A child’s wholesome upbringing is a challenge. Many aspects have to be taken into consideration. One important area of care is the dental hygiene of your child. Making the decision as to when to take your child on their first trip to the dentist to decide if your child needs braces, is tough. Every parent is concerned about how they can prevent cavities and provide dental care that is necessary.
We have compiled a list of the best tips to keep your little ones' smile safe.
Start With Yourself
Children follow the principle of ‘monkey see, monkey do’. They try to copy everything from their parents or people around them. So if you want to instill good habits of oral care in your child, you can start being their role model. Make it a point to brush your teeth two times a day for a minimum of two minutes. Avoid eating foods that are harmful to your tooth.
Help Your Child While Brushing
Just letting them brush their teeth quickly with no proper technique will not be very helpful. Assisting your child while brushing so they learn how to brush properly is essential. A good brushing must be done for two minutes in circular strokes. Care should be taken to brush both the front and back of their teeth. Toothpaste used should not be more than a grain of rice for children below 3 years of age.
Keep Their Diet Healthy
Easy as it may be to soothe a child by handing over sweets, it will cause a lot of damage to their teeth in the long run. A balanced and healthy diet is important even for the overall development of your child. Including fruits, vegetables, proteins, and dairy in their diet is a good plan. Once again, you will have to be their role model here. Don’t expect your child to eat cucumber sticks while you enjoy a bag of crisps.
Take Caution To Prevent Tooth Decay
By limiting sugary beverages and snacks, you can help prevent tooth decay in your child. Not only they get stuck between their tooth but also produce harmful bacteria which promote tooth decay. Promoting them to brush their teeth properly if they have had a sugary snack will help prevent any such problems from happening in the first place itself.
Choose a Good Dentist
A strict or unfriendly dentist who doesn’t specialize in kids will end up making your kids hate going to the dentist and then the task of taking them there will be harder for you. Research for a kid friendly dentist before you commit to taking your child to one. One good way of checking how good they are is by going through their reviews online from like-minded people. If you are looking for professional dental services, check Cross Creek Dental, The Office of Dr. Rice & Associates. Getting a child to do anything that they dread is very hard and if not done right, you might end up giving them a sugary lollipop yourself to incentivize them.
Make it Fun!
You are wondering how would you make a trip to the dentist or dental care at home fun? Easy, get a dentist kit from your local toy store and start playing with your child. The best way to get children to do anything is to make it fun, isn’t it? Enacting dental clinics at home will make your child comfortable with what happens in the clinics. Also, you can help your child to include brushing and flossing as a part of the game so they are entertained by doing exactly what you want them to do.
As kids grow up, so does their need for dental care. A regular check-up will make sure there are no tasty toothaches or surprises. Keeping a tab on how much sugary food you give them will also enhance their dental health. By adding a few elements to their dental care, you can allow your child to be more involved, like:
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Let them choose their favorite superhero toothbrush
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Toothpaste that is friendly to the child’s taste with less fluoride
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Reading stories for children about dental care
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Using a stopwatch while they brush to make it more fun
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Rewarding them when they get done with their dental appointment. One lollipop doesn’t hurt anyone.
A strong set of teeth will ensure your child speaks and eats well. Even baby teeth problems can affect negatively their long-term growth. This is vital for their overall development. Strong oral care routines will ensure that they follow them for the rest of their life.
