Southland Dental Care wants you to know how you can instill good dental hygiene practices in your kids.
Visit the dentist by age 1.
It’s important to have your child’s teeth checked on as early as possible!
The basics! Brushing and flossing.
As soon as the first set of teeth set in, you should brush once (realistically) or twice (ideally) a day with a soft, toddler brush. Use a pea-size drop of non-fluoridated toothpaste until age 4, or when your kid can reliably spit it out (swallowing fluoride regularly could make your child sick and cause spots on the adult teeth).
As for the flossing, we might as well be asking you to trim a tiger’s claws. Try using plastic flossers for now and your kid might get used to it. Give your child a batch of colorful plastic flossers to encourage her to clean between her teeth. Even if he or she only flosses a few teeth a night, it will help
Wipe baby gums.
A quick once-over with a damp cloth before bed removes bacteria that can harm soon-to-erupt teeth.
Ditch the bedtime bottle.
The milk or juice can pool in your child’s mouth as he dozes off, causing serious decay known as “bottle mouth.”
Be snack savvy.
It’s not just sugary foods you have to watch out for. Any starchy or processed high-carb food can get stuck in the crevices of teeth. Some surprising offenders: potato chips, whole-wheat bread, crackers, and cereal bars. Follow with a glass of water to rinse them out.
Say cheese! And eat it too! The protein in it – casein – helps prevent tooth decay. Another tasty idea: lollipops with xylitol (for kids over 4), a natural sweetener that prevents plaque buildup.
Spin it.
Get your kid a battery-operated spin brush for more effective plaque- and bacteria-removing motion (a cheap model is just fine).
Brush to the beat.
Have your kid scrub along to her favorite song to get her to hang in there for the recommended two minutes.
Finish up.
If your child is younger than 8, do a final sweep with the brush after she’s done to hit all the nooks and crannies — and especially the back molars.
