All of us wants what’s best for our children and having a healthy smile is definitely that. Our exceptional dentistry team is here to not only take care of your child’s dental needs but to also help guide you so that your ongoing efforts at home are supported.
We believe in being proactive when it comes to your child’s health, which means spotting problems early on so they can be treated least invasively and least costly.
That is why we recommend that parents bring their child in for their first dental visit to be seen by our caring exceptional dentist, Dr. James Powell between the ages of 1 and 3 years old. Our experienced team is thrilled to provide your child with the care they deserve.
Today we’re going to go over three important ways you can help your young child achieve their healthiest smile as their mouth grows and develops.
#1 Start Early in Establishing Their Oral Hygiene Routine
Did you know you can actively care for your little one’s smile before their teeth even grow into place? Yes, it’s important to care for their gums long before their teeth even grow into the proper place.
It’s pretty simple (and important) to keep their mouths free from unnecessary bacterial buildup that can lead to problems with their oral health.
While they still lack teeth, you can begin by gently cleaning and massaging your child’s gums and gingival tissue using a sterile gauze pad or clean washcloth on a daily basis. This will help remove the plaque in the mouth that is always waiting to attack those erupting teeth. (It also helps if they are teething).
This cleaning is important not only because you want to keep their mouth from having unchecked bacterial buildup but, also because daily oral hygiene care sets the foundation for the rest of their lives. It’s good to get them accustomed to looking after their teeth so they can enjoy a lifetime of healthy smiles!
#2 Help Them Care for Their Chompers Until They Can Do it Themselves
Once your child’s teeth erupt through their gums and into the designated place in their dental arch, you want to make sure you brush their teeth twice a day.
Use a a child-sized, soft-bristled toothbrush and a rice-sized speck of fluoride toothpaste. As they get to have more teeth to clean you can increase the toothpaste amount to the size of a pea. Brush your little one’s pearly whites gently to remove sugary residue and bacteria. Once they have teeth growing right next to each other. that is the time you need to start flossing between them. This daily oral hygiene routine will set the stage for a good oral health habits as they grow!
Once they get a little older they may want to help brush their own teeth, which is definitely something you should encourage, just make sure you go back and do it afterwards.
#3 Be Wary When It Comes to Bottle Feedings
One of the worst things parents can do when their child takes a nap or goes to bed is filling their bottle with sugary drinks. Why? your child can easily suffer from baby bottle tooth decay arising from constant and long-term exposure of sweet drinks on their teeth.
This exposure bathes teeth in sugar as it pools around their teeth and gums. What happens next is that the plaque-causing bacteria in the mouth feeds on the sugary residue and creates acid attacks on their teeth. Before long, tooth decay sets in and leads to cavities.
We strongly recommend only putting milk, breast milk, and baby formula into the bottle. Also, try to make sure your child finishes the bottle before they hit the pillow. The only safe liquid for your baby to sleep with is water, (at least, if you want to keep them from getting baby bottle tooth decay)!
This also means you don’t want to put your child to bed with a pacifier coated in sugar or honey. When they sleep, their saliva production lessens which leaves them more vulnerable to tooth decay.
And finally, if the baby teeth become infected or fall out tooth early because of baby bottle tooth decay, it causes them to have poor eating habits, affects their speech, and are likely to have crooked or damaged permanent teeth later.
If you have concerns about your child’s oral health or have questions, we welcome you to give our Exceptional Dentistry team in Palmdale, California, a call at 661.349.7725 or simply schedule online if you prefer. We are excited to help your little one have the best start to a healthy, beautiful smile!
