Prevention
Caring for your child's teeth from an early age is crucial for effective child dental care and preventing issues such as decay and gum disease. Prevention starts at home, and we’re here to offer you preventive dental tips to assist you every step of the way, including guidance for their first dental visit.
General Prevention Advice
Here are a few simple child dental care steps to keep your child’s smile healthy:
Start brushing as soon as the first tooth appears – use a smear of adult fluoride toothpaste for children under 3, and a pea-sized amount for children aged 3 and over. Brush twice a day for a minimum of 2 minutes, especially before bed. Supervise brushing until your child is at least 7 years old to ensure they have a good technique; in some cases, you may need to supervise until they're older. Encourage your child to spit, not rinse, after brushing to keep fluoride on their teeth. Keep sugary snacks and drinks to a minimum, especially between meals. Make sure to attend regular dental check-ups; during your first dental visit, we’ll guide you on how often your child should be seen as we will usually apply fluoride varnish to strengthen their teeth. Follow these preventive dental tips for optimal oral health!
Tips on avoiding tooth decay and what to avoid
Cavities
When you consume sugar, it immediately begins interacting with the plaque bacteria in your mouth to produce acid. This acid slowly dissolves your enamel, leading to cavities in your teeth, making the acid the real culprit for tooth decay — not the sugar. For effective child dental care, it's important to educate children on the effects of sugar during their first dental visit and share preventive dental tips to help them maintain healthy teeth.
Snacks
Teeth-friendly snacks for child dental care include fresh fruit, vegetables, and savory options like bread, low-fat cheese, crackers, or breadsticks. It's best to avoid sugary foods such as sweets, biscuits, and cakes between meals, especially when preparing for your child's first dental visit. Following these preventive dental tips can help ensure a healthy smile.
Think before you drink
For drinks between meals, consider offering water or milk as part of your child's dental care routine. It's best to avoid fruit juices, including smoothies, squashes, and fizzy drinks. If your child does consume these, limit them to mealtimes. While they may seem like healthy drinks, they aren't good for teeth, which is an important consideration, especially leading up to your child's first dental visit. Incorporating these preventive dental tips can help maintain your child's dental health.
Brush, brush, brush!
Get into the habit of brushing your teeth before breakfast and last thing at night as part of essential child dental care. Use a brush with a small compact head and soft to medium bristles, along with a small pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. For added protection during your child's first dental visit, choose standard fluoride toothpaste with a minimum of 1350ppm (parts per million), unless your dentist advises otherwise. Remember, kinds of toothpaste such as charcoal and natural products may not contain fluoride, which is crucial for protecting your teeth. Following these preventive dental tips will help ensure a healthy smile for your child.