Prevention
Looking after your child’s teeth from an early age is key to preventing dental problems like decay and gum disease. Prevention starts at home, and we’re here to help guide you every step of the way.
General Prevention Advice
Here are a few simple 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, you may need to supervise until they're a lot older in some cases.
- 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.
- Attend regular dental check-ups – we’ll guide you on how often your child should be seen as we will usually apply fluoride varnish to strengthen their teeth.
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. The acid then dissolves your enamel slowly, creating the cavities in your teeth, making the acid the culprit for tooth decay — not the sugar.
Snacks
Teeth-friendly snacks are things like fresh fruit, vegetables and savoury foods, such as bread, low fat cheese, crackers or breadsticks. Try to avoid sugary foods such as sweets, biscuits and cakes between meals.
Think before you drink
For drinks between meals try water or milk. Avoid fruit juice including smoothies, squashes and fizzy drinks, if you are consuming these, try to only have these at mealtimes - these are seen as a healthy drink but not good for your teeth.
Brush, brush, brush!
Get into the habit of brushing after breakfast and last thing at night. Use a brush with a small compact head and soft to medium bristles with a small pea-sized amount of toothpaste. For added protection, use standard fluoride toothpaste with a minimum of 1350ppm (parts per million) unless otherwise advised by your dentist. Remember, kinds of toothpaste such as charcoal and natural products may not contain fluoride which helps protect your teeth.