Taking care of your children’s oral health is key to their long-term general health. Here are some tips for your child’s dental health:
- Clean your baby’s gums by lightly massaging his or her gums with a damp washcloth.
- When teeth appear, lightly brush with a soft child-sized toothbrush with a rice-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste.
- Start using a pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste on your child’s brush when children reach toddler/preschool age. Children should spit out and not swallow excess toothpaste.
- Flossing should begin once teeth grow in next to each other.
- School-aged children should brush at least twice a day for at least two minutes at a time, continue flossing and use a mouth rinse.
- Baby teeth are important. Not only do they help children learn to speak and chew naturally, they hold the place for permanent teeth until they are ready to erupt.
- Children should not fall asleep with a bottle. Juice and other high sugar beverages should be given in a cup, never from a bottle.
- Let children brush under your supervision and assistance until they can brush by themselves—generally around age 7.
- Encourage children to chew sugarless gum and stay away from sticky candy.
- If your child plays sports, make sure he or she always wears a mouth guard.
Help your kids get excited about taking care of their teeth with the activities in Care32 Family Dental Care centre! at www.care32 dental.com