Oh! Your lovely little one! You don’t want to leave a stone unturned when it comes to caring for your kid, do you? When it comes to your child’s oral health, how often have you been tackled with questions? You want to care for your kid’s teeth but you just don’t know how much is too much!
Forgot to ask the pediatric dentist something again? You don’t have to put it down in the notebook! This article lists out all the common questions that you have about your child’s oral health and answers them for you.
1. How often should my child brush?
Not more or less than twice. Brushing in the morning before breakfast kills all the bacteria that have feasted in your kid’s mouth overnight. Brushing at night after dinner helps in removing any residual food particles, thereby keeping bacteria away in the first place! Don’t just let your child brush twice every day- follow this ideal routine.
2. How should my child brush?
Not with too much pressure and with soft bristles. It is important that you only buy kids-labeled toothpaste for your kid. Brushing should be in a circular pattern, and both the sides of the teeth must be brushed for two minutes full! Check whether the kid is brushing the teeth at the back longer than brushing those at the front.
3. What should I do when my child doesn’t want to brush?
Just don’t give up! If you give in to his/her stubbornness, this will soon become a habit and lead to cavities and infection in no time. Consider making brushing a family routine. Allot a time when all the family members would brush together. Just do anything to make brushing a little more fun.
Click here to watch a Youtube video that has numerous nursery songs for kids that encourage them to brush their teeth. Play the one your child loves the most!
4. Baby teeth fall off anyway. So why go the extra mile?
Just too many people ask this! There’s a very simple and logical answer to this, though. Baby teeth lay the foundation for permanent teeth. If your kid’s baby teeth have cavities, the permanent teeth that replace them would not be very healthy. Furthermore, infections can drip down to the gums from the teeth.
A decaying baby tooth may fall off prematurely and give way to a crooked permanent tooth.
5. How to prevent cavities in my kid’s teeth?
You must consider the following to prevent cavities in your kid’s teeth:
- Keep him/her away from sugary foods and beverages (Read: AAPD President advises parents on what to pack for kids’ lunches)
- Make going to the pediatric dentist a regular habit
- Instill good oral hygiene practices
6. When is the best time to take my child to the pediatric dentist?
Consider taking your child to the dentist when he/she turns when the first tooth erupts. The pediatric dentist would point out any concerns regarding your child’s oral health, which would be highly preventive at that stage. If something goes unnoticed and untreated, it could lead to complications in the future.
Hope we could perfectly answer what you were looking for. So, here’s a piece of bonus advice- let your child brush on their own if they want to. Just check if they are doing it right! If you reside anywhere near Richardson and haven’t taken your kid to one of the most kids-friendly dentists in town, click here to do it, now!
