Establishing good oral health is best done when a child is young.
When you are dealing with children, their baby teeth might not be as important as their permanent. After all, baby teeth are temporary and will not last forever. But statistics show that the type of oral health habits that we build early on in life tend to follow us into adulthood. So, it is important to teach your children how to properly care for their teeth. Developing good oral habits to protect their adult teeth by treating their baby ones with TLC is essential.
Tips to Protect Their Teeth
These are six tips from the pros to protect your child’s oral health for a lifetime.
- Don’t wait to see the dentist – The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends that a child goes to the dentist by the age of 1 or within 6 months after the first tooth erupts. The sooner you can introduce your child to the dentist, the less anxious they will be about treatment – and the more likely they will be to have a positive feeling about going to the dentist. Start small by just an introduction before their first birthday so that they can establish a rapport.
- Eat healthy for healthy teeth – Healthy teeth are born from good eating habits. Make sure that your child has enough calcium in their diet and stay away from sugary and starchy foods that can stick to teeth and cause tooth decay. A good diet will keep them healthy both inside and out.
- Establish good oral habits right away – Have your children establish a routine that will stick to brushing and flossing on a daily basis. Incorporate oral habits into their daily routine to ensure that they will continue when no one is watching or monitoring their behavior.
- Only use water in their bottles – If you are going to put them to bed with a bottle, make sure to fill it with water. Sugary drinks, formula, and milk can lead to early tooth decay, which will lead to your child getting fillings. If they have to have procedures done early on, that will likely create anxiety for seeing the dentist in the future.
- Limit sugary drinks – To stop tooth decay, limit the number of sugary drinks you allow. Sugar-laden drinks include sports drinks. They often contain just as much sugar as soda, so don’t be fooled into thinking they are healthier. If you do give your child juice, mix it with water to dilute it and lessen the sugar sting.
- Stop the pacifier – The chance that a pacifier can cause any real problems to a child’s bite for the future is minimal, but once they pass a certain point, it can mess with their palate. The best time to stop the pacifier is before they become attached and aren’t able to self-soothe. Remember, it is always harder for the parent than the child to take away a habit.
Establishing good oral health is best done early on. The earlier you make brushing, flossing, and other healthy oral behaviors a part of your child’s routine, the more likely they are to continue with the behaviors and keep their healthy teeth for a lifetime.
The Dental Anesthesia Center
At The Dental Anesthesia Center, we value our patient relationships, making it our priority to deliver gentle dental care that you deserve. We work hard to make you feel at ease by providing exceptional patient care in a relaxed, convenient atmosphere.