Teaching Your Children Good Oral Hygiene

Teaching your child the benefits of good oral hygiene will set the long-term journey to a healthy and beautiful smile. A balanced diet and proper dental hygiene help prevent future oral problems like gum diseases and caries. To establish proper dental hygiene habits, you will require a good, fun dental routine.

Small Teeth Are Serious Problems

Every grownup knows it is the baby teeth's nature to fall off. Your young one's teeth exist to assist them in chewing foods as they develop and grow. Because our mouths enlarge as we grow older, it is sensible that small teeth would give way to bigger teeth. In a way, small/temporary teeth are disposable; thus, many children and parents feel it is useless caring for them.

This could not be far from the fact. Dental hygiene is equally essential for toddlers and babies, and failure to care for them can result in problems along the way. There are several reasons why children and parents should care for the temporary teeth, like:

• Speech development problems

• Halitosis/bad breath

• Embarrassment due to unattractive smiles

• Swollen and sore gums

• Aching teeth

• Pain while chewing

The worst is that a decayed tooth can impact the basal dentition. Cavity-causing bacteria might stretch to the permanent teeth as they develop, destroying them before they fully develop. Teeth lost because of decay or weakness might also leave gaps that encourage overcrowding in the baby's mouth since other teeth will slide to occupy gaps, leaving minimal room for others to emerge.

The Snack Attack

You could take various steps to set off your child on the journey of better dental care before they begin brushing. The food your child eats influences how their teeth develop, and regulating and monitoring whatever they eat is an ideal way of helping to maintain the healthiness of their mouth. Foods to watch out for include:

• Chips, crackers, and popcorn

• Sports and energy drinks

• Citrus fruits containing high acidic levels

• Dried fruits and gummies

• Hard candies

• Sugary drinks such as juice

• Dark colas and sodas

Eating highly sugary foods assists the bacteria that leads to tooth decay to grow much faster. Highly sugary soft drinks are worse because liquids easily flow over and between teeth, leaving a sticky coat on their surfaces. Dried fruits, crackers, and gummies also stick onto the teeth, providing an environment for the growth of bacteria.

Try giving snacks to your child that help strengthen their gums and teeth. Cheese is an ideal pick, particularly older varieties like swiss and cheddar. They have calcium that helps strengthen the dentition and bones while making children feel full. Another ideal option for your child is vegetables. They have stringy fibers that assist in scrubbing teeth with each bite. Just ensure they are not too cold as carrots and other vegetables can become dense and may even chip your child's tooth.

Start Early

Good oral hygiene should begin when your baby is still at the infant stage. After you have fed your child, either with formula or breast milk, wipe off their gums with a moist cloth. Whereas you are not certainly teaching your baby proper dental hygiene at the infant stage, you establish and create the foundation to make everything easier for them when they grow older.

You could then switch to using a finger brush when your child starts eating solid/hard foods and teething. The brush is rubber-made with soft bristles, and it comfortably slips onto the index finger. Rub the brush gently along the child’s gum line and all around the erupted teeth.

You could begin brushing your child’s teeth when their first tooth erupts fully. Use a finger brush or an infant-sized, soft-bristled toothbrush with a small fluoride toothpaste smear, not bigger than a rice grain, to brush twice a day.

Arrange for your baby’s initial visit to a pediatrician before turning a year old. This will assist your child in building a bond with their pediatrician. It will also help them become accustomed to the sounds around the clinic. The pediatrician will also ensure your baby's little gums and teeth are healthy and developing well. They will also work closely with you to teach your little one dental hygiene.

The Essentials of Flossing and Brushing Your Child's Teeth

After your baby has visited the pediatrician and their mouth has pearl whites, it is time to switch to a toothbrush if you have not done so. Note that the toothbrush type matters. Use a soft-bristled, child-sized toothbrush because toothbrushes made with hard bristles may result in irritation in the child’s mouth, thus becoming discouraged to brush.

With a proper toothbrush, continue to use a fluoride toothpaste smear the size of a grain of rice until the baby turns three years old. At this stage, you can move to a pea-sized fluoride toothpaste smear. Fluoride for children is essential. The mineral in this fluoride occurs naturally and helps strengthen the tooth enamel, and becomes incorporated in the permanent tooth, making it highly resistant to cavities. Although, note that large quantities of fluoride for children can be damaging and result in fluorosis. Using just the recommended toothpaste amount and speaking to your child's pediatrician about their (your baby's) fluoride intake can prevent this from happening.

When showing your baby brushing techniques, brush for them. Children may not know how to hold a toothbrush appropriately, and most do not have the motor skills or agility to eliminate plaque effectively.

When brushing your child's teeth, you are supposed to stand behind them then reach around them to hold their toothbrush comfortably. Ask the child how they feel. If they feel it is hurting, stop and ensure the gums are not irritated. For squirmy children who do not like brushing their teeth, sit on the floor or bed and tell the child to lie their head on your lap, which gives a little more control.

