It is important now that you are teaching your kids to take hygiene properly of their dental health, simply by just teaching them the correct ways of brushing their teeth and avoiding certain sugary foods before bedtime especially making your kids take care of their pearly whites.
Every parent takes their biggest concern in their child’s wellbeing especially their oral hygiene and you should know these tips on how to guide your kid or infant in making their oral hygiene at the most optimal level!
Be sure that taking concern about the good in which oral hygiene and health begin with you and how you teach your child proper care of their teeth can be a life lesson for them.
Why should your kids take care of their teeth?
This is a common-sense for most of us. Kids need to have a rigorous oral hygiene to keep their teeth clean, taking good care of their teeth by brushing them twice a day, using floss or mouthwash can be greatly beneficial in getting rid of cavities, tooth decay or yellow stains that are caused by harmful bacteria that sticks in the surface of your teeth to feed on the leftover traces of food stuck in their gums and teeth
Foods especially sugar in your baby’s teeth can grow and create huge colonies if not taken care of properly. The bacteria that live inside the mouth breaks down and creates a series of reaction that causes tooth enamel or holes called cavities. Bacteria in their mouth can also create inflammation which causes gingivitis which makes your baby’s gums sore, painful and red.
If your kid hasn’t taken properly of their teeth, they will soon refuse to smile because of the terrible teeth they have.
What is proper oral hygiene for infants?
Newborn infants or babies are genetically born with full teeth although it is hidden inside their gums. It is a normal process of teeth development wherein the baby’s teeth will grow enough breaking through the soft gums. These occur predominantly around 6 months after birth.
This is usually the time where you need to start implementing good oral hygiene for your baby especially when their first tooth comes in, essentially in infants, healthy gum would mean healthy teeth.
That is why it is important to wipe your baby’s gum with a soft and wet lukewarm or room temperature washcloth to clean the insides of the gums .This helps in removing the bacteria that might cause tooth decay in the future.
Furthermore, once their tooth or teeth start to appear, begin brushing their teeth with a fluoride toothpaste only with a small amount. Make sure to thoroughly clean it but always remember to be gentle as possible. Brush their teeth twice a day.
Also it is important that parents like you should only buy the soft-bristle toothbrush or toothbrush designed for babies to avoid any injury to the gums, brushing their teeth as early as now can help prevent tooth decay which can happen if your baby is drinking formula milk or any kind of soft foods or drinks such as juices.
It is also essential to let them use only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste and make sure your baby spits out the fluoride after brushing. You should always make this your child’s routine every day. You can also introduce your child to flossing as soon as your baby’s teeth touch.
After 6 months, it is also important that you should have your child’s first dentist appointment to prevent any kind of tooth decay or detect any gum problems which should be visible by now. Pay a visit to your dentist every other 6 months starting from now on.
What are proper oral hygiene for children?
After 6 months of your baby developing their first tooth, the other one should be following up as the month’s progress. This is also essential to keep reminding them of proper oral hygiene habits that should be implemented as they grow up.
Many young kids would have their baby teeth developed by the age of 3. These baby teeth which are called primary teeth should be all developed by age 3 and these baby teeth will usually fall out at around age 6.
The baby’s falling primary teeth would usually indicate that their permanent or adult teeth are coming in, that is the main reason why teeth gaps around this ages are normal. Tooth gap ensures that there is enough space for the mature teeth to grow in. This usually stops by the age 13 where most of the teenagers have developed their set of permanent teeth.
It is important to keep reminding them to brush their teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste to avoid yellow stains, bad breath or any kind of tooth decay especially during the time that they would be eating a lot of sweet stuff from sweet fruits, honey, syrups, chocolates, gums, and candies.
What are proper oral hygiene for preteens?
Preteens should have an older set of permanent teeth by now and that means that they should have a strict and rigorous daily oral regimen to keep their gums and teeth at an optimal level
As preteens, they are transitioning from becoming a child to an adult and it means that this is the time where they would be more conscious of their appearance. Keep reminding them of how good looking they can be if they have those pearly whites properly maintained. Brushing teeth can help fight cavities and yellow teeth which can be unpleasant to look at.
Final notes
Teaching your kids good oral hygiene and overall taking care of their own health is a responsibility that parents must keep on their children, brushing, mouthwash and flossing is not just the other things you can do to help your children have white smile, remember to teach your kids on limiting sugar intake, eat lots of fruits and vegetables and don’t forget to drink water instead of drinking sugary drinks.
[Read more: Dental Health Facts on Kids]
