Children’s Oral Health: How to Keep Your Children’s Teeth in Tip-Top Condition
Children’s Oral Health Advice to Prevent Kids Teeth Falling Out
The team at Dental Care Professionals in Adelaide and Brighton are passionate about making sure your child’s dental visit is positive and fun. Most importantly the DCP team want to help establish daily routines for a lifetime of healthy smiles.
DID YOU KNOW? More than 26,000 Australians under the age of 15 are admitted to hospital to treat tooth decay every year. This makes it the highest cause of acute, preventable hospital stays.
With increased tooth decay rates in Australia, it is now more than ever essential to get on top of oral health care for our local families.
The team at Dental Care professionals is here to help you to take preventative action to help minimise decay for you and your kiddies.
There are a number of key things to bear in mind when it comes children’s oral health and keeping your children’s teeth in tip-top condition.
Baby teeth do matter
Unfortunately, when it comes to ‘baby teeth’ there is a commonly held belief that they are not important. Yes, they do eventually fall out to make way for adult teeth but that doesn’t mean cleaning them isn’t significant.
The early loss of a primary tooth can lead on to other complications, such as crowded permanent teeth, later in life which could involve treatment such as orthodontics to correct.
Find out more about the importance of baby teeth for your child and their oral health.
Brush properly and regularly
Ensure the kiddies brush their teeth twice a day using a soft-bristled toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste (choose the toothpaste that is labelled for the age of the child) which they shouldn’t swallow.
Brush for at least two minutes at a time, you can try using an egg timer to make keeping time fun for your child.
Struggling to get your children to brush their teeth? Find out what you can do with our tips – How do I get my kids to brush their teeth?.
Introduce flossing early
Even from as young as four years of age, children’s oral health is improved by flossing once a day will remove plaque and food particles that aren’t able to be removed with brushing alone.
In families where teeth are highly susceptible to decay (or they have problems with plaque build-up under the gum line) or these conditions are hereditary. Starting great dental habits early will help your child reduce their risks and avoid some of the unpleasant cleaning and dental treatments you have had to go through.
Regular dentist visits
Every child is different. That’s why dentists advise that the first appointment be six months after your child’s first baby teeth have come up. This is usually when they are around three years old.
Regular dental appointments help you and your dentist keep on top of any oral health issues that can be prevented easily. Ensuring your child has a positive dental care in their youth.
Your child should visit their dentist regularly and understand that seeing a dentist is an important part of growing up.
Good eating and drinking habits
To help develop strong teeth, your children need a healthy, balanced diet. One that is made up of fresh foods such as vegetables, cheese and lean meats.
Minimising high-sugar foods such as lollies and biscuits while your children are young can help them develop a taste for healthy food choices, too.
Drinking fluoridated tap water in preference to bottled water will add the necessary strengthening your children’s teeth need while they are still growing.
Watch the sugar
Fruit snacks can sometimes be a sneaky source of sugar in your child’s diet. Juices and whole fruit can quickly add up to a lot of sugar in an otherwise healthy diet for your children. Ideally, try to aim for no more than two pieces of fruit per day at the most.
Swap fruit snacks and fruit juice for crunchy vegetables like cucumber, carrot or capsicum. Cheese stick with calcium to help strengthen bones and teeth are also a handy alternative. Nuts can also be another handy replacement for fruit when it comes to school lunchboxes and snacks.
Make it fun and regular
Most importantly, developing good oral health and hygiene habits, started early will help to set up your child for life.
Make it fun, be consistent and make the most of spending the time with them during teeth cleaning time!
The team at DCP looks forward to helping you and your family to properly care for your teeth and to keep you smiling!
We look forward to seeing you soon. Book an appointment today, call 8232 3280.
