Good oral health care starts from an early age, and since your children are too young to take oral care decisions, it’s up to you, the conscientious parent, to do the needful. As a parent you need to help children develop and maintain good oral hygiene, to ensure a bright and healthy smile.
Here are 10 oral care tips for parents to help secure their child’s precious smile.
1. Schedule regular appointments with the child dentist:
Schedule an appointment with your child dentist regularly- at least once in 6 months for general check-ups and clean-ups. Regular check-ups for your child can help avoid cavities and other dental health problems in the long run.
2. Make the dental routine consistent and fun:
Fix a dental routine for your child and decide the number of times your child will brush and at what time, for example, twice a day, once after waking up and once before going to bed. Also, who said routine has to be boring? Make dental care fun for your child. Take them toothbrush and floss shopping, play their favorite music every time they brush or get them a colorful educational booklet on dental care.
3. Reward good habits:
Reward your child occasionally with little treats and fun experiences every time they follow their dental routine consistently. This way they will associate good oral hygiene practices with positive experiences, which will motivate to stick to them.
4. Brushing and flossing go hand-in hand:
Brushing and flossing are like peanut butter and Jam, a team! Be sure you monitor how your child is brushing in the initial years, brushing for 2 minutes straight, brushing all the teeth well, the gums gently and the tongue as well. Flossing is as important as brushing and helps prevent gum disease. Use kid-friendly flossers like floss sticks that glide easily between kid teeth and come in fun shapes and colors!
5. Keep a watch on their diet:
Ensure your child eats healthy, vitamin-rich foods. Fill their diet with vegetables, nuts, dairy products and fruit. Minimize their consumption of sugary items, candies and sodas as much as possible to prevent cavities. Also, small kids have the habit of putting anything and everything in their mouth, stop that when you see it. Biting on hard substances can lead to tooth misalignment or chipping off.
6. Drink plenty of water:
Make sure your child is drinking 6-8 glasses of water each day. Water helps flush away food particles and bacteria from the mouth and ward off bad breath. Ensure your kids rinse after eating sweetened food. These oral care tips after food are tooth-saving!
7. Don’t ignore cavities and misaligned teeth:
What you ignore now can cost you later. Usually, children between the age of 7 to 14 have at least one untreated cavity, which can lead to an infection. If it’s a baby tooth, a new one will come in its place, but the infection caused can spread to other healthy teeth. Also, if you notice any teeth alignment issues such as crooked teeth, overcrowding, over spacing, overbite or underbite, contact your local orthodontist. Your child might need to wear braces to correct the bite.
8. Mouth wash is important too:
Children do need strong mouth rinses, but they can use a regular mouth wash and dilute it with water. Building the habit of using mouth wash in the growing up years can help them prevent dental problems as they grow older.
9. Don’t miss out on fluoride:
As a parent, you need to keep a check that your kid is getting enough fluoride. Children who drink water with fluoride in it have fewer cavities in comparison to those who drink non- fluoridated water. Toothpaste with fluoride in it has the same positive effect on your child’s teeth.
10. Mouth safety:
If your child is into sports and playing outdoors, a mouth guard is a great precautionary measure to protect your child’s mouth from injuries. Talk to your dentist for a custom fit mouth guard for your child.
To learn more about good oral health in children and oral care tips and tricks to encourage dental hygiene habits, contact Dental World Super speciality Clinics, Kolkata and consult with our expert child dentist today!
