Part of becoming a new parent is taking responsibility for your child's health and well-being as they grow and change throughout their childhood. Since good dental health must be an important part of this process, new parents will want to begin teaching their child how to care for their teeth as early as possible in their lives, and this guide can help.
Establish consistent habits early
Babies are never too young to begin teaching them the good habits that will help them enjoy good dental health for a lifetime. During the first few months of life, even before any of the baby's teeth come in, parents can begin using a gauze-wrapped finger tip to gently wipe away milk residue from the gums. Doing this helps ingrain the ritual of daily dental care into the child's life and will make it much easier for them to learn to brush and floss regularly as they grow.
Avoid feeding habits that can cause tooth decay
Poor dietary habits and feeding regimens can have a negative effect on the dental health of your child. New parents will want to avoid making this type of mistake, including:
Children who are reared with limited exposure to sweetened foods and drinks are more likely to enjoy eating healthier foods, such as vegetables, meat, whole grains, and fruit.
Use a favorite song to teach brushing and flossing skills
Once your child becomes a toddler, they are old enough to begin learning simple tooth brushing and flossing skills. Since it is difficult for children of this age to determine how long they should continue to brush, it can be very helpful to use one of your child's favorite songs as a timer. To do this, record a song that is two to three minutes in length and play it each morning and evening while your child performs their oral health routine. After a few sessions, the child will quickly learn to continue brushing or flossing until the music stops.
Work with an excellent dental health provider
One of the most important components of any good dental health plan for children is forming the beneficial habit of regular dental checkups with a caring dentist. By starting early and continuing this practice throughout their kids' childhood, parents will be taking an important step toward helping their children enjoy optimal dental health as they grow.
For more information and tips, work with a local dentist like Dr. Peggy Alvarez-Penabad.
Share26 June 2018
When the bottled water craze began, I jumped on the bandwagon with everyone else who was drinking water from bottles instead of from the tap. I wasn't sure why bottled water was healthier, but I liked the taste. When I went for my next dental check-up, I had my first cavity in a while, so I had it filled and didn't think much of it. Well, I had two more during my next check-up after that, and I began trying to think of why my teeth were suddenly going bad. The only change in my habits was the switch to bottled water, so I made the switch back to tap water and my teeth began to improve. I created this blog to encourage others who have begun getting cavities suddenly to look into their changes in habits. They may find they made a change similar to mine.