One of the most common oral diseases in children is tooth decay. Children find it hard to brush their teeth properly. As a result, this leads to the build-up of plaque in the teeth. Plaque eats away the white part of the tooth, known as the enamel. In turn, this causes tooth decay. So, it is advisable to take good care of your child’s oral health. This way, you boost your child’s overall health and reduce dental expenses. In this article, we discuss the leading causes of children’s teeth decay. Also, we discuss the preventative measures that can boost your child’s oral health.
A poor diet
Indisputably, children are candy lovers. So, if you don’t monitor what they eat daily, they could develop tooth decay. Besides, many other foods tend to lead to tooth decay. Always ensure that your child eats a healthy diet. It would be best if you came up with a food timetable for your child. Keep watch of the snacks they take both at school and home. Otherwise, your child will be more vulnerable to getting tooth decay. Excessive consumption of soft drinks and beverages could lead to decay. Get them to eat healthy vegetables and fruits. After letting them eat something sugary, ensure they brush their teeth to prevent the accumulation of bacteria. Additionally, after every meal, ensure they drink water.
Shared utensils
If you have tooth decay, avoid using your child’s utensils. You can pass the bacteria to them when they come in contact with your saliva. It is always advisable to buy separate utensils for your infant. Also, when tasting their food, use another spoon. Moreover, use clean water to wash their pacifier. Also, ensure your dental condition gets treated as soon as possible.
Health issues causing tooth decay
Some health issues could result in tooth decay. One of them is difficulty in breathing due to cold allergies. When your child experiences difficulty in breathing normally, they tend to breathe through the mouth. When they do this, they increase the chances of developing decay. But how? Saliva helps decrease the accumulation of plaque. When you breathe through the mouth, saliva’s flow reduces, thus increasing the risk of getting decay in their teeth.
Observing poor oral hygiene
Most children do not know the proper technique of cleaning their teeth. Also, they may not clean their teeth daily if not supervised. Create time to watch your child when he or she is cleaning their teeth. Moreover, ensure they floss their teeth. This way, they can eliminate the hidden particles behind the enamel and in the teeth spaces. When you leave a child to clean teeth by themselves, they can develop tooth decay.
How do you prevent tooth decay?
Make sure your child cleans their teeth daily
Once you observe the first baby teeth coming out, get prepared to clean them regularly. You can use a soft pad to clean them at least twice a day. When your child has fully developed baby teeth, ensure that you help them clean their teeth. Do this regularly, at least twice a day. Never forget to include flossing in the cleaning routine. Flossing helps to get rid of all unseen food particles between teeth. According to statistics, flossing will help to protect tooth decay by up to 35%.
Observe proper hygiene practices
When you have a toddler, buy separate utensils for them. Alternatively, ensure that you observe maximum oral hygiene if you use the same utensils with your child. Otherwise, you increase the risk of tooth decay in your child. In particular, if you have any dental problems, you can pass on the bacteria to your children. Consequently, they can develop decay. Furthermore, never forget to clean your child’s pacifier. Remember, it tends to fall, and this could affect the health of your child.
Clean the teeth of your 0-12 infant
Breast milk and formula contain certain sugars that can lead to the build-up of plaque in your child’s mouth. So, ensure that you clean your child’s teeth at least twice a day. Also, clean your toddler teeth every night before they go to bed.
Ensure your children eat a healthy diet exclusive of sugary foods
Diet plays an essential role in affecting your child’s dental health. So, avoid giving your child sugary foods. Instead, include healthy vegetables, grains, and fruits in the diet. If they desire to eat snacks, ensure that you give them healthy snacks like yogurt and berries. In case your child consumes sugary foods, ensure that they clean their teeth afterward.
Conclusion
In most instances, children are likely to develop tooth decay due to poor oral hygiene practices. Children are young and mostly don’t know the right way of cleaning their teeth. As a result, they are more prone to getting decay. So, it is essential to supervise your child while he or she is cleaning their teeth. Also, observe all the preventative measures of preventing tooth decay. Nevertheless, if your child already has this issue, book an appointment with your pediatric dentist. They know best how to treat it.
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