Ensuring Dental Hygiene for Kids

When we talk about dental hygiene in kids, it is never too early to start anything to ensure better oral health of those little fellows. The risk of tooth decays starts as soon as the teeth start erupting. According to American Academy of Pediatrics, tooth decay in children is the common illness in children across USA. Nevertheless, the good news is that tooth decay is not something which cannot be prevented. In fact, it can be prevented pretty easily. You just have to establish good dental hygiene in kids.

Eruption of primary teeth

It’s not just about the cleanliness of primary teeth. You should start taking care of your child’s oral health before the eruption of primary teeth. At the age of 6 – 9 months, the children should get the eruption of teeth started. By the age of 3, there should be at least 20 primary teeth in the mouth. If your child is not having the primary teeth erupting at the age of 6 – 9, you should consider consulting the dentist. Generally, it’s a good idea to take your child to the dentist at the age of 6 months but it should not be later than 1 year of age.

Cleaning primary teeth

Before the eruption of primary teeth, the gums of baby need to be cleaned with the help of a rag. After eruption of the tooth, the use of brush and water should be brought into the action. Baby teeth need to be cleaned after the breakfast and before bedtime every day.

During the age of 12 – 24 months, children should be taught the use of child toothbrush. Toothpaste of the size of a pea needs to be applied to the toothbrush. Unless your family dentist recommends the use of fluoride toothpaste, it should be avoided in the case of children because they cannot spit out the toothpaste. The reason is that most of the areas in US get the supply of fluoridated water. You don’t want your child to ingest too much of fluoride.

In the early few years, your child may not be able to learn and stick to the dental hygiene routine in ideal way but you need to be persistent. You will have to teach your kids about brushing and flossing. Flossing is specifically difficult for the children of younger ages but consistent learning can help them in getting their hands on flossing even before they get their adult teeth.

Make sure to take your child to every dental visit on time. These dental visits are going to give your child a nice foundation for maintaining better oral health in the rest of the life.