Caring for children’s teeth
Did you know that it’s critical to keep your children’s first teeth – even baby teeth healthy? Baby teeth serve as placeholders for the larger adult teeth.
Protecting your child’s teeth will keep them free of cavities (which we don’t want; we want them to be sparkling).
When your baby is teething, he or she may cry more frequently and appear crankier. This is because new teeth can create uncomfortable and tender gums. These common teething symptoms can be soothed by rubbing them with a clean finger, a damp flannel, or a cool teething toy.
You may help your child prepare for their first dentist visit by explaining what will happen and assuring them that it will be a nice experience. Try reading books about dentists or watching kid-friendly videos about them. Encourage them to expand their mouth wide for the dentist. Your dentist will most likely have you sit in the dentist’s chair while holding your child in your lap on your first visit. A dentist will examine your child’s teeth and jaw development, look for decay, and clean their teeth.
What causes Tooth decay –?
- A diet high in sugars and starches.
- Water supply that has limited or no fluoride in it.
- Poor oral hygiene.
- Less saliva flow than normal.
This causes….
- Your child to be in pain.
- Makes it difficult for your children to eat and drink.
- Makes them distracted at school.
- Will create underlining issues with their adult teeth.
Simple precautions can help you avoid tooth decay-
Around 6 months old, most infants will begin to erupt their first tooth. To ensure that your child’s cheeky grin stays healthy, start these good behaviours immediately!
- Before they erupt with teeth, gently wipe your baby’s gums twice daily with a clean cloth.
- As soon as your child’s first set of teeth appear, begin brushing them twice daily.
- Fluoride can help you protect your child’s teeth.
- Give your kid nutritious, low-sugar foods and Drinks.
- Visit the dentist regularly with your kids.
What signs of child tooth decay are there?
The most typical manner that teeth get cavities and decay is as follows. But each child can be a little different.
- White patches.
- Tooth sensitivity
- Pale brown stains, as the cavity deepens. It changes to a darker shade of brown.
- Child isn’t eating properly.
Children Aged 0-3
- As soon as your baby’s first milk tooth appears (often around 6 months, but it can happen sooner or later), begin cleaning their teeth.
- Brushing teeth should be done by parents or carers.
- Use fluoride toothpaste to brush your teeth twice a day for around two minutes.
- Before going to bed at night and once more in the morning, brush your teeth.
- Use children’s fluoride toothpaste with a fluoride content of at least 1,000 ppm (check the label) unless a dentist recommends family toothpaste with a fluoride content of between 1,350 ppm and 1,500 ppm.
- Use just a tiny bit of toothpaste.
- Make sure kids don’t consume or lick toothpaste straight out of the tube.
Children aged 3-6
- Brush last thing at night before bed and at least on 1 other occasion.
- Parents or carers should brush the teeth.
- Use children’s fluoride toothpaste containing no less than 1,000ppm of fluoride (check label) unless a dentist advises family toothpaste containing between 1,350ppm and 1,500ppm fluoride.
- Use only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.
- Spit out after brushing and don’t rinse – if you rinse, the fluoride won’t work as well.
Children aged 7-12
- Use fluoride toothpaste to brush for around two minutes at least twice each day, before going to bed at night and in the morning brush your teeth.
- Use fluoride toothpaste with a fluoride content of between 1,350 and 1,500 ppm (check the label).
- After brushing, spit out the toothpaste and avoid rinsing; doing so will make the fluoride less effective.
- Children who are 7 years old and older should be able to brush their own teeth, but it’s still a good idea to supervise them to ensure they do so correctly and for two minutes at a time.
- Start introducing interdental cleaning ( Floss, TePe)