How Can Parents Help Prevent Tooth Decay?

Children are born with 20 primary teeth; with these they learn to chew and speak. Eventually their jaw accommodates for the permanent adult teeth that will appear several years later. During these formative years children are especially susceptible to decay, which can cause pain and tooth loss. These are both serious problems that could interfere later in life with their oral development as adults. There are a number of things that parents can do to ensure to prevent tooth decay in children.

Our Woodbridge and Burke Pediatric Dentists Want To Educate Parent’s On Preventing Tooth Decay

Our Woodbridge and Burke Pediatric Dentists are committed to helping parent’s take proactive steps to keep their child’s teeth as healthy as possible. This article is informative for parent’s of children of all ages, even if your child is a baby – it’s never to early to be proactive about your child’s oral health. Our Pediatric Dentist office in Woodbridge and Burke, VA has written an article to help educate parent’s in the local area that there is a dentist near by that genuinely cares about their child’s oral health sight unseen and want’s to help them make a difference.

5 TIPS TO PREVENT TOOTH DECAY IN CHILDREN

1. Establish a tooth brushing routine with your children. Routines are great ways to teach children. Once they get in the habit of brushing everyday, that will continue into adolescence and adulthood. Children may be reluctant at first, but most will make it a habit if the parent set’s the example with consistent reinforcement and demonstrating their own routine of good dental care.
2. It’s advisable to help children eight years old and younger with brushing their teeth, and still supervise their routine until age 11. Eight years old seems appropriate in most instances, but until children is able to tie their shoes, they don’t really have the necessary skills to brush their teeth on their own. By giving them a hand, parents can make certain that no food is left behind, which often leads to cavities. Experts say, even after children are able to brush on their own, parents should still check their routine every so often to ensure their child is doing a good job of brushing their own teeth.
3. Make sure your child sees a pediatric dentist regularly. A child’s dentist appointment is just as important as an adult’s – they’ll demonstrate that good oral hygeine is a critical part of their overall health, as well as look for early signs of any tooth decay. Your child’s dentist will also offer strategies for their daily oral care, and advise on any issues like recent dental trauma or maintaining braces.
4. Watch your child’s sugar intake. Quite often, there is alot of sugar in the juices and drinks that children consume. This has quietly led to a rise in tooth decay among pre-adolescents. There is a great resource we can recommend on how to limit your child’s sugar consumption. As always, your child’s pediatrician is the best source to consult with in regards to their nutrition.
5. Demonstrate your own good dental habits. Kid’s learn by example! If they that their parent values good dental health and makes it a priority in their own life, so will they. Make brushing your teeth a family moment – have everyone brush their teeth together in the morning and then together again at night before bedtime.

You Can Help Your Child Avoid Living With Tooth Decay

Spare your child alot of painful sleepless nights by following the above six tips. You’ll help them prevent tooth decay, avoid infection, the loss of a tooth and or other serious oral issues. The best advice to ensuring your child always has a smile they can be proud of is to make sure they see they dentist regularly, especially if you know they are suffering some sort of dental issue.

Pro Advice: Turn Tooth Brushing Into A Game

• Brush teeth during commercial breaks during their favorite TV show. During each 30-60 second commercial break, is the perfect time to get them to spot brush their teeth just because! Make it a game to see if they can finish before their show starts again.
• Set an egg timer to see if they can brush their teeth the entire time. Challenge your child to keep brushing their teeth until all the sand has run out. You can also buy your child a toothbrush that blinks led lights or plays music for two minutes.
• Play their favorite song while they brush their teeth. There is a free app called Brush DJ that will plays music in your library for two minutes and as an added bonus it lets you set reminders for your child to brush, floss and visit the dentist.