Children’s teeth are especially vulnerable to tooth decay. Baby teeth are softer than adult teeth and because children are not as good at taking care of their teeth, they can easily end up with rotten teeth and tooth decay.
Healthy teeth are extremely important, both from an aesthetic perspective and for our long-term health. If your child loses some of his baby teeth as a result of tooth decay, it can affect the development of his adult teeth. Teaching your child to take good care of their teeth and showing them how to do this is the key to maintaining healthy teeth in children. It really isn’t that difficult – and here’s how.
Regular Trips to the Dentist
You should start taking your child to the dentist from the moment their first teeth emerge. This will help them to feel more relaxed about being at the dentist. In the beginning, the dentist won’t do much other than quickly check their teeth but, as they get older, your dentist will be able to offer them advice on how to take care of their teeth and spot any danger signs nice and early.
Limit Access to Sweets and Fizzy Pop
Consuming lots of sugary sweets and fizzy pop is the major causes of tooth decay in children. All kids love to eat sweets and drink sugary pop, and in small amounts it won’t be too harmful as long as they look after their teeth. But if consumed regularly, sweets and pop are highly corrosive and could lead to long-term tooth decay.
Limit Fruit Juice Drinks
Fruit juices are often seen as a ‘healthy’ option. However, natural fruit juices are full of sugars and just as bad for the teeth as fizzy pop, so encourage your child to drink water or milk instead.
Teach Them How to Brush Teeth Properly
Teach your child from a young age how to brush their teeth. Buy them their own toothbrush and some special child friendly toothpaste. A small, pea sized amount of toothpaste is enough to begin with. The role of fluoride in dental help is also important, so look for toothpastes that contain fluoride.
Avoid Bottle Tooth Decay
Don’t let your baby spend hours sucking on a bottle of juice or milk. It’s seriously bad for their teeth, in more ways than one. Bathing the teeth in juice for long periods of time can lead to significant tooth decay, especially if you let your child go to sleep with a bottle unless it contains only water. So remove it once they have had plenty of time to satisfy their thirst.
Beware of Sippy Cups
Sippy cups containing juice are just as bad as bottles. Children find it easy to drink from a sippy cup, but remove the cup once they have had a good drink and don’t let them carry it around on a permanent basis.
Make time to teach your children how to take care of their teeth and they will grow into healthy adults with beautiful smiles.