Early Dental Visits Encouraged
Babies require the same kind of dental health care that the average person gets. Giving care early would help you make sure your child’s first teeth would grow the right way. The primary teeth are necessary for permanent teeth to have space, which makes early intervention important. If a baby tooth is lost too early, the other teeth may shift towards the empty space and new teeth can come in crooked.
During teething, a child would have sore gums, and one way to alleviate the pain is by rubbing the gums with a clean finger or a small spoon. The pediatrician or dentist would be the one you can turn to if the child continues to show discomfort. A washcloth or gauze pad should be used to wipe a baby’s gums during the first few days of his life.
It is advisable to begin tooth brushing when a child’s tooth first comes out and to use only a small amount of toothpaste. You should also use a toothbrush specially designed for young children. The toothbrush’s bristles should be designed for gentle brushing and the toothbrush itself should be tiny enough to fit baby sized mouths.
Baby bottle tooth decay is developed by infants who have had something sweet to drink before going to sleep. The teeth would develop cavities and baby teeth loss could occur. The devastating result if no proper treatment is given would be permanent teeth that look very crooked. You can stop baby bottle tooth decay from developing if you give a child a pacifier or a bottle of water to suck on while he sleeps.
A child’s early dental visits could make the difference in keeping small problems from becoming big ones. While at the dentist, the baby’s teeth may be examined for cavities and other dental problems that may have occurred from thumb sucking. While the dentist checks on the baby’s teeth, he or she will also give you tips on oral hygiene and proper diet for your child.
The best time to teach your child why dental care is important is when they are still young. Set a good example for them to follow first. Good dental habits which you decide to practice for yourself will most likely be adopted by your child as well.
At the age of two to three, children should already learn how to brush their teeth. When the kids are around five years of age, there should just be minimum supervision as the kids already start brushing by themselves. Because flossing is a bit more difficult, it may take some time and practice before children can do it by themselves. The teeth of children should be flossed by their parents first when they are around two or three years of age. By the age of eight, the child will just be needing some supervision as he flosses by himself.
A mineral that strengthens tooth decay, fluoride also protects teeth from decay. While it is important for everyone to get enough flouride, it is particularly important for young children. The developing enamel takes in fluoride as the new teeth are being formed, and the teeth become stronger because of this.
Fluoride is available for children internally or topically. Fluoride is taken internally through the drinking of water and the eating of foods which would contain fluoride. You can ask the dentist to apply topical fluoride on your child’s teeth or you can do it yourself so that he can get added anti cavity protection.