Taking Care of Your Child’s Teeth

Taking Care of Your Child’s Teeth:

Developing good oral hygiene at a young age is key to having healthy teeth as an adult. As a parent, you can help this process by starting to care for your child’s teeth from the early infant months. Taking time to guide your child helps to ensure they are building a healthy oral routine that will eventually become second nature to them.

You can support your child through all phases of development

• Before dentition, wipe a clean, damp washcloth over your child’s gums, or use water on an infant toothbrush. This will help clear away harmful bacteria and prevent many potential dental problems when your child starts teething.
• When your baby’s teeth erupt, a small amount of toothpaste on a soft bristle brush can be used to gently clean the inside and outside surfaces of the teeth. It’s also important to use the soft bristles to massage the gumline in a back and forth motion.
• As your child acquires more teeth, you can introduce flossing as part of their bedtime routine. Teach them to spit while brushing and be sure to monitor the amount of toothpaste used.  Only a pea-sized amount is needed.
• It’s important to supervise young children until they can be more independent and capable of brushing and flossing by themselves.
• A simple, yet ideal, routine to establish would be to brush teeth for at least two minutes twice a day, and to floss at least once daily.

The Canadian Dental Association recommends the first dental visit by the age of one.  This early intervention enables your dentist to establish a friendly relationship with your children as they grow, and also to monitor jaw development and tooth eruption to identify any malocclusions at an early age.  Orthodontic treatment while the body is still growing and developing is ideal.  We have patients as young as seven years of age in active treatment.

If you need an expert’s advice on your child’s teeth, don’t hesitate to contact us at Exploits Valley Dental Office in Grand Falls–Windsor. We will gladly assist you and your children in keeping a healthy smile!