Ensure you brush your child's teeth two times a day. And the moment their teeth start touching, begin flossing the child's teeth once a day. While brushing and flossing, narrate whatever you are doing, so the child starts understanding the concept as early as then. When the child is around three or two years old, let them do the brushing by themselves, then follow up to ensure they did not miss any area. This helps them develop independence and know the proper techniques.

Tips On Teaching Your Minor to Practice Proper Oral Hygiene

When the toddler stage is almost up, enhance your teaching effort for the child to know the significance of dental health and understand what they should do to help achieve it. If you do not know where to begin, try the following techniques:

Use an Egg Carton to Illustrate What Foods Are Considered Healthy

Cut up a tooth carton from a white styrofoam egg carton. Give your baby the tooth, then direct them to select snacks from the list of unhealthy and too-friendly options.

If the child selects healthy foods, use a dry erase marker to color a circle on their tooth. And if they pick unhealthy foods, use a permanent black marker. Give the young one a toothbrush and request them to brush away their food circles. After that, explain to the child that the unhealthy foods are difficult to brush off and damage their teeth.

Use Duplo Blocks to Teach Your Child How to Floss

Stick play-doh around the blocks and the base (the teeth) and let your young one remove it using floss. Reiterate how essential removing all the play-doh from along the base (gum line) and between the teeth is.

Read Your Child Books About Dentals and Seeing the Pediatrician

Prepare your child for any upcoming dental appointment by reading them dental stories. Choose stories by the authors they consider their favorites.

Be Creative With Oral-Related Games

Encourage your child to brush their stuffed toys' teeth and inform the toy why it is essential to floss and brush. Colgate has many oral game ideas that teach children the significance of taking care of their gums and teeth.

Allow Them to Choose Their Toothbrush

We have a lot of cute character child toothbrushes that your young one is sure to see as their favorite. This makes them excited about the idea of brushing their teeth. When the time to brush comes, sing a beautiful toothbrushing song to make sure they brush for the recommended two minutes. Additionally, choose fluoride toothpaste for children to protect your child's teeth from decay.

Lead by Example

Children mimic whatever they see their parents do, including brushing their teeth. Allow them to watch how you floss or brush your teeth and have it seem like you are having much fun while at it. This way, the child will want to brush too.

Verbalize your actions as you brush, commenting on how you use little circles whenever brushing and when to spit and rinse. The commentary can assist you in teaching your child the right brushing techniques.

Reward Repetition

While a child must learn proper oral hygiene because it is healthy, healthy is not an excellent motivator. In this case, a child may respond more positively to rewards that accompany brushing. Game time or an extra phone is a perfect option. Prizes for good cavity-free reports from the hygienist are also another good option.

Develop Tantalizing Timers

Per the American Dental Association (ADA), a person has to brush for a complete two minutes, two times a day. A timer on standby will help your child to have the brushing time they require for a healthy, clean smile. Two-minute hourglasses and egg timers are fun and allow children to be in charge of brushing themselves.

You Could Also Do The Following

• Make brushing and flossing teeth for your child fun. You could follow all the guidelines at your disposal for teaching children to practice proper dental hygiene. However, if flossing and brushing are constantly an unpleasant experience, they will not want to continue with it. Things such as turning dental hygiene into a game, brushing teeth as a family, and brushing for two minutes can make your child highly likely to want to continue brushing and learn more.

• Maintain regular cleanings and check-ups at the pediatrician. The pediatrician will ensure your young one's gums and teeth are healthy. They will assess how they are doing with flossing and brushing. The pediatrician will also educate both of you on various dental hygiene topics such as oral habits, fluoride for children, homecare, diet, and more.

• Tasty toothpaste and fun,child-themed toothbrushes help children become excited about dental hygiene. Fluoride kinds of toothpaste with the ADA seal of approval are recommended as the best children's toothpaste.

• Just like brushing teeth, floss for your young one until they can do so on their own, often around age ten. Once they are older, floss in their presence and explain to them the technique.

• Tell your young one what can happen when they do not brush their teeth well enough or fail to brush them at all. Explain tooth decay, what causes it, and why they should avoid it. Do not use words like 'hurt' or 'drill' or otherwise scare them when telling them about visiting the dentist. Rather, highlight why dental hygiene is essential using positive, kid-friendly terms.

• Brush together with your baby. Demonstrate to them how brushing should be done (along the gum line and up to the back molars)

• Use a real physical timer or toothbrush time application to assist your child in brushing for the required two minutes every session.

• Allow your baby to brush on their own but supervise them until age seven or eight when they can brush effectively. Letting them brush while standing before a mirror can assist them in seeing what they are doing.

Find Northridge Dental Services Near Me

Teaching young ones how essential it is to maintain oral hygiene is one of the parents' most challenging tasks. At Northridge Advanced Dentistry, our professional pediatric dentists are delighted to listen to all your concerns and assist in guiding you to teach a proper oral hygiene routine to your child. Call us now at 818-701-3010 to schedule an appointment with us for consultation on your young one's oral health today.