1. Help Your Child Brush As Soon As He/She Has Teeth
You don’t have to wait for the permanent teeth to come in. Start assisting your child with brushing his/her teeth as soon as the baby teeth come in. The first teeth will appear between six and nine months old, and kids usually have 20 or more teeth by age 3.
There’s no reason to delay – anyone who has teeth needs daily brushing. But if it helps, consider having your child use an electric toothbrush.
2. Work On Daily Flossing As Early As Possible
You don’t need to start your child on flossing quite as early as brushing his/her teeth, but this too should be done rather early. As soon as a child’s teeth are close enough to touch or to trap food particles between them, flossing becomes beneficial.
Using floss sticks at this young age may be easier, and will allow younger kids to get started flossing their own teeth sooner. Since your teen has most, if not all, of their permanent teeth it becomes even more important that they floss daily.
3. Monitor Your Child’s Regular Diet
Dental hygiene isn’t all about brushing and flossing. It starts with the foundation of a healthy diet.
Ensure high-sugar foods are consumed only in moderation, and especially be keen to limit soda intake. Provide plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables since vitamins and minerals are essential to healthy gums.
4. Be Sure Your Kid Gets Enough Fluoride
Find out if fluoride is added to your local water supply, and make sure your child uses a toothpaste that contains fluoride.
Despite all the controversy, the fact is that fluoride has been shown to strengthen tooth enamel and prevent cavities. And kids need every barrier against cavities that they can get!
5. Consider Using Dental Sealants
Once your child reaches six or seven years old, you might want to consider having dental sealants applied to the tops of his/her far-back molars.
These coatings aren’t absolutely necessary and they don’t mean you don’t have to brush those teeth – but they do help reduce the risk of cavities in the most cavity-prone teeth in your kids’ mouth.
6. Schedule Regular Family Checkups
Once your child has teeth, they should start seeing the dentist. Annual checkups and biannual cleanings are the best way to make sure their teeth stay free of plaque and any cavities get addressed before
With these steps you can help keep your child’s oral health on track. Prevention is your best bet for helping your kids avoid dental problems later on. We all know that accidents happen, so if your best efforts are thwarted by a lazy teen or clumsy kid, contact Ormond Beach Periodontics today!