How to Take Care of Your Children's Teeth

For parents, it is important to know how to take care of children's teeth. This is an important step in maintaining their oral health on a lifelong basis. After all, children look to parents for direction on how to live a good life. Eating healthy, taking care of their body and teeth are all part of that process. With that in mind, here are some suggestions for how to take care of children's teeth at home.

#1. Practice safe behaviors

Preventing dental damage is important and it requires practicing safe behaviors. These behaviors include teaching children to not bite down on anything like a pencil or a jawbreaker and to avoid using their teeth like scissors. Parents need to be careful not to demonstrate dangerous behaviors and actively teach children not to do them. Another way to keep children's teeth safe is to invest in a customized mouthguard for the child to wear when playing sports.

#2. Keep brushing

Continue to help a child brush his or her teeth until the age where the child is responsible enough to properly brush. Parents need to ensure that the child brushes for a full two minutes at a time, twice a day. This timeframe is the minimal teeth brushing necessary to help prevent tooth decay.

#3. Use the right toothpaste

There are different types of toothpaste for a reason and it is important to use the right one. If a child has sensitive teeth, a dentist may recommend a certain toothpaste that can work to desensitize them, though it should be used with care. On a regular basis, dentists will recommend that a child brush with a toothpaste containing fluoride since fluoride can work to strengthen the teeth. The stronger the teeth are, the less likely that they will develop cavities.

#4. Remember to floss

Plaque, tartar and food can stick between the teeth and the gums. It is critical that a child flosses on a daily basis to prevent cavities from forming in these areas. Without flossing, a child's teeth are only partially clean. Using a dental pic can make this process easier.

#5. Eat a healthy diet

What a child eats will significantly impact their oral health so it is important to make wise decisions like buying fruits and vegetables, nuts and cheeses instead of crackers, cookies and chips. The more sugar and acid a child puts on their teeth through food and drinks, the more likely that they will suffer from dental erosion, sensitive teeth and tooth decay.

#6. Stick with water

One of the more dangerous things for children's teeth is to drink juice or soda throughout the day. This places a significant amount of sugar and acid onto the teeth that can begin to strip away the enamel. When children go to bed with juice or milk, it further exasperates the problem because sugars from both remain on their teeth while they are sleeping.

These sugars can lead to a buildup of plaque and an acid bath that attacks the teeth throughout the night. Baby Bottle Tooth Decay is common as a result of this. Instead, switch to water at night after teeth have been brushed and give children water to drink throughout the day instead of soda.

#7. Bring them to a dentist

It is important to bring a child to the dentist twice a year for a thorough teeth cleaning. This is the best way to prevent decay and infections while helping to keep their teeth strong.

Protect children’s teeth with help from a dentist

Schedule an appointment with our clinic today so that we can practice preventative care.