early detection of problems and help children become used to visiting the dentist, reducing their fear of going as they grow older. Take your kid to a dentist who specializes in treating children. Pediatric dentists are specially trained to deal with a wide range of dental health issues in children. They also know when to be referred to a specialist, like an orthodontist, to correct an overbite or an oral surgeon to realign your jaw.
If a child appears to be at risk for cavities or other problems, the kid’s dentist near you may start applying fluoride even before all of the teeth arrive. Fluoride hardens tooth enamel, which aids in the prevention of the most common childhood oral disease, dental cavities.
Ready to schedule an appointment with our Mississauga dental office near you?
