Affinity Health, a leading provider of high-quality health coverage, offers five dental health tips to keep your child’s teeth and gums healthy.
“Caring for your child’s teeth goes beyond just preventing cavities,” says Murray Hewlett, CEO of Affinity Health.
“Proper oral hygiene from an early age sets the foundation for strong, healthy teeth and gums that will last into adulthood.”
1. Start Early with Dental Care
It’s never too early to start caring for your child’s teeth. Teaching them a proper dental care routine while they’re young is important. These are some recommendations that you should consider:
Before the First Tooth: Even before your baby’s first tooth appears, gently rub a clean, damp washcloth over their gums after each feeding. This helps remove leftover milk or food particles and can soothe their gums as they begin teething.
Children under 3 Years Old: Brush their teeth gently twice daily using a soft toothbrush with a small head and a smear of fluoride toothpaste. Brushing all surfaces of the teeth and gums is essential to prevent cavities and plaque buildup. At this age, children need help and supervision to ensure they are brushing correctly and safely.
Children 3 to 6 Years Old: When your child turns three, it’s time to use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Continue to supervise their brushing twice daily, ensuring they brush for two minutes each time and spit out the toothpaste after brushing to prevent swallowing too much fluoride. When their teeth begin to touch objects, introduce flossing to remove food particles and plaque a toothbrush cannot reach.
Children 7 Years Old and older: By this age, children can start taking more responsibility for their oral hygiene, but they might still need some supervision. In addition to brushing, ensure they floss twice daily and teach them how to use mouthwash if a dentist recommends it.
2. Schedule Regular Dental Check-Ups
Regular dental check-ups allow the dentist to spot issues early on, such as cavities or gum disease, and address them before they become bigger problems. During these appointments, the dentist will remove plaque and tartar buildup and apply fluoride treatments to strengthen your child’s tooth enamel and help prevent decay.
The American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends that children visit the dentist every six months, starting from their first birthday.
Depending on your child’s oral health needs, the dentist might recommend more frequent visits.
3. Demonstrate Proper Brushing Techniques
Many children brush their teeth incorrectly, often missing hard-to-reach areas, not brushing for the recommended amount of time, brushing too hard, or brushing at the wrong angle. These actions can lead to ineffective cleaning and potential gum damage.
Show your child how to hold the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums. Ensure they brush each tooth’s outer, inner, and chewing surfaces. Encourage brushing for at least two minutes (when in doubt, use a timer).
Use floss picks for children (as these are easier to handle than traditional floss). To teach your child to use a floss pick, show them how to gently insert the pick between their teeth and guide it up and down along the sides of each tooth, ensuring they curve the floss around each tooth to clean under the gum line.
4. Promote a Healthy Diet
Sugar is a primary culprit in tooth decay and can cause devastating dental concerns. The leading cause is the bacteria in the mouth, which feed on sugar and produce acids that attack tooth enamel. Limiting sugary snacks and drinks can significantly reduce the risk of cavities.
Offer your child fruits, vegetables, cheese, and yoghurt instead of sugary snacks like sweets, cookies, and fizzy drinks. Remember, water is the best beverage for dental health. It helps rinse away food particles and keeps the mouth hydrated. Ensure your child’s diet is rich in essential nutrients that support overall health and strong teeth.
Nutrients like calcium and vitamin D help build strong bones and teeth, while phosphorus aids in the rebuilding of tooth enamel. Vitamin C is also crucial for healthy gums and connective tissues, ensuring your child’s mouth remains healthy and resilient.
Avoid putting your child to bed with a bottle. The formula and breast milk sugars can linger on their teeth overnight, leading to tooth decay.
Start introducing a cup around your child’s first birthday. Teaching them to drink from a cup can help prevent tooth decay. Plan to transition your child from the breast or bottle to a sippy cup around 12 months.
5. Make Dental Care Fun
Making dental care enjoyable can motivate children to participate actively in oral hygiene. Let your child choose their toothbrush and toothpaste with their favourite characters or flavours. Use a reward chart to track brushing and flossing. Offer small rewards for consistency. There are many children’s books and videos about dental health that can make learning fun.
Conclusion
Preventing dental issues in children starts with establishing good oral hygiene habits early. By starting dental care in infancy, teaching proper brushing and flossing techniques, promoting a healthy diet, ensuring regular dental check-ups, and educating and motivating your child, you can help them achieve and maintain healthy teeth and gums.