Prevent Early Childhood Cavities
Dental care should begin even before a baby's first tooth appears. Wiping the baby's gums after feedings prevents the build-up of damaging bacteria.
When your child has a few teeth showing, begin brushing them each morning and evening with a soft child's toothbrush.
Do not use toothpaste until your child is able to rinse and spit out the residue, or use an infant/toddler tooth and gum cleanser that is nonabrasive, non-foaming, and fluoride-free.
Avoid overnight feeding. Milk can "pool" in the child's mouth and cause acid to form continuously throughout the night. This acid leads to decay. Also, avoid letting your child walk around with a bottle or sippy cup. Encourage your child to drink from a cup by his or her first birthday.
If your child uses a pacifier, don't dip it in sugar, honey, or sweetened liquid. In addition: Try to have your child give up the pacifier by age 2.
Brushing Basics
Brush your child’s teeth twice daily for two minutes. It's important to establish and maintain a regular routine for brushing the teeth.
Use a small soft-bristled toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.
First, establish an order in which the teeth are brushed, making sure that none are missed. For example: All top teeth inside and out and then all bottom teeth inside and out.
Put the brush horizontally on the teeth and partly on the gum. Move the brush back and forth in a short, gentle motion. Be sure to pay special attention to the inside of the front teeth because they are often missed.
Finally, brush the tongue to remove any laden bacteria, and have the child rinse with water.
Remember to replace the toothbrush every three months.
Flossing
Flossing is as important to good dental health as brushing and rinsing. Flossing helps remove food particles, plaque and decay-causing bacteria from between the teeth and under the gum line, where a toothbrush can't reach.
Until your child is at least seven, you need to be in charge of flossing. Although it may be difficult to get a young child to cooperate (and difficult to maneuver in a small mouth), getting into the habit is as important as getting the job done.
You may not be able to floss between all teeth each night, so try to do at least the top teeth one night and the bottom the next. Do the back teeth first because it is more important to focus on the molars than the front teeth.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
Your body is like a complex machine. The foods you choose as fuel and how often you "fill up" affect your child's general health and that of his/her teeth and gums.
Refrain from giving your child candy and other sugary foods; however, if you choose to give him / her a treat, do so with meals or shortly after mealtime. Saliva production increases during meals and helps cancel out acids produced by bacteria in your mouth and helps rinse away food particles.
Aside from how often you snack, the length of time sugary foods are in your child's mouth plays a role in tooth decay. The longer it takes for a candy to get washed away by saliva, the bigger the risk for tooth decay so avoid hard candies or sticky candies, like taffy and gummy bears.
Soft Drinks Dangers
One of the most common sources of potentially excessive caffeine and sugar in children is cola and sport drinks.
Sodas, sports drinks and flavored waters in general should be routinely avoided in children's diets because of the combination of sugar content, acidity and carbonation. This combination is particularly harmful to teeth and contributes to rapid decay and enamel erosion. A can of soft drink contains 10 teaspoons of sugar and consumption often displaces other good drinks from a healthy diet such as milk and water. Chocolate milk is a much better choice for a child than any soft drink.
Visit your Dentist
Regular visits to your dentist can help prevent problems from occurring and catch those that do occur early, when they might be easier to treat.
Dental care should begin even before a baby's first tooth appears. Wiping the baby's gums after feedings prevents the build-up of damaging bacteria.
When your child has a few teeth showing, begin brushing them each morning and evening with a soft child's toothbrush.
Do not use toothpaste until your child is able to rinse and spit out the residue, or use an infant/toddler tooth and gum cleanser that is nonabrasive, non-foaming, and fluoride-free.
Avoid overnight feeding. Milk can "pool" in the child's mouth and cause acid to form continuously throughout the night. This acid leads to decay. Also, avoid letting your child walk around with a bottle or sippy cup. Encourage your child to drink from a cup by his or her first birthday.
If your child uses a pacifier, don't dip it in sugar, honey, or sweetened liquid. In addition: Try to have your child give up the pacifier by age 2.
Brushing Basics
Brush your child’s teeth twice daily for two minutes. It's important to establish and maintain a regular routine for brushing the teeth.
Use a small soft-bristled toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.
First, establish an order in which the teeth are brushed, making sure that none are missed. For example: All top teeth inside and out and then all bottom teeth inside and out.
Put the brush horizontally on the teeth and partly on the gum. Move the brush back and forth in a short, gentle motion. Be sure to pay special attention to the inside of the front teeth because they are often missed.
Finally, brush the tongue to remove any laden bacteria, and have the child rinse with water.
Remember to replace the toothbrush every three months.
Flossing
Flossing is as important to good dental health as brushing and rinsing. Flossing helps remove food particles, plaque and decay-causing bacteria from between the teeth and under the gum line, where a toothbrush can't reach.
Until your child is at least seven, you need to be in charge of flossing. Although it may be difficult to get a young child to cooperate (and difficult to maneuver in a small mouth), getting into the habit is as important as getting the job done.
You may not be able to floss between all teeth each night, so try to do at least the top teeth one night and the bottom the next. Do the back teeth first because it is more important to focus on the molars than the front teeth.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
Your body is like a complex machine. The foods you choose as fuel and how often you "fill up" affect your child's general health and that of his/her teeth and gums.
Refrain from giving your child candy and other sugary foods; however, if you choose to give him / her a treat, do so with meals or shortly after mealtime. Saliva production increases during meals and helps cancel out acids produced by bacteria in your mouth and helps rinse away food particles.
Aside from how often you snack, the length of time sugary foods are in your child's mouth plays a role in tooth decay. The longer it takes for a candy to get washed away by saliva, the bigger the risk for tooth decay so avoid hard candies or sticky candies, like taffy and gummy bears.
Soft Drinks Dangers
One of the most common sources of potentially excessive caffeine and sugar in children is cola and sport drinks.
Sodas, sports drinks and flavored waters in general should be routinely avoided in children's diets because of the combination of sugar content, acidity and carbonation. This combination is particularly harmful to teeth and contributes to rapid decay and enamel erosion. A can of soft drink contains 10 teaspoons of sugar and consumption often displaces other good drinks from a healthy diet such as milk and water. Chocolate milk is a much better choice for a child than any soft drink.
Visit your Dentist
Regular visits to your dentist can help prevent problems from occurring and catch those that do occur early, when they might be easier to treat.