It’s never too early to educate your children about the importance of proper oral hygiene. Your child’s teeth can be at great risk as soon as they erupt, so developing healthy habits is the best defense against tooth decay, tooth loss and many other tooth problems that can come later in life. Incorporating some type of dental hygiene regimen should start as soon as possible, no matter if you’re still nursing or feeding your little one with a bottle. If you’re using a bottle, make sure you clean it very often (if possible, after every meal). This means that even if your child still doesn’t have teeth, you should wipe their gums with a soft, wet washcloth or with a gauze. You should make sure your child’s teeth erupt in a clean, healthy environment and that way decrease the risk of damaging them even before they are out.
Once the teeth are out, the oral hygiene should start immediately. There are many sets of tools for this daily ritual for the little ones, like toothbrushes for babies, special toothpastes, creams etc. According to pros, kids should have their first visit at the dentist six months after their first tooth appears and after that the parents should rely on dentist services at least once a year when they are between the ages 1 to 5.
Now we all know kids can be really hard to deal with especially when they have to do all those things their parents tell them are really important but don’t seem fun to them, and for many kids, tooth brushing is one of these things. However, this is precisely when all the magic and creativity steps in, so we have all kinds of princess and monkey shaped toothbrushes and cherry-flavored toothpastes that are the perfect bait for kids to start accepting important life habits. If the colorful toothbrushes don’t seem interesting to your kid, you can always make up a story, play them a video or sing them a song to “trick” them into brushing their teeth.
However one of the hardest tasks will be to take your child to the dentist. Choosing a dentist who understands the unique development of children’s teeth and scheduling regular dentist services should be a priority for every parent. Any good dentist will provide you with expert tips on how to properly take care of your child’s teeth, they will tell you what can damage them and how to prevent it.
Parents have a key role in helping their children develop a good oral hygiene routine. They should supervise their children’s tooth-brushing at least until they’re 10 because that’s when the motor and mental functions allow the child to preform a proper tooth-brushing technique on their own. Motivating the children and encouraging them to brush their teeth daily and properly will give positive results very soon and in the future that will mean less painful toothaches and a proper dental hygiene regimen.
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