Taking care of your child’s oral health is equally important. A good oral care must start even before the teeth appear. Babies and toddlers are at an increased risk of cavities and tooth decay. When it comes to protecting your child’s teeth, a bit of effort goes a long way. As a responsible parent, you should start giving attention to your baby’s oral care at an early stage. Babies with good oral hygiene stay healthier during the teething period. Pediatricians also recommend following a healthy oral care routine at the early stages of development. Without proper care, baby teeth can also host a lot of problems like painful teeth/gums, difficulty in chewing, eating and sleeping and gum disease.

Here are a few ways that can help your child with a beautiful and healthy smile:

Brush for, with and beside them
When your child’s teeth start growing, you will have to start by brushing their teeth for them. The best way to do is by putting your child in a reclined position while brushing their tooth. The most effective way to brush your child’s teeth is to hold the bristles of the toothbrush at the gumline and then sweep it down the tooth in a downward direction.

In the later stages, when the child is able to hold the toothbrush, you must guide them by moving the toothbrush around their mouth with your own hand. This will make them learn the proper technique.

Once your child starts brushing on their own, you can participate with them and do the same activity together. This way they will continue brushing the teeth and also enjoy doing so.

Keep them away from sugar
Making wise decisions with food choices is not easy for children. To help them in making the right choices, you should always offer them a healthy substitute. Limit sugar as much as possible and avoid putting sugary food drinks and juices in their diet.

Teach them the importance of flossing
Flossing prevents gum disease along with the other health complications associated with it. So, it is important to make them realize the importance of flossing.

Get rid of their thumbsucking habit
Many children suck their thumb. However, this habit can result in misaligned teeth and lead to malformation of the palate. Therefore, you need to ensure that thumb sucking does not become a long-lasting habit. To prevent this habit, you can use a pacifier to suck instead of thumb. Pacifier can be removed as the child grows and thumb sucking will not transform into a habit.

Healthy eating choices
Other than keeping your child away from sugary food items, you should also make a note of giving them healthier food options like Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts & Seeds, Meat, Cheese, Coleslaw, Plain yogurt, Eggs, Enriched or Whole-wheat bread.

Going for regular checkups
Detecting and preventing problems in the earlier stages can avoid painful and expensive procedure in the future. Therefore, investing in regular checkups is a crucial investment in your child’s overall health.

Putting oral health tips into practice is a little harder, however, if done in the right ways, it will definitely help your kids achieve a healthier smile in the long run.

If you are looking for a consultation, contact us. Our pediatricians will deeply analyze the root cause and suggest the best possible routine plan for your child’s dental health.

Book Appointment to find out which treatment might be best for you.