Healthy teeth are vital to your child’s overall health. They help your child eat and speak. They even affect the way your child’s jaws and muscles develop, and maintain space for proper eruption of permanent teeth. It’s important to take care of baby teeth and keep them decay-free.
Most parents have a difficult time assessing how much dental care their children require. They know they want to avoid cavities, but the best way to do so is not always understood. Here are some instructions and tips to take care of your child’s teeth.
1. Caring for your baby’s gums:
Good dental care starts before the first tooth emerges. The procedure won’t require a toothbrush and toothpaste. Instead, get a soft, moist washcloth or a piece of gauze and gently clean your baby’s gums at least twice a day. Wipe your baby’s gums particularly after feeding and before bedtime.
2. Brushing your baby’s teeth:
You should graduate to a toothbrush as soon as the first baby teeth begin to show up. Choose one with soft bristles and a small head. Start gently brushing your child’s teeth twice a day. Continue this routine until you’re confident that your child will be able to brush on their own.
3. Correct amount of toothpaste:
For children younger than 3 years of age, you can begin brushing children’s teeth using fluoride toothpaste in an amount no more than a smear or the size of a grain of rice. Use a pea-sized quantity of fluoride toothpaste for children between 3 to 6 years of age. Continuously supervise your children’s brushing and advise them not to swallow the toothpaste.
4. Your child needs to floss too:
You may use child-friendly plastic flossing devices to clean in between your child’s teeth before your child learns to do it on their own. It’s recommended to floss first and then brush.
5. Schedule your child’s first dental visit as soon as the first teeth erupt:
Your child can get cavities as soon as their first teeth erupt. Hence their first dental visit should be scheduled as soon as their first teeth emerge and not later than their first birthday.
Some days will definitely be easier than others when it comes to caring for your child’s baby teeth. But taking the right steps now will help preserve the dental health of your children for years to come, and that’s a worthwhile assignment.
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