Kids and Their Teeth
Parents Can Make the Difference
Parents supporting the concept of good oral health
can positively influence the course of their children's lives from
the time that they are infants through adulthood. Good habits are
hard to break. Even infants can be taught to enjoy the fresh feeling
of a clean mouth.
Brushing and Flossing for Kids
Brushing and flossing are the two single most important
home-care activities and are a front-line defense against tooth
decay and periodontal disease for adults and children. The mouths
of infants can accumulate dental plaque just like adults. Cleaning
of gums can begin even before a child's first teeth erupt. All that
needs to be done is to gently wipe the baby's gums and any teeth
with a clean gauze pad or clean cloth over the adult's finger. If
you start early enough, infants will become accustomed to receiving
dental care/maintenance, and they will be much more positive about
brushing in the future.
As soon as a child has their first primary tooth (usually
at 5-7 months old), the cleaning can be accomplished with a child's
soft toothbrush and child's mild toothpaste. When more teeth have
erupted, fluoride is often recommended, usually when the child is
six years old. Check with your child's dentist to get his or her
specific recommendation.
When choosing a child's toothbrush, pick one that has a nylon bristled
brush. Natural bristles retain moisture and trap bacteria that would
be reintroduced each time the child brushes. The nylon bristles
help the toothbrush to dry out between brushings. Bristles should
be soft to avoid injuring gum tissue.
Toothpaste
We recommend Oxyfresh"Oxykids Bubble Gum Flavored Toothpaste".
It has the optimal level of fluoride and is both safe and effective.
Most infants and young children need to use only a very small amount,
about the size of a pea, as any more paste used will just become
swallowed potentially causing stomach upset. Do not choose whitening
toothpaste and tartar reducing varieties for children. Fluoride
content also must be monitored. Check with your child's dentist
to find out what is recommended.
Flossing
For removing the accumulated plaque between teeth, flossing is
the way to go. The floss is able to reach the areas between teeth
that the toothbrush cannot. Children need help with flossing until
they are about 9 years old and have developed the manual dexterity
to manipulate the floss. A parent should take a lead role and floss
the child's teeth once most of the 20 primary teeth appear or 3
years of age.
Set a Good Example
When your children are young, make sure that they can watch you
when you are brushing and flossing. Setting a good example will
begin the process of having them recognize the actions of good home
care. Make sure they have plenty of opportunities to watch you.
Let them ask questions. Let them "help" you brush your
teeth. After they have had a turn, and they have seen what to expect,
they will be much more inclined to let you "have a turn"
with brushing their teeth.
When brushing your child's teeth, or your own, for that matter,
brush up and down as the teeth grow: upper teeth should be brushed
down, and lower teeth should be brushed up, biting surfaces are
brushed in a horizontal manner. Then the mouth is rinsed with clean
water. Kids love to empty their mouths in the sink, and they will
have fun being "big enough" to participate like mom and
dad.
Routine is important. Brushing after breakfast is a good time because
it helps to remove any food particles and debris that would otherwise
be bathing the teeth in tooth decay creating acids all day long.
Brushing just before bedtime is also important.
A Note to Parents
Most children take to practicing good oral hygiene very well with
positive attitudes. When your child is tired and crabby, however,
that will not be the best time to begin new tooth care habits, brushing
or flossing. Be creative. Play music, sing songs, keep tooth brushing
time fun and light. Don't wait until everyone is overtired to tackle
what can turn into a negative power struggle. Avoid using force
or threats. (Especially, don't paint a scary picture of the dentist
as the "guy who will take out all your teeth" as a way
to get your kid to brush. Comments like that get remembered, and
the next dental visit can be a nightmare...for everyone.) Patience,
creativity, positive reinforcement, persistence and reassurance
will help your child reach their goal of good oral hygiene.
Your Child's First Dental Visit
Most dentists start seeing children near their third birthday.
Your child's first visit, and all follow-up visits to the dentist,
should be as normal and as much fun as going to the grocery store
or to get a hair cut. The key to a successful appointment is making
the whole dental experience as enjoyable, uneventful and as routine
as possible. These recommendations are very helpful:
A visit to the dentist shouldn't be treated as anything unusual
or out of the ordinary. It shouldn't be any different than a trip
to the library. In fact, it is recommend that you "sandwich-in"
the visit to the dentist along with the day's errands. What you
can say is, "After breakfast we are going to drop your books
off at the library, go see the dentist to get your teeth cleaned
and counted, and then we are going to go to the grocery store to
buy food for dinner."
- Make you child's appointment early in the day. When kids are
tired, they don't always want to experience new adventures, especially
at the end of a busy day.
- Don't say things like "The dentist won't hurt you."
Most often all the child will hear is the word HURT and is adds
to the uncertainty of a new situation.
- In addition, try to keep older siblings from teasing the younger
child about the new experience. Often it is a good idea to have
a younger child watch a cooperative older brother or sister get
their teeth cleaned and checked and counted. If you want, a child
could visit and watch when a parent comes in for a continuing
care appointment. Who knows, the younger child may even want to
have a "ride" in the chair and see the prizes that dentists
award to cooperative, helpful patients. Wouldn't it be great to
hear your child ask, "When will it be my turn?"
- A couple of weeks before the visit read one of the excellent
children's books about visits to the dentist with your child.
Your local library has many books available, and the librarian
will be happy to help you select stories that will be right for
your child. These stories will be able to give a positive introduction
to your child's visit.
- Play dentist. Take turns counting your child's teeth and let
them count yours. Encourage brushing, and help your child each
night.
- Please don't promise extraordinary bribes for going to the dentist's
office or for being really good. Kids see right through the act
and get the feeling that something is happening that will cause
anxiety. Dentists and their staffs expect that most children will
want to be cooperative, and they are used to working with children.
- Please keep in mind that there have been many positive changes
in dentistry over the past 25 to 30 years. Children today are
usually not afraid. Where patients once grew to expect dental
fear and discomfort, dentistry is now able to provide gentle dental
care that helps patients keep their teeth a lifetime.
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