There are so many good reasons to keep your child’s teeth and gums healthy. Their sparkling smiles. Being able to chew properly for good nutrition and digestion. Avoiding toothaches and discomfort. Good oral health as a child can lead to good oral health in the future, which research is showing more and more is important for overall health. Research shows that gum disease can lead to other problems in the body, including an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. The good news is there are simple ways to keep teeth strong and healthy from childhood to old age. Here’s how:
Start Children Early
Even before your child gets their first tooth you can start introducing them to good oral hygiene habits by wiping their gums with a damp washer at bath time. This way they can begin to get used to you cleaning their mouth. Begin brushing your baby’s teeth with a little water as soon as the first tooth emerges. Use a small, soft-bristled toothbrush and no toothpaste. From 18 months old you can use a tiny smear of children’s low fluoride toothpaste (the size of a grain of rice).
Once your child is 3 years old, you can increase to a pea-size amount of children’s low fluoride toothpaste and help them brush twice a day – after breakfast and before bed. Teach your child to try and spit out the toothpaste rather than swallowing it.
At 6 years old your child is old enough to begin using a pea-sized amount of adult’s fluoride toothpaste when brushing their teeth.
The focus here is to begin building and normalising important dental skills and habits from an early age.
Despite great strides in decay prevention, one in four young children develops signs of tooth decay before they start school. Half of all children between the ages of 12 and 15 have cavities. This is why the Australian Dental Association recommends children have their first dental check-up by the time their first tooth arrives (or by their first birthday).
Teach Kids Good Brushing Techniques
Proper brushing is key to removing plaque and preventing tooth decay and gum disease. Here are some tips for teaching your child to brush correctly:
- Stand in front of a mirror so your child can see how you brush their teeth
- Stand behind your child to brush their teeth
- Angle the brush at 45 degrees towards the gum line
- Brush in gentle circles if using a manual toothbrush or gently move across the teeth if using an electric toothbrush. Spend about 10 seconds on each tooth
- Brush the outer, inner, and chewing surfaces of all teeth
- Use the tip of the brush to clean behind the front teeth
- Brush the tongue to remove bacteria and freshen breath
- Rinse the toothbrush and allow it to air dry after each use
It’s important to supervise and assist your child with brushing until they are able to do it effectively on their own, usually around 8 years of age. Make brushing a fun, positive experience by letting your child try brushing their own teeth too (before or after you help brush for them) and by brushing together as a family. There are also plenty of fun apps for devices that can help encourage your little ones to brush twice a day and make brushing time more fun.
Brush Twice a Day and Floss Daily
Gum disease and tooth decay remain big problems – and not just for older people. According to research, 1 in 5 (22%) children aged 5-14 years have gingivitis or early stages of gum disease.
While it’s a little trickier than brushing, it’s important to start introducing kids to flossing as soon as they have two teeth that rub together. Flossing is the only way to clean the hard-to-reach areas between the teeth and slightly below the gum line that a regular toothbrush just can’t reach.
Create a floss day or days to start with, so kids can get used to flossing then gradually increase to everyday. This will help teach them the importance of flossing as part of their oral hygiene routine and help decrease their chance of getting holes between their teeth.
Protecting Your Child’s Teeth During Sports
Sports and recreational activities build healthy bodies, but they can pose a threat to teeth. Most school teams now require children to wear mouth guards. But remember: unsupervised recreational activities like skate-boarding and roller-blading can also result in injuries.
Your dentist can make a custom-fitted mouth guard that is fabricated specifically to fit your little one’s unique smile. Dental-made mouthguards offer superior comfort and protection to boil and bite over the counter mouthguard options. Custom fitted mouthguards are more expensive but if the increased comfort means your child wears it all the time they are at sport, it may prevent a serious injury a less comfortable mouthguard sitting in a sports bag won’t.
Nutrition and Your Child’s Teeth
At every age, a healthy diet is essential to healthy teeth and gums. A well-balanced diet of whole foods – including grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables, and dairy products – will provide all the nutrients you need. Some researchers believe that omega-3 fats, the kind found in fish, may also reduce inflammation, thereby helping to reduce gum disease.
Limit sugary foods, especially sticky lollies and long-lasting lollipops. When bacteria in the mouth break down simple sugars, they produce acids that can erode tooth enamel, opening the door to decay. The longer sugar is in the mouth the higher the risk of decay. Sticky lollies and sweet biscuits can get stuck in the grooves of teeth while lollipops can take a long time to finish, leaving the teeth bathed in sugar for long periods increasing the risk of decay.
Fissure Seals For Kids
At Beaches Dental Mona Vale, we use fissure seals to protect the deep grooves (fissures) in children’s teeth. This is a non-invasive treatment with no drilling needed and is usually done to their back molars.
The base of teeth grooves can be deep and difficult for toothbrushes to reach. So, these fissure seals aim to prevent holes from forming by providing a smoother, easier to clean brushing surface.
At Beaches Dental Mona Vale, We’re Your Partner In Trying To Improve Your Child’s Oral Health
Our experienced team of dentists and Oral Health Therapists are dedicated to helping you keep your child’s teeth and gums healthy at every stage. We offer a full range of services tailored to kids, including:
- Early dental check-ups
- Fun and gentle cleanings and exams
- Preventive treatments like fissure seals and fluoride
- Custom sports mouthguards
- Oral hygiene education
- A kid-friendly and fun office environment
We understand that some children feel anxious about dental visits. Our caring staff excels at putting kids at ease and making the experience as positive as possible. We take the time to build trusting relationships and always go at your child’s pace.
To schedule your child’s first visit or their regular check up and clean at Beaches Dental Mona Vale, call us at (02) 9997 8822 or request an appointment online here.
