People like to say that “a healthy smile begins in childhood” and in this case, they are as right as it gets. Good oral hygiene is important for a number of different reasons – a beautiful smile boosts self-confidence, proper tooth development allows for proper verbal skills, and a healthy oral cavity serves as a barrier to all kinds of dangerous infections, diseases and teeth problems.
The foundations for all these important contributors to your children’s wellbeing are laid in their early childhood. Let us then take a look at some of the ways you can take care of their oral hygiene and make their teeth healthy and white as snow.
Encourage healthy nutrition
There are countless things we can do to make our teeth healthy. But it all starts with nutrition. If we are not eating proper food, all of our efforts will be undermined from the get-go. So, do your best to introduce healthy rations to your children‘s nutrition as soon as possible. Some of the foods you should take into consideration are Vitamin C-rich apples and oranges, crisp vegetables, nuts and seeds, and dairy products. All of them improve teeth health one way or another.
Clean the children’s teeth with baking soda
Baking soda is a true DIY powerhouse – it can be used for everything ranging from skin exfoliation to freshening the air. As you can guess, baking soda also makes one incredibly efficient tooth cleanser. So, try expanding your children’s regular oral hygiene routine with occasional baking soda treatments. What you need to do is to mix one teaspoon of baking soda with two teaspoons of water and scrub the kids’ teeth a few times a week. The results and the children’s reaction will help you figure out the exact frequency.
Ask a professional for help
As a parent, you have to be aware that your children’s health is to a great extent beyond your control and expertise. That is why you should consider asking for professional advice from a Dentist in Endicott the kids’ earliest age, even if currently everything seems okay. For instance, if you live in Australia, hiring the services of an experienced orthodontist in Wollongong will help you properly monitor teeth development, take notice of the early signs of irregularities and react much faster than you would on your own.
Let the children choose their brush and paste
Encouraging healthy habits is far easier if the kids are made into willing participants. In terms of oral hygiene, the best way to do that is to allow them to choose their toothbrush and toothpaste. So what if that Spiderman brush is not as versatile as some TV pick recommended by the dentists, or if that Frozen paste doesn’t have all the right ingredients? As long as it’s fit for children and it’s fluoride-based, it’s perfectly fine. The point is to present dental care as something fun and engaging.
Teach the kids to brush their teeth properly
Making your kids fall in love with dental hygiene is only the first step in your effort. If you want the best for their health, you have to teach them to take care of their teeth properly. First, make sure they don’t use too much paste. At the age of 3, they don’t need more than a pea-sized amount. Second, be aware that the choice between up and down and back and forth motions is entirely arbitrary. The point is that each tooth is cleaned thoroughly inside and out, top and bottom. Finally, ask the kids to use a timer to make sure they are not brushing their teeth for less than 2 minutes.
Prevent your children from eating too much sugar
Sugar has always been a big bad in the world of dental care. Still, trying to prevent your children from consuming this carbohydrate would be a wasted effort. What you should try instead is to steer the kids away from sticky sugar foods like caramel and chocolate and encourage them to satisfy their needs with unrefined sugar we can find in fruits. Aside from the positive impact on dental health, this move can also help the kids to develop healthy eating habits and avoid obesity.
Take care of dental safety
Finally, you need to be aware that dental problems can also come off as a result of an injury. Because of that, teach your kids not to run or even walk while they are holding some object in their mouths. Also, try to teach them to take good care of themselves while they are in the bathroom and avoid all slippery surfaces. If they play some sports, make sure they have a proper mouth guard regardless of whether they are engaging in contact with other children or not.
We hope these seven tips will give you some general guidelines you can use to take care of your children’s oral hygiene and, even more importantly, teach them to develop healthy oral habits themselves. That might just be one of the best things you can do for their future wellbeing.
