How To Help Keep Your Children’s Teeth Healthy
We are passionate about helping our patients of all ages prevent tooth decay. Unfortunately, our younger patients often need some assistance cleaning their teeth and learning healthy dental habits. If you are a parent of a young child or you have a young child in your life, you know it can be a struggle to get them to understand the importance of brushing their teeth properly and caring for their oral health to prevent tooth decay from developing. We want to share some tips on how to help your child or young loved one prevent tooth decay. Read on to learn more.
How to Prevent Tooth Decay in Children
Tooth decay is extremely common in children. There are certain precautions and steps you can take to help prevent your child from developing tooth decay:
Create an Oral Hygiene Routine
Parents should be cleaning their babies’ mouths before they even get their first teeth. Rubbing a washcloth gently over their gums will help remove bacteria that is left in their mouths. This will eventually turn into using a small toothbrush once the teeth start coming in. Starting an oral hygiene routine at a young age will set your child up for success. It is not uncommon for young children to have difficulty cleaning their teeth properly. This is when parents provide assistance until their children are comfortable enough to clean their teeth correctly on their own.
Invest In Sealants
Children, just as adults, should be visiting our office for a routine hygiene examination every six months. During these appointments, we may recommend dental sealants for your child as a way to help prevent decay. Sealants are a simple treatment that is brushed on the chewing surface of the rear molars.
Limit Sticky and Sugary Foods
Fruit snacks and chewy candy seem to be popular with most children. Even most vitamins are gummies today. It is important to limit the amount of these treats that children eat, as sticky foods can remain trapped in the grooves on the teeth, increasing the chance of developing decay.
If you, your child, or another family member is due for a hygiene examination, be sure to contact our office located in Kewaskum, WI to schedule an appointment. During the examination, we can check to ensure tooth decay is not present or developing. We look forward to seeing you soon!
