Healthy gums and teeth amongst children is a very rare condition today. Just because they have milk teeth that will eventually fall off and be taken away by the tooth-fairy, doesn’t mean we don’t need to take proper care of them. Healthy gums during childhood will lead to healthy gums and teeth in the later life. Negligence in taking care of their gums and teeth will only lead them to suffer from several dental conditions in their adulthood. So, if you want to secure your kid’s smile, make sure you follow these healthy dental care guidelines carefully.

First and most Important

When is the right time to start caring for your baby’s teeth? Isn’t this the first question that arises in the minds of every mother? Well, right after birth, start with your baby’s dental care. Clean the gums and tongue with a soft and sanitized cloth to remove any bacterial remains inside. Slowly, as your baby starts teething, buy a baby brush and toothpaste that will help you clean the teeth easily. Teething is one of the most painful stages that a baby has to go through. To ease the discomfort in the mouth, you can buy Teethers and teething rings that will help the budding teeth come out easily.

Avoid giving sugary juices or milk to your baby before bedtime. It may be quite soothing to see your child simply enjoy the treat, but the sugar content in these beverages may lead to tooth decay even before you realize it. Sucking on bottles for long also leads to several dental conditions. Thus, it is best to prevent your baby from using bottles with rubber nipples as early as possible.

Selecting the right Dentist

For first time parents, seeing your baby’s budding teeth is quite a fascinating experience. But to make sure you do ever
ything right, take your child to a pediatric dentist. This will only ensure you that you are doing everything right to help your baby stay away from dental and orthodontic conditions. Your first dental visit may start somewhere around your baby’s first birthday.

When do you teach your child to brush? Well, most parents try to start teaching brushing early, but the right time is when your baby starts to spit. This happens when your child is around 2 years of age. In order to put them into a habit of brushing, show them how to brush. Use a very small amount of toothpaste on their soft brush and move it slowly around the teeth and gum line. Do this 2 times a day until they are 5 years of age. Once they start brushing themselves, make sure you keep a check on whether or not they brush daily and don’t swallow the paste. Also, ask your dentist about dental sealants and fluoride treatments that can be used to prevent cavities in your child’s teeth.

Make Dental Care Interesting for your Child

The way you teach your child to take care for their teeth and gums has a huge impact on them. Either they start hating to brush or take it as a fun activity and do it every day with a lot of excitement. Simply explaining them about the science of brushing won’t help them learn to brush and care for their gums. You should remember that kids learn more through visual displays and representations. You can try activities that are usually recommended by the ADA (American Dental Association) which are mentioned here below.

• Take a fresh apple and poke a hole into it. Show it to your child and explain how the hole is initially unnoticeable. Then check it again after 2 days when the hole naturally becomes bigger and brown. Now explain how the apple starts to decay due to the bacteria in it, resembling the condition with tooth decay and cavities. This will help them to know the importance of brushing their teeth regularly and taking good care of their teeth and gums.
• Use food color based water dyes to rinse the mouth of your kids. Make sure they spit out the liquid once they have rinsed. Now using a mirror check the plaque that settles down between the gum line and their teeth. Explain them how this plaque, if not cleaned by brushing and flossing will slowly lead to teeth decay and cavities.

Make dental care easy and fun for your child and follow these tips carefully. Remember, brushing, flossing and rinsing are the simple 3 ways that will help your child stay away from dental conditions and enjoy their pearly whites all life.