During the month of February, the American Dental Association celebrates National Childrenâs Dental Health Month. This month-long national health observance reinforces the importance of oral health in children as well as helping parents with tips to keep their childâs smile on track!
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Tips for Maintaining Your Childâs Oral Health
Our doctors take pride in serving patients in such vital years of early childhood. As pediatric dentists, theyâve had additional training beyond dental school to work specifically with babies and children in monitoring early oral development. We recommend the following oral health tips to start your little ones on their journey to a lifetime of healthy smiles.
Schedule routine check-ups. If itâs been more than six months since your child has seen a dentist, schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
Clean your babyâs gums daily. Until those teeth come in gently wipe a damp washcloth over the gums to clear away harmful bacteria after each feeding.
Start brushing with the first tooth. Begin brushing your babyâs teeth when you see one coming in with an infant toothbrush. Use water and a tiny bit of fluoride toothpaste (about the size of a grain of rice).
Brush twice each day for two minutes. Children ages 2-6 should use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Always supervise kids younger than six years old while brushing, as they are more likely to swallow toothpaste.
Begin flossing. Once your childâs teeth touch, you can start flossing in between them.
Snack healthy! Fruit juice, sports drinks, fruit snacks, and sticky candies all pose serious threats to your childâs teeth. Give kids calcium-rich snacks like cheese or low-sugar yogurt. If you have to resort to candy â a chocolate bar is preferable to gummy or sticky sweets that can get lodged in between the teeth, even after brushing.
Keep them hydrated! Avoid sugary drinks and stick to good old-fashioned water. Water helps to rinse away any sugar or particles that can lead to cavities. Many municipal water sources also contain fluoride, which is recommended by the American Dental Association and U.S. Surgeons General, among others, as an efficient way to prevent tooth decay. In fact, the theme of this yearâs National Childrenâs Dental Health Month is celebrating 75 years of water fluoridation.
Replace your childâs toothbrush every three to four months.
A PARENTâS GUIDE TO TEACHING CHILDREN HOW TO BRUSH THEIR TEETH
1. MAKE DENTAL HYGIENE FUN
One of the easiest and best ways for children to learn a new skill or task is through play. With that, there are some steps you can take to make the process of caring for their teeth an enjoyable activity.
Let them pick out their toothbrush â a favorite character or color
Let them pick a toothpaste with their favorite flavor
Read books about dental hygiene
Watch videos that teach kids how to brush their teeth
Set a timer or play their favorite song as they brush for two minutes
Find healthy rewards to encourage good oral care
Plan a fun activity after their visit to the dentist
2. TEETH-BRUSHING STEPS
While you know itâs important for your child to brush their teeth regularly, you may be a bit stumped as to how you should teach them this vital skill. At Smile Designers, we want to make this process as easy as possible for both you and your child, so be sure to follow these steps:
Hold the toothbrush against the gum line â bottom of the teeth
Be sure to brush each tooth
Start at the base of each tooth and brush up to the chewing surface
Brush the tops of each tooth using short, sweeping motions
Brush the tongue from back to front
Ideally, youâll start by brushing your childâs teeth and telling them what youâre doing as you go through each of the steps. Once theyâre able to hold the toothbrush on their own, you can repeat the steps and watch them try to do this on their own. With very young children, itâs always a good idea to brush their teeth once more after theyâve done it themselves. Remember, they are still learning, and wonât be able to do as thorough of a job as you can.
3. MAKE FLOSSING PART OF THE ROUTINE
You can either use traditional string floss or a childâs size flosser. If youâre using traditional floss, show your child how to twirl the floss around each finger to control it and then gently slip it around the side of each tooth along the top and bottom of their mouth. Show them how to use a new piece of floss for each tooth so they donât reinsert plaque or food to another part of their mouth.
What Your Child Eats can Affect Their Dental Health
The phrase, âYou are what you eat,â rings all too true, although in this case, itâs your childâs teeth that will fall prey to the wrong types of food. Too many sugar-filled sodas, sweetened fruit drinks, non-nutritious snacks, other sugary foods (cake, cookies, chocolates and candies), and starches (pretzels and potato chips) can cause tooth decay. Not only do these foods have little nutritional value but over time, they can also take a toll on teeth.
