How To Inculcate Good Oral Care Habits In Your Child?

By Author: Claudia Lamington
Total Articles: 205
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Kids tend to love sweets, chocolates, cold drinks, ice creams, pastries, burgers, and fried items - in short, all types of fast food. As a result, you need to be very careful about what you child eats. Too much of anything is never good. If they are into too much chocolates and burgers, the quality of their teeth is going to get affected. Cavities and gum infections are quite common during this time. Most kids don’t say about the toothache when it happens. They tend to wait it out and they express about the pain only when they are unable to bear it. It is essential that you inculcate good oral care habits in your kids. We have listed some of the important ones below:
 

No matter what your kid’s age is, you should make sure that they brush their teeth twice a day. Once in the morning after they get up and the second time after dinner before they hit the bed.
Keep a watch over what your child eats throughout the day. Monitor what they eat.
Restrict their intake of chocolates and pastries. It should be once a week affair and not more.
Make your child eat vegetables and fruits on a ...
... daily basis.
You should take your child to a childrens dentist Chermside once every three months for a dental checkup.

 
Pediatric dentists are quite popular. They deal with all types of dental problems related to your kids. From poor quality of the teeth, to bleeding gums and slow eruption of teeth, the dentist has expertise on all these areas and more. Don’t overlook your child’s dental problems and don’t assume that it will get okay with the passage of time. This does not happen and you need to be proactive in these matters.
 
How to Select the Right Toothbrush for Your Child?
Since brushing the teeth is the most important dental activity for your kid, you need to be careful about the brush they use. When it comes to selecting the right toothbrush, you can easily get overwhelmed. The market is full of different types of toothbrushes for kids. Should it be a soft brush or the one with a bid head? How about the handle - chunky or small, with or without grip?
 
To make things easier for you, let us highlight some important points here. When it comes to selecting the right toothbrush for your kid, you should consider their age and abilities. Their hand to mouth coordination matters here. The head of the toothbrush should fit inside their mouth in a comfortable fashion. And the handle should be just the right size so that your child can hold it properly. Irrespective of your child’s age, make sure that the bristles of the toothbrush are soft. This will ensure that your child can brush his or her teeth comfortably without being harsh to the gums.
 
Selecting Toothbrushes as per the Age - Know the Tricks!
Here, we have explained the factors to consider when you choose a toothbrush as per your kid’s age. Pay attention to these if you don’t want to go wrong.
 

Babies - Your child’s first tooth is yet to come through but that does not mean that you will not clean the gum. Take a damp cloth to clean the gums twice a day. This will keep the mouth clean and will prevent bacteria from growing. At the same time, when you clean the gums twice a day, you child gets accustomed to the habit of cleaning the gums twice daily. When the first tooth comes and you introduce him to brushing and brush his teeth twice daily, your child will not feel out of place or will not throw any kind of tantrum.

Toddlers (2-4) - Although your child is not proficient enough to clean his teeth twice and you need to assist him yet you should encourage him to brush his teeth on his own. This will build a sense of responsibility and he will look forward to the activity. As far as selecting the toothbrush is concerned, opt for a small brush with a wide head and soft bristles. And since your child lacks dexterity, you can brush his teeth again once he is done.

Young Children (5-8) - By now your child is quite accustomed to the habit of brushing his teeth twice daily. You should encourage him to carry on with this by providing him with a bigger toothbrush that has a larger head and a slimmer handle so that he can grip the brush properly.

Pre-Adolescence (8+) - Your child is now quite comfortable in brushing his own teeth. Although he can use a toothbrush and opt for manual brushing, you can however introduce your child to an electric toothbrush for better reach and results. Your child is confident to handle such a toothbrush at this age.

 
Summing it Up:
If your child complains of a toothache or any other dental problem, you should immediately visit a childrens dentist Chermside and get your child checked by him. Good oral care is a must at every age and should not be ignored at any cost.
 
About the Author: This contribution has been made by Claudia Lamington who has written a number of articles on Childrens Dentist Chermside and provides fruitful information.