Caring for your child's baby teeth is important for their overall dental health. While primary teeth do fall out, their health is vital to maintaining healthy gums as well as expanding the jaw for your child’s permanent teeth.
As soon as that first tooth emerges, there are steps you can take to promote ideal dental health. Baby cereals, fruits, and surprisingly, even the lactose in breast milk or formula can lead to tooth decay. Because of this, many pediatricians and dentists recommend using a washcloth to gently clean your baby's teeth.
Preparing for Your Child’s First Dental Visit
Prepare children for their first dental visit by initiating a dialogue with them and making a point to discuss how healthy teeth create a beautiful smile as opposed to one that is full of cavities. Try not to let any of your own dental anxiety color their perception of the dentist and choose a provider that has experience with children and a good chairside manner.
Establishing a good relationship with the dentist based on trust is important for both you and your child. When they understand the importance of their smile and that the dentist wants to help them keep it bright and shiny, this relationship can be both positive and productive.
Learning to Care for Their Teeth
When your child starts caring for their own teeth, proper brushing and flossing are best taught by example, turning your own home dental care routine into quality family time is an excellent way to illustrate both the proper method of caring for their teeth, as well as the importance of their smile.
Providing healthy snacks and explaining the role sugar has in the development of tooth decay, creates awareness in children. Reminding them to brush after sugary snacks can instill good dental habits that last into adulthood.
Baby teeth help you eat and speak clearly. If an issue arises and you require early dental care, rest assured that many of the same methods of diagnosis and treatment options that adults have are also available to kids, including X-rays, dental sealants, orthodontic treatment and more.
Loose teeth and Cavities
When a child is about 6 years old, you can expect that one or more of their teeth will begin to wiggle around. Let the tooth fall out on its own. This minimizes any associated pain and bleeding.
While cavities can largely be prevented with fluoride treatments and sealants, cavities may form before your child ever sees the dentist. When sugar-containing foods are allowed to stay in the mouth for a long time, bacteria that live on the teeth thrive and can eat away at tooth enamel.
Be sure your child drinks plenty of water throughout the day to help keep your child’s mouth free of excessive sugar and bacteria while encouraging their twice-daily home dental routine. When it’s time to see the dentist, remind them how important their smile is now and will remain in the future. Showing them pictures of healthy smiles and unhealthy smiles can also help them see the consequences of poor oral hygiene.