Take Your Child’s Oral Health Seriously

By Author: Dr Hema Patel Breedlove
Total Articles: 21
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Has your child had his/her first trip to the dentist yet? When is the right time, the right age? Should my 5-year old floss? Such questions may be plaguing you and that is great because you must take your child’s oral health seriously.

You will be surprised to know that proper child dental care actually begins even before the appearance of the first tooth! A baby’s teeth begin to form in the womb itself. By the time a baby is born it will have 20 primary teeth. You may not be able to see these but they actually exist with some even fully developed inside the jaw.

Young mothers must remember to run a damp cloth over the baby's gums every day so that harmful bacteria can be cleared away. There is always the risk of bottle-mouth to watch out for. If you put a baby to sleep with a feeding bottle because you find it convenient, you may actually be exposing the child to tooth decay. The sugars contained in milk or juice will remain on your child’s teeth for a long time and eat away at enamel.

It is good to inculcate a sense of discipline and schedule in your child’s life from the very stage of infancy. ...
... For example, drinking milk each day by sucking on a bottle the whole time can damage the teeth of your child.

Once the teeth start making their appearance one by one, a parent can use the special toothbrushes available for infants with a little paste until the child reaches the age of 2 years. At this stage you can start encouraging your child to start spitting the little foam out and rinse their mouth. Make this a slow but routine process until the child becomes around 5 year old.

If you observe pitted or discolored teeth on your child take him/her immediately to a dentist. If you ignore these early symptoms of dental problems, they can get aggravated into cavities. A dentist may advice that the front teeth be pulled out until the growth of the permanent ones.

Once the permanent teeth sprout your child can follow the brushing and flossing routine like you. Always take your child to a dentist who has expertise in that area. There are a wide range of issues that you may have to deal with but a good oral care routine for your child will instill a habit that will last a lifetime.

However tired or exhausted you may be at the end of a day, brush your own teeth and ensure your child does the same. Oral health affects overall health, especially the important process of food digestion. Much like your own self, the goals for your child’s oral care should be prevention that can head off potential dental issues even before they dare appear, and the maintenance of oral hygiene.

For the latter remember to schedule routine checkups with a trusted dentist and practice proper daily care routine to keep your child’s teeth and gums healthy. Visit a dental expert regularly and always take your oral health seriously. This way you will enhance greatly the over-all health of yourself and your family. Set an example for your child early in life and let them thank you for the rest of their adult lives!

The author of this article is associated with Smile Plus Dentistry, a renowned name in the field of preventative, cosmetic and restorative dentistry. Under the tutelage of Dr. Hema Patel, this clinic provides teeth restoration and smile designing for creating strong and enduring solutions for patients. You can visit the website of Smile Plus for all details about expert dental care.