The importance of good dental health cannot be overstated. And getting an early start makes all the difference. Inculcating good habits in your children will make the road to dental health much easier for them. Here are a few important dental tips to follow:
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Start brushing your child’s teeth as soon as one tooth erupts i.e from six months. Start teaching your child how to brush his or her teeth at an early age, from the age of two. Brush your own teeth and then guide them how to go about it. Make it a parent-child collaborative activity to encourage interest.
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Don’t allow a bottle fed baby to fall asleep with the milk bottle in his or her mouth. This causes nursing bottle caries and tooth decay.
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Use a children’s formula toothpaste and use only pea-sized amount on their brush. There are many pleasantly flavoured and attractive children’s toothpastes in the market. Pick your child’s favourite cartoon character featured on the toothpaste tube or brush to interest them.
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Brush twice a day – once after breakfast and before going to bed.
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Limit the intake of sweets and sugary foods. All children crave something sweet but choose foods that contain natural sugars rather than refined sugars. Refined sugars are found in ice-cream, biscuits, tetra pack juices, cold drinks etc. These sugars cause rampant tooth decay in children. Encourage your child to eat fruit, dry fruits and nuts instead from an early age.
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Visit your dentist for a routine check-up twice a year.
