Dental health for children is just as important as it is for adults.
Since a child's original teeth are destined to fall out, it can seem unimportant to take proper care of them.
Do not be fooled, because developing healthy teeth when fully grown starts with maintaining dental health as a youth.
A Child's Primary Teeth: Temporary But Important Six months after a baby is born, the primary teeth start to appear, and by age two there should be 20 of them.
During this time the jaw should adjust in order to make space below the primary teeth.
This change allows the permanent teeth to be formed.
Although the primary teeth are not going to be needed forever, it is important to maintain dental health so the next series of teeth will be strong and aesthetically pleasing.
Plaque Is the Enemy Plaque is a well-known threat to teeth, but many are not aware of the real danger it poses.
It is a nearly colorless film that sticks to the surface of teeth, and cannot be removed by simply rinsing with water.
A common indication of plaque is gingivitis, which can be identified by inflammation of the gums, and the appearance of blood when brushing.
A particularly alarming effect of excessive plaque is dental decay, which involves the protective enamel on the teeth being destroyed.
Failing to keep your child's teeth free of plaque can lead to serious dental related problems in the future, even if they have not developed their permanent teeth yet.
Brushing Your Child's Teeth 101 Many new parents ask when they should start brushing a baby's teeth.
Teeth can be brushed as soon as they begin to appear, as long as the products used are designed for the right age.
A very soft brush is needed, as enamel can be removed by harsh scrubbing.
Plain water should be substituted for tooth paste, unless a specially formulated brand of tooth paste for babies can be found.
Your child might not like having their teeth brushed at first, but should grow to tolerate or even enjoy it in time.
Continue their dental health care routine either way, because it is the best way to help ensure that they have attractive and healthy teeth for the rest of their life.
After age 2 and until age 7, you can use a very small amount of fluoride toothpaste on your child's toothbrush.
They will probably need help from a parent at first, but should learn to manage their own brushing with age.
Supervise their brushing to ensure that it is properly done, do not allow them to eat any tooth paste and make sure they brush twice each day.
Brushing before bed is important and the other brushing can take place at any other time, such as in the morning or even after lunch.
It should take around three minutes for your child to thoroughly brush their teeth.
Dental Health for Children - Beyond Brushing While brushing regularly is a great way to prevent plaque buildup, misalignment and tooth decay, there are further preventative measures that can be adopted.
- Watch what they drink: Sugar is a commonly known cause of bad dental health, but there are other culprits, like fruit juice.
Drinks like and apple or orange juice contain high levels of sugar but are also acidic, which means they can eat away at enamel, and they are bad news for dental health.
- Sucking habits: Sucking on a pacifier or even a thumb can alter the shape of the jaw and cause teeth to become misaligned.
Ask to have your child's teeth inspected by a doctor or dentist to ensure that there are no problems.
If sucking is identified as the cause of an issue, their bad habit needs to be stopped.
- Only put your child to bed with a bottle of water.
Anything else might cause tooth plaque to form.
Different drinks can be given before bed, but teeth should be brushed after the drink is finished.
- Try to give your child healthy snacks, such as appropriately prepared fruits or vegetables.
Junk-food, such as candy and cookies, are not good for their teeth or their body.
- Soda is terrible for a child's dental health and should be avoided completely, if possible.
It takes a little care and vigilance to maintain proper dental care for children, but it is worth it in the end.