From the moment your child’s first tooth appears, it’s important to make sure you look after your children’s teeth. A regular teeth-cleaning routine is essential for good dental health.
Here are some tips that you can follow to help keep your kids’ teeth decay free:
- Start brushing your baby’s teeth with fluoride toothpaste as soon as the first milk tooth breaks through (this is usually around six months, but it can be earlier or later). It’s also important to use a fluoride paste as this helps prevent and control tooth decay.
- Children can use the same toothpaste as the adults as long as it contains 1,350-1,500ppm fluoride and you supervise brushing until the age of seven.
- Children under the age of six who don’t have tooth decay can use lower-strength toothpaste if you prefer, but make sure it contains at least 1,000ppm fluoride.
- Children aged between three and six years should use a pea-sized blob of toothpaste.
- Brush your child’s teeth for at least two minutes twice a day.Once before bedtime and at once after breakfast, before going to nursery or school.
- Encourage them to spit out any excess toothpaste and not to swallow it. Rinsing with water after tooth brushing will wash away the fluoride and reduce its benefits.
- From the age of seven or eight they should be able to brush their own teeth, but it’s still a good idea to watch them now and again to make sure they brush properly for about two minutes. Why not make brushing more fun by brushing along to an app and brushing with your children. Oral B have introduced a free Disney Magic Timer app which features sixteen favourite Disney and Marvel characters, which encourages your kids to brush longer. Each child will receive a new digital sticker after each successful two minutes of brushing; and you can track your child’s progress with stars and milestone badges on the digital Brushing Calendar. Click here to download the app.
Take your child to the dentist regularly
Make sure that you take your child to the dentist as soon as those first milk teeth appear. This is so they become familiar with the environment and get to know the dentist. The dentist can help prevent decay and identify any oral health problems at an early stage. Just opening up the child’s mouth for the dentist to take a look is useful practise for when they could benefit from future preventative care.
Make sure you book your child in for regular dental checkups call Boyne Dental today on +35316971290.