To help control the amount of sugar your child consumes, read food labels and choose those that are low in added sugars. If their diets lack certain nutrients, it can be more difficult for tissues to resist infection and contribute to periodontal disease. Poor nutrition is not a direct cause of periodontal disease but the disease can be more severe in people with nutrient-poor diets.
The best thing you can do, as a parent, is to teach your child to make healthy food choices. Here are some oral-friendly foods to serve your children along with some other dental tips:
Offer fruits and vegetables as a snack instead of carbohydrates or starchy food. Include good sources of calcium like broccoli, milk, and yogurt in your childâs diet to build strong teeth.
Serve cheese with lunch or as a snack to trigger saliva and wash food particles away from teeth.
Avoid sticky, chewy foods that make it difficult for saliva to wash the sugar away, or have your child brush their teeth immediately after eating them.
If you plan to give your child any sugary treats, do it immediately after the meal. There is usually an increased amount of saliva in the mouth around mealtime which is easier to wash food away from the teeth.
Limit your childrenâs habit of eating snacks as frequent snacking provides constant fuel to feed bacteria, which leads to plaque development and tooth decay.
Avoid eating sugary foods like lollipops, hard candies, cough drops, and mints which can contribute to tooth decay as they continuously coat the teeth with sugar.
During mealtimes, offer your child plain water instead of juice or soda. Water does not harm the teeth and aids in washing away any food particles that may be clinging to teeth.
Loose Teeth
Losing teeth is a normal part of childhood. For kids, itâs an exciting time. Itâs a rite of passage on their way to adulthood, and many parents keep the legend of the Tooth Fairy alive by exchanging money for teeth.
Most children start losing their baby teeth around age six and they continue to lose teeth until theyâre about twelve.
Sometimes, a loose tooth can be particularly stubborn. Itâs loosened in its socket, as osteoclast cells have destroyed the tissue of the root to make way for a new permanent tooth.
But there are times when the tooth just doesnât want to fall out completely. Parents arenât always sure whether they should try to extract it or just wait for nature to take its course. Here are some tips to follow when you are struggling with your childâs stubborn loose tooth.
1. Why is it loose?
The tooth is likely loose because bone cells are naturally breaking apart the root to make way for the new permanent tooth underneath it. Teeth can become loose for other reasons. Maybe they fell on their face playing and it loosened from the impact. This can lead to an infection, or to damage to the permanent tooth. If you suspect that your childâs tooth was knocked loose by an accident rather than loosening naturally, you should make an appointment with their dentist.
2. Donât try to force it
Loose teeth can take a while to fall out completely. When it falls out naturally, there is little to no pain and very little blood. Trying to rip out a loose tooth can cause unnecessary pain by tugging at the sensitive roots. If a loose tooth seems too early, just leave it alone. Children lose their teeth at different rates. Eventually, your child will be able to gently wiggle the tooth until it comes out on its own.3. Blood is normal
A little blood and pain is normal even when the tooth falls out naturally. Have your child rinse their mouth out with clean water. Teeth that are knocked out prematurely, or that are wiggled out forcefully, may bleed a little more than teeth that fall out by themselves.
4. Brush and floss daily
Brushing and flossing can feel kind of funny after youâve lost a tooth, but theyâre still very important for your childâs health. By the time your child is old enough to start losing their baby teeth, theyâre old enough to brush all by themselves. Itâs still a good idea to supervise them as they brush, to make sure theyâre brushing thoroughly for at least a minute or two.
5. Use a cold compress
Loose teeth and empty sockets can sometimes feel sore. A cold compress, like an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetable, can help numb the area. You can also use an appropriate dose of an over-the-counter medication like Childrenâs Tylenol to help ease the discomfort.
6. Make sure the Tooth Fairy is free tonight
Many children excitedly put their teeth under their pillow, exchanging it for a small amount of money. Make sure the tooth fairy knows to stop by!
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