Dental Hygiene for kids
Oral hygiene for kids is most important in overall children's health. As a parent, we want our children to have the healthy teeth. Nothing beats a happy healthy smile. Here, I share the healthy habits that help to make the child have healthy oral hygiene.
ORAL HYGIENE FOR KIDS |
How to keep your child's teeth healthy?
The little ones are born with their teeth but the teeth are not visible to us because they are hidden inside the gums. We should begin the oral hygiene practices when the child is a baby. The tips and practices are listed below to take care of our child's tiny teeth.
- It is a must to supervise your children until the age of 6 when they are brushing their teeth
- Wipe your baby's gum with a soft cotton damp cloth after feeding
- Use the finger brush around the age of 6 months that is after the first milk teeth erupt
- Use the soft toothbrush around the age of 1
- Buy the toothbrush of your child's favorite cartoon character
- Buy the toothpaste of your child's favorite flavor
- Brush the teeth at least twice a day
- Make sure that the children brush their teeth for 2 mins
- Dental hygiene principle - 2 mins brush for twice a day
- Floss your child's teeth after the age of 3
- Use a non-fluoride toothpaste until the age of 3
- Use a peanut size of less fluoride toothpaste for the children between 3 to 6 years
- Use a peanut size of fluoride toothpaste for children above 6 years
- Make sure that the child does mouth wash after having the food
- Change the child's toothbrush every 3 months
- Avoid the sugary and junk foods in their diet
- Visit a dental care center and schedule the dental cleaning twice a year
Reason for cavities and tooth decay
The milk teeth erupt around the age of 6 months. Some babies have teeth at the time of their birth whereas in some babies the first milk tooth erupts around the age of 10 months or 1 year. The child's milk teeth start falling out between the age of 6 to 8 and the permanent teeth begin to erupt. The children have all their adult teeth between the age of 12 to 13.
There are various reasons for tooth decay in children. Poor oral hygiene not only leads to tooth decay but also causes throat infection, cough, cold, change in face structure, and so on. So, proper dental hygiene is important.
The bottle feeding and feeding at night times lead to the cavity problem in infants. The use of sippers, straw bottle, pacifiers, and feeding bottle may cause tooth decay. These are the main reason for the cavities in babies and toddlers. It is advised to give water after milk feeding at night time and also clean the gums with a cotton damp cloth.
The other reason for cavities in children is the intake of sugary foods, junk foods, carbonated drinks, and leftover food in the teeth. The bacteria will multiply when the food is in the teeth and leads to tooth decay. Since the milk teeth give space to the permanent teeth, it is a must to have proper care on the tiny teeth.
If the rotten teeth are not taken care of properly, then the infection spreads over all their teeth. If the kids have cavities in their teeth, then we have to consult with the Dentist. The doctor cleans and fills up the cavities.
How to choose the right toothpaste?
TOOTHPASTE -ORAL HYGIENE |
There are many products available in the market. We have to choose the right toothpaste based on the child's age. There are 2 types of toothpaste - fluoride toothpaste, non-fluoride toothpaste. It is better to avoid using toothpaste until the age of 1. The non-fluoride toothpaste is used until the age of 3. Since the children don't know to spit and they might swallow the toothpaste.
The fluoride content toothpaste can be used for children above the age of 3. The peanut amount of toothpaste is used to brush the teeth. The teeth erosion may occur if we use more than peanut size of
paste to brush the teeth.
The fluoride toothpaste fights against cavities. It also helps to strengthen the weak spots and prevents tooth decay. So, the fluoride content is a must in toothpaste.
Oral Thrush
Oral thrush is another common infection in babies mouths. This infection is caused by yeast. It is usually a harmless infection. The symptoms of oral thrush are the white patches that appear in the tongue and in the mouth of the babies. The babies won't take proper feeding if they have an oral thrush infection. This infection can pass to the mother through breastfeeding.
If the oral thrush infection is untreated, then it might spread the infection to other parts of the body. Consult with the doctor and treat this infection. It is best to clean the babies' tongue by wiping the tongue with coconut oil after feeding.
Best Baby Toothpaste
The best baby toothpaste that is available in India is listed below. You can buy any brand but choose the flavor which is your's child favorite
Final Note
Flossing is the cleaning of the teeth to get rid of leftover food between the teeth and under the gums. The brushing and flossing alone cannot keep the teeth healthy. A well-balanced diet and proper dental hygiene practices keep the teeth healthy. 'Momovators' is always and forever to assist you in education, parenting, and fitness. In case you have queries on the above topic, please comment below.
1 Comment:
A very useful info... Kindly keep posted more kids care
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