5 Things You Might Be Doing Wrong With Your Child’s Dental Care

October 25, 2021

 

5 Things You Might Be Doing Wrong With Your Child’s Dental Care

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As a parent, you will undeniably do your best to ensure your kids have the best start in life. For example, you make sure they eat as many healthy foods as possible and understand the importance of hygiene and cleanliness.

However, some parents unknowingly make some mistakes when it comes to children’s dental care. If you want to make sure you’re not making any routine dental care and hygiene errors, check out the following five top examples below:

1. Not Registering Your Child With a Dentist

You and other members of your household will undoubtedly have a dentist that gets used for all dental concerns and care. But have you registered your kids with the same dentist that you all use?

If the answer’s no, now is the time to get them registered. Most dentists provide dental services for children, but if yours doesn’t, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a provider that can check each child’s teeth periodically.

2. Waiting for All Teeth to Sprout Before Cleaning

If you have very young children, such as babies or toddlers, it can often take a while before the first tooth appears. You’ll have undoubtedly noticed that young infants typically have lots of saliva running through their mouths.

It’s a good idea to gently clean an infant’s gums with a soft, clean cloth. When the first tooth does appear, you can clean it with a thimble or gauze each night before bedtime. Starting from such an early age helps set an important dental hygiene routine for infants.

3. Using the Wrong Toothpaste

You might assume that all kinds of toothpaste are the same or feature the same ingredients. However, toothpaste specifically developed for children contains less fluoride than adult toothpaste as children’s teeth are generally healthier than adults.

Generally, children that are around seven years old or older are fine to use adult toothpaste. Younger kids should have their own children’s toothpaste. If you’re in any doubt about what to use for your kids, it’s worth consulting your dentist for further advice.

4. Letting Kids Snack After Brushing Their Teeth

Kids, as with adults, must brush their teeth before bedtime because they won’t be consuming any food afterward. If you let your children snack on food after they’ve brushed their teeth, the brushing exercise was essentially a waste of time.

That’s because, during the night, saliva doesn’t pass through a child’s mouth, making their teeth and gums an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Such an effect is significantly less likely to occur when the teeth get brushed immediately before sleeping.

5. Not Supervising Kids When They Brush

Last but not least, if you let your young kids brush their teeth without your supervision, you have no idea whether they are brushing their teeth correctly, if at all.

It’s important to keep in mind that kids might sometimes forget what to do due to tiredness, or they might lie about brushing their teeth because they don’t want to do it. Make sure you always supervise your children when they brush.

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