How To Encourage Good Oral Hygiene In Your Child

Teeth serve a variety of purposes, which include helping us talk, eat, and smile. Now, as a parent, the responsibility falls on you to ensure your child has healthy teeth for their overall well-being.

The Sinton Dentist TX recommends parents cultivate good dental habits in their children early on. By doing so, you promote their oral health and they start to understand the importance of oral hygiene. So, here are some fun tips that can help you to establish a good oral hygiene routine for your little ones.

• Allow your child to choose their toothbrush and toothpaste with their favorite color and character.
• Encourage your child to read books or watch videos that contain information about dental hygiene.
• Instruct them to brush their teeth for 2 minutes; you can play their favorite song in the background to track the time limit.
• Offer rewards when they practice good oral hygiene; here, avoid sugary treats and opt for healthy alternatives such as fruits or nuts
• Engage in fun activities after taking your child to Sinton Dentist TX clinic.

Gateway to Dental Health

1. Getting the Right Amount of Fluoride:

Your child should get the right amount of fluoride, which is found in soil and water. This mineral helps to strengthen the tooth enamel, which is the hard outer teeth covering. This hardening of the tooth enamel helps to prevent cavities.

There are many ways to ensure your child gets the right amount of fluoride:

• Check your drinking water for fluoride. Or, you can consult the Sinton Dentist TX to know about fluoride supplements for your child
• Talk to your dentist about fluoride treatments that are safe to administer to your child
• Children start to rinse and split when they are 6 years old, which is a good time to ask your dentist whether they can use fluoride toothpaste

2. Brushing Regime:

Brushing twice a day, once in the morning and again at night before going to bed, is always advisable. This helps to remove food particles and bacteria from the teeth and gums. If you fail to do so, the acid action can cause the teeth to break down.

Dental experts recommend that parents brush their children’s teeth from birth. Also, you should use a wet washcloth to wipe your baby’s gum tissue after feeding them. Then, when your baby develops teeth, you can use a soft toothbrush with fluoridated toothpaste to brush their teeth after meals.

Remember, you have to guide your children to brush their teeth until they can do so on their own.

3. Flossing Practice:

Plaque and bacterial elements in between teeth cannot be removed by a toothbrush; flossing helps to do so. You can use floss sticks to remove the plaque and bacteria that lead to the production of acids that cause cavities.

You can start flossing your child’s teeth during the early stages. Regular flossing boosts blood supply to the gum tissue and this reduces their risk of gum diseases and cavities.

4. Using Sealants:

Sealants are made of plastic and they protect the surfaces of the teeth. This includes the back teeth chewing surfaces where cavities tend to develop in children. You can visit the Sinton Dentist TX with your child to apply sealants on their teeth.

The first step of the sealant application procedure, the tooth is cleaned. Sealant material is then inserted into the grooves of the tooth. These dental fixtures are then hardened with a special curing light.

5. Consuming a Balanced Diet

As parents, you should ensure your child eats a balanced diet to keep them healthy. Their diet must contain a variety of foods from the five major food groups. These include fruits, vegetables, grains, fish/poultry/meat, and cheese/yogurt/milk.

Besides that, your child’s meal must contain both food and drinks. That’s because more saliva is produced when a meal is consumed. In the process, the food gets washed off from the mouth while preventing the harmful action of acids.

Children must also avoid eating unhealthy snacks between meals when they are hungry. Instead, you can give them healthy snacking alternatives, such as fresh fruit, breadsticks, unflavored popcorn, yogurt, and nuts.

Additionally, do not allow your child to eat sugary foods and beverages. In doing so, you reduce their chances of tooth decay.

The Academy of Paediatrics recommends providing children with only 6 to 8 ounces of juice per day. They should also drink juice only at meals. If they feel thirsty in between meals, give them water.

Summing It Up

Your child’s first visit to a dentist should be when they are 1 year old. The dentist can then analyze your child’s teeth to detect any tooth problems. Pediatric dentists are specialists who treat children’s dental issues, and you can learn more about proper child oral care by consulting them. If your child is experiencing tooth pain or loses a permanent tooth, only visit the Sinton Dentist TX for the best dental treatment.