The Importance of Taking Care of Your Child’s Teeth and Gums

The Importance of Taking Care of Your Child’s Teeth and Gums

Getting your kids to see the dentist or even just brush their teeth regularly can be somewhat of a chore. It can also be pretty difficult to judge how much expert care your child’s teeth need as they grow. There are so many questions that parents have when thinking about taking care of their child’s dental health. For example, if flossing is important for adults, should our children be taught to floss too? What should you do if their teeth seem to be unaligned? And what’s the best way to prevent them from getting cavities? We’re going to tackle these topics and more in this helpful guide.

• What Age Should Children Start Cleaning Their Teeth?

The simple answer here is that you should start an oral hygiene routine as soon as your child’s first teeth begin to appear. It’s recommended by dentists all around the world that a soft starter toothbrush with some mild fluoride toothpaste applied should be used to keep those first teeth clean. The amount of toothpaste should be no more than the size of a grain of rice and ensure that the toothbrush is soft to avoid any damage to their sensitive gums. Before this however, you should be aiming to keep their gums clean too with a gentle washcloth after they’ve eaten to remove harmful bacteria.

• Teaching Your Kids To Brush

After the age of 3, your child should have all of their primary teeth and should be well on their way to brushing their own teeth properly. Encourage a healthy and regular habit of brushing twice a day for two minutes each time. Try to help this develop into a permanent routine as so many older children and even adults neglect to follow this incredibly simple and quick rule, at the detriment to their teeth. While primary teeth aren’t permanent and will eventually fall out anyway, this is the perfect time for your children to practice with taking care of their teeth developing this habit. Try to make this part fun or engaging too. You can find timed electric toothbrushes for example, which sets a goal for them to reach.

• Consider Dental Procedures

By the time your child reaches their first birthday, you should be planning their first dentist Hertford visit for a checkup. They’ll make sure they’re getting their primary teeth with no complication and can help to foresee any potential issues. As your child gets older, they should be having regular checkups at least once every year, but don’t hesitate to make an appointment if you have any concerns. Things like permanent teeth overlapping may require orthodontic treatments such as an Invisalign aligner to straighten them up. If you’re searching for treatment in the Lancashire area, Smyli Orthodontics can provide you and your child with this specialist care. Finding great quality, specialist orthodontist treatment can be difficult, so make sure you do your research into the best practices near you.

• Possible Dental Problems

We’ve mentioned tooth decay, and we should reiterate that even the best brushing and flossing routine can’t guarantee that you or your children won’t get cavities or other dental problems. One of the signs of a potential issue is if your child complains of tooth ache. If they do, it’s important to get them some professional help as soon as possible. Remember, tooth ache can be very painful and it’s very difficult to ease the pain without treatment. This pain could be a sign of a cavity that needs filling using resin, ceramic, or even metal crowns for permanent teeth.

There are even more serious problems that can occur like gingivitis, or damage can occur to the teeth after playing contact sports or your child having an accident such as falling off their bike. If the issue has become serious or one of their teeth has been fractured or chipped, your child may require a longer procedure or even surgery to rectify the problem. So, make sure their teeth are looked after as much as possible. Taking your children to the dentist for regular checkups and keeping a good brushing routine can dramatically reduce the chance of serious complications in their dental health, so ensure they don’t miss any appointments or forget to brush and floss.

• Good Diet

Preventing dental diseases is much better than fixing any problems that arise from a lack of care. Whilst brushing is very important, a bad diet can still lead to decay and plaque build up. The worst food for your children’s teeth is that which is loaded with sugars and starch, so try to reduce the amount they consume as much as possible. If sugary foods and drinks have been consumed by them, it’s not the end of the world, but you should make sure they brush their teeth soon afterwards to combat any plaque build-up. Fizzy drinks are also a cause of damaged teeth as the acid erodes the protective layer called enamel.

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