Healthy dental habits are the unique gift that parents can give their children from an early age. An expert dentist in Dulwich, London, states that healthy dental habits are the best preventive measure from dental issues. Practising healthy dental habits regularly not only becomes part of a routine, but also protects against dental problems and maintains a healthy smile and confidence. It is easy to mould kids and teach them good habits such as oral care from an early age; here are the steps that parents can follow to teach children good oral habits.
Why Healthy Dental Habits are Important From an Early Age
Healthy dental habits from an early age can protect primary teeth from early loss due to dental cavities; primary teeth loss can affect the alignment of permanent teeth. Dental anxiety also develops in children when they visit the dentist in pain; children associate dental appointments with pain, which develops dental visit fear. Healthy dental habits from an early age can prevent these problems in children.
Start Oral Hygiene Foundation from Infancy
To make oral hygiene a part of children’s daily routine, a professional dentist in Camden recommends parents start it before teeth erupt in the baby. Gently wipe the baby’s mouth with a clean cloth after bedtime milk feeding; it will create a healthy environment for teeth to erupt. Start tooth brushing as soon as the first teeth appear in the mouth so the baby adapts it as a daily routine activity.
Brushing Twice a Day
Morning and bedtime brushing is recommended by dentists as the best oral hygiene practices; among them, bedtime brushing is most important. During sleep, salivary cleaning action is reduced, which can increase the chance of bacterial growth in plaque and food particle accumulation; bedtime brushing can resolve these issues.
Teach them the Correct Way of Brushing
Starting oral hygiene practices from an early age gives parents the benefit of teaching the correct technique of brushing under their supervision. Parents can guide children in the correct technique of teeth cleaning in a circular motion, on the front or back tooth surface, and gentle cleaning below the gum line.
Use Fluoride Toothpaste
Use of fluoride toothpaste from an early age helps in children’s teeth remineralisation and protects them against cavity formation. Parents should use age-appropriate fluoride toothpaste, apply a pea-sized amount, and guide children to spit, not swallow, toothpaste to avoid excessive fluoride concentration.
Introduce Early Dental Appointments
Early dental appointments mean a dental check-up before a child’s first birthday from an experienced dentist in Dulwich, London. Parents should plan early dental visits so children easily get familiar with the dental clinic environment, adapt to it as a routine activity every 6 months, and parents also get professional guidance on good oral hygiene tips.
Make Oral Hygiene Practices a Family Routine
Practice oral hygiene as a family fun time activity. Brushing along with kids gives you a chance to model their behaviour and teach them the correct way of brushing. Children mimic your actions and learn a habit of oral hygiene consistency lightly.
Limit Sugary Foods Frequently
Sugary foods such as junk food, candy, and soda are rich in carbohydrates that easily get fermented by oral bacteria and release acid that dissolves enamel and causes cavities. Increased amounts and frequency can accelerate this process. Parents should limit sugary foods in the diet from an early age so children can learn early oral hygiene habits.
Add Tooth-friendly Snacks to their Diet
Frequent intake of unhealthy snacks affects kids’ dental health. Parents should limit these habits in children from an early age by introducing fruit, nuts, and salad as healthy snacks. Crunchy vegetables and fruits are beneficial for gums; they strengthen periodontal fibre that holds teeth tightly in place.
Avoid Juices and Sugary Drinks
Parents should introduce only water to hydrate and avoid juices and soda. Juices contain artificial colours and sugar in high quantities, which can make children addicted to artificial juice, and they prefer it over water. Instead of this, plain milk and water are the healthy options for kids.
Set Snack and Meal Free Time
Saliva is the natural cleaner and protector for the oral cavity. During meal and snack breaks, saliva flushes out all the dirt particles and cleans the tooth surface. Parents can set proper meal and snack times for kids and practice them from an early age.
Avoid a Bedtime Milk Bottle
A bedtime milk bottle is the most dangerous thing for kids’ primary teeth; it spreads rapidly and damages multiple baby teeth. Parents should introduce colourful, attractive mugs for milk instead of a bottle from an early age and don’t forget to perform bedtime brushing. The nipple of a milk bottle contacts the tooth surface and damages it; most kids immediately fall asleep after finishing milk bottles and miss bedtime brushing.
Don’t Wait for Toothache
Parents should take early dental consultation when dental problems are at the initial stage, such as in case of any visible tooth discolouration, gum swelling, pus formation, bad breath and gum bleeding. Never wait for tooth pain; it appears when it involves deep dental tissues and requires invasive, complex procedures to resolve dental issues. Parents should introduce early regular dental visits to diagnose dental issues at an early stage.
Lead by Example
Kids adapt habits unconsciously from their parents; they learn easily what they see. If parents regularly practice good oral hygiene, brushing twice a day, flossing after every meal, including healthy food in their diet and visiting the dentist regularly, kids copy this routine in their lives from an early age.
Conclusion
A healthy oral hygiene routine in kids from an early age builds the foundation of a healthy, confident smile. Dentists in London advise parents to start good oral hygiene practices in kids from an early age, develop a consistent routine of brushing twice a day, use fluoride toothpaste, eat a less sugary diet, limit juices and don’t miss regular dental check-ups in kids. For the time being, as parents, building healthy dental habits from an early age is difficult, but it gives your child a long-term healthy and confident smile.