Here is well explained on how you can take proper dental care for your child’s primary and permanent teeth with regular dental cleaning and through follow-ups with your dentist.
- Brush your child’s teeth usually with soft-bristled, small-head toothbrush and proper brushing techniques like scrubbing it backward and forward on teeth. Make sure you also brush softly on their tongue and gums. Straight brushing with too much pressure harms teeth and gums, just avoid it. Clean the teeth keeping the brush towards gum and moving it in small circles with less pressure. Brushing at least twice a day, in morning and before going to bed. Brushing should last for around 2 minutes, not more than that.
Use fluoride toothpaste as it helps you to control tooth decay, mainly eliminating risks of dental plaque. Fluoride intake varies age to age. Usually, you should use toothpaste with fluoride of approximately
- 1000ppm for the children below age of 3; whereas for children aged between 4 and 6, the fluoride intake of around 1350ppm to 1500ppm is appropriate. Consult your dentist before you decide upon using fluoride technique. Be careful for your child of licking or swallowing toothpaste.
- Make them gargle properly after brushing considering that they do not completely spit out the fluoride used within to regulate the benefits of it on teeth.
- Supervise their teeth cleaning; do not leave your child (below 6 or 7) on their own, they will less likely attend proper techniques and teeth may be left unclean. Even when your child is above 8 or 9 and are now brushing their teeth by themselves, observe them. Make sure they follow proper teeth cleaning methods.
- Teach your child correct methods; make them stand in front of mirror so that they can see their teeth, clean them properly. If they do not follow, instead of scolding them explain them related disadvantages; let them at least understand what happens if they correctly or incorrectly follow teeth cleaning methods. Do not ever try to make the process robotic; make smooth tricks, let them have fun while correct brushing instead.
- At your child’s sports, gym and skating activities, make sure that they wear mouth guards to simply keep any accident away from happening.
- Prevent your child from eating sticky, sugary and starchy food to prevent chances of bacteria attacks and plaque formation on teeth. Encourage them to eat healthy food.
Regular Dental Care for Your Child
Even when your child has milk teeth, visit your dentist. Regular dental checkups will certainly avoid any serious dental problem like dental decay and gum diseases. This is because the dentist can recognize if there is any irregularity in teeth, in developing stage. This is like preventive dental care.
When you bring your children to dentist, make your visit as simple as possible, diverting them with fun and lightness. Stress-free children are more comfortable & allow such dental checkups or treating procedures to be done without any hurdles.