Step by step guide for a brighter and confident smile.
Being a parent isn't as easy as we used to think like children. Day by day when I am coming closer to parenthood, many questions are getting answered and I am now able to figure out the sacrifices and the efforts made by our parents in raising us well. When I say raising, it doesn't necessarily mean giving us proper education or good food to eat. Of course these things are important too but what I want to speak about is how they took care of our health as children, I mean now that when we can speak by ourselves and still not be able to figure out the health issues sometimes, how they managed to diagnose our problems and find a cure for them.
If we talk about our oral health as children, I remember how my grandpa always scolded me for eating so many sweets. That was out of care of course. In this blog I'll be briefing you about how we as parents can take care of the oral health of our children since children dentistry in London has earned a name over the years.
First and the foremost confusion which I want to clear is that many people think that the new born babies don't have teeth. It isn't like that. They aren't visible but they are there. So the oral care actually starts from the day a child is born. Most of us love sweets as children but we end up damaging our teeth. So, does this mean that a child should never have sweets? Well, not exactly. If you as parents know how to take care of your children's teeth, they don't need to give up on their favorite chocolates.
Below given are some of the points that you should follow to keep their smiles brighter and healthier.
- Let us start from the beginning. One should never think that if there are no visible teeth in a child's mouth, he/she doesn't need oral care. It is needed for sure. Now you may ask how to do that. Well there is a proper procedure to follow. Run a clean, damp washcloth over the gums of your child to clear away harmful bacteria even if there are no teeth in the mouth. This will help your kids start with clean and protected gums. So, next time you have a toddler at home don't wait till the teeth become visible. Start this exercise from the beginning.
- As soon as your baby starts developing some teeth, start brushing his/her teeth with an infant toothbrush. Make sure to physically check if the toothbrush bristles are soft and easy going. Apart from using toothpastes which are made particularly for children, you can use a bit of fluoride toothpaste for the better oral health of your kids.
- Keep a check on when the teeth of your baby start growing in both the jaws i.e upper and lower jaws. Once you notice that the teeth are touching each other, you can try flossing between them. This helps you remove the stuck food particles from the tiny spaces in between the teeth.
- Your child has now reached a stage where he/she understands what's going around. They know that the foam formed in the mouth while brushing is supposed to be spitted out. This happens usually when the child is around two years old. Just make sure that you stay cautious when the child is brushing. He/she shouldn't swallow the foam as that may prove problematic later on.
- After your child crosses the age of 3, you can increase the amount of fluoride toothpaste which shouldn't exceed the size of a pea.
- Though this doesn't seem very serious, never let your children brush their teeth alone at least till they are 8-9 years old. There are high chances that they'll swallow the paste creating problems for themselves and you as parents as well.
This was all about when and how they should brush and floss. There are other things to be taken care of to make sure that the oral health of your children isn't damaged.
- Never let your baby sleep with a bottle in your mouth as it may lead to cavities.
- Try limiting sugary food intake as that's one of the major causes of cavities.
- Make sure that your kids are brushing twice a day.
- Take your children for a dental check-up at least twice a year.
- Try spotting their cavities in the early stages so that they can be removed before the need for the tooth extraction arises.
- Speak to your dentist about sealants. It is a procedure in which the teeth are sealed to prevent cavities.
These were some of the precautions and steps that one should take to keep the teeth of our kids healthy and strong. And remember, taking care of health and hygiene is something you teach your children in adolescence only. If these good habits are given to children in their childhood, they stay with them forever helping you stay less worried about your children. We wish you happy parenting.