Child Dental Health

Good dental health begins at an early age. Even before babies have teeth, it is important to clean their gums and mouth with a soft cloth. As teeth come in, childhood is the time to implement good habits of child dental health. These will translate into healthy lifelong dental health habits to prevent tooth decay and other oral health diseases.

When children are small, parents need to do the brushing. Use a pea sized amount of fluoride toothpaste and teach children to brush every surface of the tooth. Though some toothpaste usually does end up being swallowed, try to get children to spit it out. Just like adults, children should brush their teeth (or have them brushed) morning and evening. This establishes the habit of twice daily brushing. As children get older, pass some of this responsibility on to them, but parents should check their brushing habits now and then to make sure they are doing a thorough job. Many parents also have the dentist put sealants on their children’s teeth, especially molars. These protect teeth from decay. Flossing is important, too, and this can be done by parents until children are efficient at flossing themselves.

By instilling good dental health habits at an early age, children will continue to take care of their teeth as they reach adulthood. Healthy teeth have a big impact on over all health and well being, and everyone should have a smile they are proud to show!