The Importance of Early Dental Health

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Sometimes, in our busy daily lives, we can neglect to practice good oral hygiene. Oral hygiene consists of brushing your teeth at least twice a day, flossing, and avoiding too many sweets and sugary drinks. It is also very important to visit your dentist regularly for check-ups and cleanings. Good oral hygiene is important at every age and these routines should be started early.    How do you know which toothbrush would be best for your little one?

The appropriate toothbrush for kids should have an elongated handle that will help the child to comfortably hold it and move it around. You can naturally lend a better grip with groves on the thick handle. Other important characteristics to be taken into consideration while choosing a toothbrush are soft bristles and a round head to avoid hurting the teeth and the cheek. There are many toothbrushes available that have your child’s favorite character on it, which can make using the toothbrush more fun.

It was once thought that children didn’t need to visit the dentist until they were 3 or 4 years old. That is not the case anymore. Your child should start seeing the dentist around age 1. This will allow your child to start to become familiar with the dental chair and having the dentist look in their mouth.  This can be scary for children, so the younger they start to be comfortable in the dental chair, the better.

At-home oral hygiene for your child is vitally important as well.  As soon as your child’s teeth start to break through, you should start brushing their teeth twice daily with non-fluoride toothpaste.  Companies make the toothpaste in many different flavors that your child will enjoy. You should continue to brush your child’s teeth until they reach the age of 7, as their dexterity doesn’t allow them to brush properly until around that age.  Once they are old enough to brush and floss on their own, you should continue to monitor them to ensure they are using good brushing techniques.

A healthy mouth is a healthy body! Below are the steps needed to ensure you and your child have good oral hygiene:

Brushing your teeth twice a day
Brush the back of your tongue while brushing your teeth
Floss before bedtime
Use the appropriate toothbrush (always soft bristles) and change it every 3 months
Drink 1 less bottle of soda per week
Drink milk to increase calcium level
Eat more fruits and vegetables to get vitamins
Limit/avoid sweets and ice cream
Visit your dentist regularly