How To Care for Your Child's Oral Health

Your children depend on you to provide the means and guidance to care for their smiles. They need you to set the right precedent they can follow throughout their lives. Just because children's baby teeth would eventually fall off and adult teeth would pop in doesn't mean they don't need adequate attention. It's quite the opposite. Inadequate oral care can lead to severe health problems in children, and it's more common in America than we may like. 

According to the CDC, 

• Over 50% of children aged between 6 and 8 have had a cavity in at least one of their baby teeth. 
• Over 50% of adolescents aged between 12 and 19 have had a cavity in at least one of their permanent teeth. 

Proper oral care can reduce these numbers substantially, and Smile Select Dental is here to help you avoid oral problems in your young ones. 

Seeing the Dentist 

The biggest mistake you can make for a child's oral care is delaying his first dentist visit. You don't have to until he's a toddler. The first appointment can be scheduled as early as six months. Waiting beyond a year is never ideal. If you keep postponing the visit, you might trigger one or more oral health symptoms. Getting an initial oral health evaluation of your baby helps prevent oral problems later.  

Brushing and Flossing 

Brushing and flossing is a no-brainer for optimal oral health in children and adults. However, for brushing and flossing in children, adults are the ones carrying the burden. 

• Brushing has to start from infancy, even when you can't use a brush and they have no teeth. Rubbing a clean wet cloth over their gums helps keep bacteria and sugars away. 
• When the teeth do come in, you can start using a small, soft-bristled brush twice a day, but with plain water. Avoid using toothpaste until your baby is a toddler. 
• Once he gets all his teeth, you are still not off the hook. You must help your child brush and floss until he is 6 or 7 years old for proper cleaning.

Befriending Flouride

Flouride and good oral health go hand in hand. Flouride toothpaste and mouthwash is one of the best remedies and preventative care solutions for unhealthy teeth and gums. You might already know this, but in many states in America, fluoride is added to tap water. And water filters also do not remove fluoride in their filtration process. 

The substance helps in reducing cavities in both the baby and permanent teeth as it hardens the tooth enamel to make teeth more resilient. You can also use a fluoride varnish for your infant's teeth as long as you have your dentist's approval. 

Eating Habits 

You can't talk about oral care without talking about the diet. Maintaining a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables will keep your child's teeth healthy and strong for longer. Of course, a balanced, nutritious diet also benefits your child's overall physical well-being. 

Too much sugar is what you need to beware of the most. Soda, fruit juice, and other sweetened drinks and snacks are okay once in a while, but regularly they'll only cause harm. The sugar buildup and bacteria will cause cavities. So, make sure when they have sugary food or drinks, they go straight to brush after.

Adult Oral Hygiene 

Just caring for your child's oral care is not enough. You need to have good oral health as a family to ensure that your baby's teeth are safe. Let us tell you why. 

Cavities contain bacteria, and bacteria are notorious for their transmission to different hosts. Suppose you or your elder children have cavities, the likelihood of your baby getting one increases. Therefore, every member of your family has to maintain oral hygiene. If there is a problem, go and get it checked as soon as possible. 

How can Smile Select Dental help you?

We understand the importance of pediatric dentistry and excel at it. Our offerings include superior dental care for infants over six months, toddlers, and kids of any age. We start with a comprehensive oral evaluation and assessments and create your child's health report to proceed further. We provide your kid with the dental treatment they need based on the findings.

• Dental Sealants
• Space Maintainers
• Dental Fillings
• Dental Crowns
• Fluoride Treatment
• Dental Prophylaxis
• Root Canal Treatment

We are experts at pediatric dentistry and will ensure your child gets the best dental care. Call us at +(909) 334-4015 or book an appointment at smileselectdental.com.