Taking care of your child's teeth as they grow up is important, but you also want to ensure that your child has the foundation they need to do it themselves when they're older. There are steps you can take now to ensure that your child has good dental habits in the future. Make sure that you're considering these three things when it comes to building good habits for your child.
Frequent Dentist Visits
Some kids are nervous about seeing the dentist, which can make parents indulge them and take them less often. However, whether or not your child is nervous, this is the wrong direction to go in. The right thing to do is to actually see the dentist as frequently as recommended, whether that's twice a year or more.
Dentists often recommend that children come in for cleanings more often because they tend to have poorer attention to their dental hygiene than adults. Making sure that your child goes to the dentist regularly will reduce the risk of them developing dental problems like gum disease and cavities, which can require longer treatments and potential discomfort that can make your child have negative memories about seeing a dentist. If they go often but end up with a clean bill of health, they'll see it as a good thing and likely go more often as adults.
Child Toothpaste
Another thing to consider is whether or not toothbrushing is unpleasant for your child. Many kinds of toothpaste aimed at children exist, and some parents think that they're just there to trick kids into brushing. However, they do more than this.
Child toothpaste often contains higher levels of fluoride, which can help to protect children's teeth from cavities. However, children's toothpaste also tends to be gentler than many that are formulated for adults. Things like peroxide and some whitening agents found in adult toothpaste may feel like nothing to you, but it can potentially be uncomfortable for a child, as they tend to be more sensitive. Forcing your child to use an adult's toothpaste may mean they try to avoid brushing or brush for as little time as possible. They can use those once they're an adult; for now, stick with children's toothpaste.
Water Flossing
One last way to help build good dental habits for your child is to use a dentist-approved water flosser. Water flossers can be fun to use for kids and adults and do a really good job of clearing away debris and food particles from the teeth and gums. While nothing is a complete replacement for traditional flossing, using these machines will help your child's mouth to stay healthy and can make them feel like caring for their teeth is fun instead of boring.
Reach out to a family dentist for more tips.
Share21 December 2021
Halloween is a holiday that my children love, and telling them they can't go door-to-door collecting candy would break their hearts. This led me to allowing them to collect candy on the holiday, then rationing it out to them every day instead of letting them gobble it up in just a few days. I always thought this was better for them, but my dentist told me this could be the reason why their February dental check-ups were always their worst ones. Daily candy consumption was taking a toll on their teeth. I started a new tradition of letting them indulge for two days, then giving them the option to swap the rest with me in exchange for a new toy. They never pass on the opportunity for a new toy. I created this blog to encourage other parents find similar tactics to keep their children's teeth healthy after Halloween.