How To Help Kids To Keep Their Teeth in Tip Top Condition
“Choose your battles” is a motto used by many parents across the world. However, this cannot be applied to brushing their teeth. It is vital that this happens regularly as well as with care and precision to avoid common teeth problems occurring. The art of persuasion can be tricky, so we are offering you some top tips to help kids to keep their teeth in tip top condition.
Start Young
It is vital to start oral healthcare when your child is a baby. As soon as a tooth pops through, brushing becomes a must. However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with brushing their gums with a soft, wet, age-appropriate toothbrush from around six months of age. Don’t use toothpaste though; there’s no need. Allowing your child to have positive encounters with a dentist from an early age is a great idea. So, if you’re going along for an appointment, take the child with you to smell the surgery and become accustomed to the sounds.
Take Control
Once your child is happy to have their teeth brushed, you may well quickly find them wanting to do it by themselves. Independence is great, but often they will miss certain places, as we all do when we aren’t concentrating fully. Brushing their teeth for a few years is important. Try brushing fully and allowing them to have a go once you’ve finished. Alternatively, put them in charge of brushing their own tongue – something that’s difficult to get wrong!
You could always show the photographs of what could happen if they don’t brush their teeth properly. This can be enough to make some children realize just how important it is. Disclosing tablets are a fun option, which carry a serious message. They turn the teeth blue in the areas where plaque has not been brushed away. Challenging them to get all the blue away can be fun for older children. Try again a couple of weeks later to see if their brushing routine has improved.
Get it Right
It is imperative that you get a toothbrush, which is suitable for your child’s age. Some have bristles, which are far too hard, or large heads. Consider an electric toothbrush. Many believe these can clean teeth better because of the speed and oscillating head. Opting for a toothpaste suitable for the child’s age is important too. Make sure you read the instructions fully. Usually, a pea-sized amount on the brush will suffice. From the age of 3, teach your child how to spit the toothpaste out into the basin.
Ensure that you reach all the awkward places and also brush the gums and tongue too. Plaque can quickly build up in areas you have forgotten. Additionally, you are modelling good practice. If you forget to scrape behind the front teeth, your child will likely end up doing the same. Be sure to brush their teeth morning and night. Flossing on a regular basis is recommended too. A brush cannot always get the smaller pieces of food trapped between teeth. This can lead to infections.
Make It Fun
If, despite telling them what can happen if they don’t brush properly, they still won’t listen, think about how to make teeth brushing fun. For younger children, try singing. “This is the way we brush our teeth” is a great one and it also means they can eventually predict how long it will be until you’ve finished brushing. If your little one is still not keen to brush teeth, try allowing them to take a teddy into the bathroom with you. Buy a special toothbrush for the teddy and your child can brush its teeth as you are brushing theirs. Choosing a fun toothbrush can work for some children. There are electric toothbrushes which have flashing lights or favorite characters on them. Get your child involved in choosing; this might help!
To promote fantastic brushing, there are many apps out there, which have timers built in. These can play songs whilst the children are brushing their teeth. Some also have a reward system, which children seem to love.
Regular Dental Check Ups
It is imperative to visit your dentist every six months to ensure that teeth are being cleaned effectively and that they are growing properly and in the right directions. If there is a problem you have not spotted, ensuring you have regular check ups ought to find it as soon as possible. This could prevent further problems in the future. Not only that, but it ensures they feel more comfortable in the surgery. This dentist Grapevine TX offers preventative dentistry along with a hygienist. The treatment is bespoke depending on the individual patient’s needs.
Balanced Diet
We all know that a balanced diet is important to ensure a healthy weight and body. Often, we neglect to consider the impact certain foods have on our teeth. Raisins are usually seen as a quick and easy, but healthy snack. They are terrible for the teeth. Raisins and other dried fruit can get stuck in the teeth really easily. Try to offer alternatives if using as a snack. When given alongside a meal, raisins are acceptable. Apples, carrots and celery are great choices because they can help scrub plaque away from teeth and are high in fiber. Calcium-rich foods such as cheese and natural yogurt are great choices. Green vegetables, such as broccoli, are fantastic as they contain vitamins and minerals perfect for boosting oral health. Leafy greens are good too as they contain high levels of folic acid.
Avoid Sugary Drinks
Milk and water are by far the best things that children can drink. The occasional glass of fruit squash won’t do any harm, but try to limit this and stick to milk or water as much as possible. Certainly, do not allow any drinks except water after their teeth have been brushed at night. Furthermore, offering sugary drinks through a bottle or beaker is a bad idea. Doing this has led to an increase in the number of extractions in younger patients.
