How to Ensure Your Kids Have Healthy Teeth and Gums

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How to Ensure Your Kids Have Healthy Teeth and Gums

As a parent, you are responsible for a lot when it comes to your children. Certainly, the most important duty that come to mind is making certain your child is healthy. Most parents take this to mean that their children eat healthy, get exercise, and are taken to see the doctor when they are sick. However, this also includes ensuring that their kids’ teeth and gums are in the best condition possible. Not only will this help to avoid future dental issues, it will also help prevent further exacerbating conditions. Here is a comprehensive guide to give your child the best dental care possible:

It’s Never Too Early

It is easy to think that your child’s oral hygiene doesn’t really matter until they have several teeth sprouting. What you need to remember, however, is that the gums are quite important in making sure that the rest of the mouth stays healthy as well. As a result, it means that it is never too early to start cleaning your child’s mouth. Yes, that means even before their very first tooth has made an appearance. Even if your baby is only drinking milk, it is good to get in the habit of cleaning their gums. This requires a clean washcloth that has been dipped in some water. Gently wipe down the gums so that no milk residue remains. This will prevent the formation of bacteria.

Brush From the Very Beginning

Once you see that very first molar sprouting, it is time to get a toothbrush and toothpaste. Gently clean all of your baby’ teeth from this moment onwards. In the beginning, it is best to use as little toothpaste as possible – always make sure that it is suitable for children. Once they are over the age of two, you can start using a little bit more. Don’t use too much toothpaste until you are sure that your little one is capable of spitting it out completely.

Make It Fun

As tiring as it may be for you, it is vital to make teeth brushing as fun as possible. This way, kids are less likely to see it as a chore and will actually look forward to doing it. Now, there are several ways to do this. One of these would be to get an electric toothbrush for kids as this way it will seem more like a toy. Not to mention, it is a great way to ensure that your child brushes his or her teeth for the full two minutes. You may also want to think about incorporating games or activities. Perhaps you can put a schedule up in the bathroom with stickers to keep track of their brushing habits. Remember to reinforce the importance of brushing their teeth every day.

Don’t Forget About Flossing

If you think getting your children to brush their teeth is hard enough, flossing can be a true nightmare. Despite this, it is something that you need to encourage from the moment that they are quite young. If your children appear to have relatively healthy teeth and gums, it is not necessary to floss each day. You should try to manage it about three times a week, nonetheless. Your children will need to begin flossing once they have teeth that start growing next to one another. It is quite important if the teeth are touching one another. This leaves room for food particles to get stuck in between teeth.

Don’t Wait to Visit the Dentist

Dentists can get quite pricey and a visit to them is rarely a pleasant experience for anyone. Nonetheless, it is best to have your child be looked over by a dentist by the time that their first birthday rolls around.

Typically, however, this should be done by the time that they get their first tooth. This way, you can make certain that all of the teeth will be erupting normally and minimize the issues your baby may experience. Another good piece of news is that taking your baby to a dentist at such an early age can actually help to reduce dental care costs ahead of time. This is because instead of having to contend with a problem, you can prevent it or reduce it before it becomes severe. This will help cut down on the current and future bills.

Know What Can Impede Oral Hygiene

Without knowing, you may actually be making allowances for practices that can actually be harmful to your child’s dental health. For instance, it is best to avoid overusing the Sippy cup. You should only let your little one use it every so often and even then, stick with water. This will prevent tooth decay from appearing on the front of the teeth. You should also not put them to sleep with a bottle, especially one that is filled with milk or juice. Both these drinks contain sugar and could encourage the growth of bacteria on the teeth. On that note, it is best to minimize the amount of sugary foods and drinks that your little one consumes. Another thing that you may want to watch out for is using a pacifier or sucking thumbs or fingers. When your baby is quite young, this is fine. However, when they get older, such continued actions could lead to the problems with their teeth. Ask your dentist when you should start making changes to such behaviors.

A Healthy Diet is Important Too

In addition to all the above tactics, you also need to make a point to ensure that your kids are getting all the nutrients that they need. They will need a good dose of calcium, phosphate, and vitamin D. This can be achieved with the help of milk and yoghurt. A great way to improve the health of the gums and prevent gingivitis is to make sure your kids get plenty of vitamin C. Oranges, bell peppers, and strawberries are a great source. Avoid foods that may stick to your children’s teeth and encourage the growth of plaque. This includes gummy treats or ones containing caramel. In particular, you should keep them away from sodas and other sugary drinks.

Now you know what it takes to make sure your children’s teeth remain healthy and in great condition.