February 2013 | Brian Weber Dental

HX6311_02-MI1-global-001_highres-300x199 February is a month that has been dedicated to children’s dental health. During this month, it is worth it to take a closer look at how to ensure that your children get the best dental care. The dental health of a child is as much the responsibility of you as a parent as it is that of your dentist. It may happen that some parents don’t know when to take their children to their first dental visit or even the small practices that ensure proper oral hygiene. According to research done tooth decay was found to be the leading dental problem among children in preschool. The only prevention of this is to teach and practice good dental hygiene with your children.

Looking at the right age to start to visit the dentist, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry has come up with a recommendation that a child should see a dentist by the time they are one year. However, putting into consideration that some children may teeth earlier or later than others, count up to six months after your child’s first tooth erupts. Below are some of the simple practices that will ensure your baby has healthy gums and teeth.

Cleaning of the gum– Good dental habits are supposed to begin long before even the first tooth can be seen. This can be done by gently cleaning your baby’s gum with warm water and a soft cloth or tooth brush with very soft bristles.
Fluoride– Fluoride has been found to naturally fight cavities. In most cases the required amount of fluoride needed is found in drinking water. However remember to ask the doctor if your water has fluoride and for his advice if it doesn’t.
Schedule visits – According to what your dentist will tell you it is important that you schedule to see the dentist on a regular especially when your child has teeth.

A visit to the dentist may be scary to some children which is understandable. You can however make it more fun by showing them that there is nothing really to fear. This can be done by taking them to your personal dental care visit. Play around with them and be the dentist or give them a chance to be the dentist and let them examine you. Always allow the kids to ask questions just to make them comfortable. This is especially applicable to children over the age of two. For this age and above you also have to follow some tips and exercises that improve their dental health.

Brushing– Brush your children’s teeth yourself and allow them to finish. This way you will be assuring that they are clean. This should be repeated twice every day, after breakfast and just before bed time.
Limitation of juice and sugary products– You don’t have to completely abolish these products but assure that your children don’t consume more than needed.
Floss – Your dentist will mainly give you a go ahead on when to start flossing but mostly, as soon as two teeth touch each other you can begin flossing your children’s teeth.

Tooth decay is known to happen when germs in the mouth (which are ever present) tend to mix with sugary foods and drinks. These germs then make up an acid that breaks down the enamel. This shows how important it is to always brush and keep away from sugary foods. Some or most of these practices also work in maintaining an adult’s dental care.

admin | February 13th, 2013 | | Posted In: General

Tags: children's dental health, dental care, dental cleaning, dental exam

Proper Dental Care for Kids