I have always envied those around me who seem to always have perfect smiles without even trying, because I feel like I was born with "bad teeth." While my teeth are in great shape now, it is only because I take great care to visit the dentist every six months for a check-up and cleaning and maintain good oral hygiene habits at home. While I used to get a lot of cavities, even though I thought I was doing "everything right" to keep them away, I am proud to say that I have been cavity-free for a couple of years now! I put a lot of research into what daily habits can wreak havoc on my teeth, and I thought it would be a shame not to share what has helped me with others who need the advice. I plan to post many oral health tips on my new blog!
Starting your child out caring about their oral hygiene is one way to help ensure that they maintain good oral health throughout their lives. This is important stuff, and something you should be concerned about. After all, maintaining good oral hygiene is a must for your child to keep all their teeth, and poor oral health has been linked to an increased risk for other health problems, too, like heart disease. Getting them on the right track now will help to cement those habits in the future, so here's how you can go about it.
Plaque Tablets
One of the first things you should do is go pick up a packet of plaque disclosing tablets. You may have used these as a child yourself.
Plaque disclosing tablets are small, usually pink, chewable tablets. When chewed, they stick to the plaque on teeth, making teeth shine a bright pink in the mirror. Using these tablets before and after your child brushes their teeth can help to educate them on how much plaque they have before brushing and how little is left after brushing. If there's still a lot left after they've finished brushing, then that's a sign that they're not doing a very good job of it and need some help from you.
Timers
Another good idea is to get an electric toothbrush with a built-in timer. These timers usually last for about two minutes, which is roughly how long dentists recommend that adults and kids brush for.
Choosing a child toothbrush with a built-in music tune for a timer can help to motivate your child to brush for the entire duration of those two minutes. Not brushing for long enough can allow dangerous plaque to harden into tartar and bacteria to survive, which can increase the rate of development of new plaque. Even if you don't use a musical toothbrush, implement a timer into your child's toothbrushing so they know exactly how long they should be doing it for.
Dental Visits
Finally, make sure that you're bringing your child to a pediatric dental clinic on a regular basis. Yes, going to the dentist will help with your child's oral hygiene, but it should also help to convince your child that regular visits to the dentist are nothing to be afraid of. This is where a pediatric dentist specialist comes in.
Pediatric dentists or child dentists are preferred for children because all they do is work with children. Your child's dentist will have seen the best and the worst of behavior in kids, and they're ready for it all. They're also accustomed to working with smaller mouths, have smaller tools, and often reward kids at the end of their visit with a small toy or treat. It's all about leaving a positive impression in your child's mind when they think about the dentist so that they don't avoid going once they're adults.
Share23 September 2019
