5 Steps to Awesome Kids Dental Health All Parents Should Do
As a parent, you naturally want what’s best for your children. You want them to smile and laugh. You want them to be happy. And part of being happy is healthy. Since dental health is so essential to their physical health, you want them to have beautiful healthy smiles too. You want to teach them to take care of their teeth, have healthy relationships with their dentist, and have great dental care.
And the sooner you start, the more solid the foundations for great dental health will be laid. That’s why we always recommend getting them into our Sharonville dental office for a family appointment as soon as possible.
But in addition to regular dental visits and cleanings, there is plenty you can do at home to help them have healthy teeth and gums. Here are 5 things you can do to ensure your child’s teeth and gums are healthy, their smiles are happy, and they’re on the road to great dental health and a bright future.
Brush Early
You should start kids brushing when they’re babies — even before the first baby tooth even emerges. Just because you don’t see their teeth doesn’t mean they’re not already there. In fact, a baby’s teeth first begin to form in the second trimester of pregnancy. Even as babies, some of their first teeth are already fully formed beneath the jawbone.
We recommend gently brushing your child’s gums and teeth when they emerge with an infant toothbrush. This is a small rubber brush that fits on the end of your finger. Use just a tiny dot of fluoride toothpaste and water. Be sure your toothpaste has the American Dental Association’s (ADA) seal of acceptance.
When your child turns 2, you can teach them to spit when brushing. At this age, don’t give them water to rinse because this makes swallowing toothpaste more likely. It’s not the end of the world if they swallow the toothpaste, but try your best to avoid it.
As your child grows, teach them to brush twice a day for a minute (adults should do 2 minutes). Show them proper brushing (in circles around the front of the teeth, on the tops, and behind). Demonstrate by brushing alongside them. When you visit your family dentist, they can demonstrate proper brushing with fun models.
Teach your child to brush their tongue. This helps reduce the amount of bacteria in the mouth that causes cavities and gum disease.
Avoid Putting Infants to Sleep with a Bottle
It can be tempting to put infants to sleep with a bottle of milk, but this can lead to tooth decay. You want to avoid what dentists call “bottle mouth” or “”baby bottle tooth decay” — a discoloration of the front teeth that can cause cavities. Sugars from milk, formula, juice and even breast milk remain on the teeth, eroding tooth enamel and causing decay. In severe cases of bottle mouth, the front teeth may even need to be pulled.
Do Fluoride Treatments
Take it from your dentist in Blue Ash. Fluoride is a parent’s best friend. Fluoride helps reduce cavities by hardening the tooth enamel to provide greater protection. Make sure your toothpaste has it. When you come and visit our dental office in Cincinnati, we can do fluoride treatments on your teeth. You can also get fluoride supplements for your children to increase their fluoride intake. Talk to your dentist for recommendations.
Many cities include fluoride in the water supply in an effort to improve dental health. If you have a Brita filter or other water filter, this won’t filter out the fluoride, but you want to avoid “reverse osmosis” water filters. These filters do remove the fluoride that would otherwise protect your children’s teeth.
Floss Regularly
Teach your child to floss once per day. Slip the dental floss in between each tooth and deep around the gumline. You can buy floss that comes on a handle to make it easier for kids.
Bring Them to Your Dentist for Regular Cleanings and Checkups
Like adults, kids need to see their family dentist on a regular basis for cleanings and checkups. We recommend every 6 months. We’ll inspect their teeth for any cavities or signs of gum disease — make sure they have great dental health. We’ll also do teeth cleanings that remove plaque buildup that ordinary brushing and flossing do not.
At our family dental office, we always strive to make our children’s dental appointments fun and educational. We’ll teach your child about maintaining great dental health through models and demonstrations. Our dentists and dental hygienists are specially trained to work with kids to help them feel better. We believe that great dental health starts at a young age — we want your kids to be off to a great start!