From taking the kids to soccer practice to helping with those last-minute school projects, there’s a lot that goes into being a great parent like you. With so many things on your plate, it can be a little overwhelming – but that’s why Cobblestone Kids Pediatric Dentistry is here to make taking care of their teeth a breeze. Check out these top tips for your child’s dental routine that will keep them happy, healthy, and smiling for years to come!
Preventative Dental Care: Why Oral Health Is So Important
Keeping up with your child’s oral health is essential for so many reasons. While preventing yellow teeth and bad breath are both important, a solid oral hygiene regimen can have positive effects beyond just appearances.
Preventative dental care is the cornerstone of pediatric dentistry. This approach allows a dentist to step in before problems form and can reduce the risk of cavities, prevent long-term dental expenses, and keep teeth healthier overall. With these tips, you’ll help your child stay on track for years to come.
Kickstart Their Dental Care at an Early Age
Introducing your kids to potentially scary concepts early on in their lives is parenting 101, and as parents ourselves, we know this firsthand! Doing so will help them get used to things like dental visits before they develop dental anxiety, which is common among children. This comfortability in the dentist’s office will serve them well for a lifetime.
The team at Cobblestone Kids Pediatric Dentistry advises parents to bring their children to see a dentist by the time they turn one, or six months after their first tooth appears. This is the age that a child typically starts teething, which kicks off their dental growth and makes proper treatment so important. Your child is born with 20 baby teeth that will gradually grow in between the six-month mark and age three.
It’s essential to note that the moment your child’s first tooth is exposed, dental decay is possible. You’ll need to begin cleaning their teeth as early as you can to ensure they stay healthy while the rest of them grow in. Bringing your child in for an early visit at Cobblestone Kids Pediatric Dentistry means you’ll learn from the experts how your child’s baby teeth will develop and how we can help prevent decay together.
Opt for Healthy Foods & Beverages
It’s the scariest thing any child or parent could hear: you have a cavity! No one wants cavities, and the best way to prevent them is by eating healthy food and drinking water. When your child eats sugary foods and drinks juice or soda, the sugars from those foods stick in the hard-to-reach areas of their mouths. Brushing regularly helps remove these sugars, but when they become stuck, they attract bad bacteria. When bacteria eat these sugars, they produce acids that can break down enamel and cause cavities.
By removing excess sugar from their diets, their teeth will thank you!
Be a Good Model for Their Brushing Routine
Children are sponges, and from the moment they’re born, they’re learning how to be responsible people – from you! Your children will model their behavior based on what they see you do, so when it comes to your daily brushing routine, make sure it’s stellar!
Practicing healthy oral hygiene habits with your child helps them to learn how to brush their teeth, how often, and how important it is to do so. If they see their favorite people brushing and flossing their teeth, they’ll want to do it, too!
Choose the Right Toothpaste
You wouldn’t believe how important it is to choose the right toothpaste for your child, but depending on their age, they’ll have different dental needs. Cobblestone Kids Pediatric Dentistry’s recommendation for brushing your two-year-old’s teeth will be different from how your teen should brush their teeth. Understanding the importance of fluoride and the recommended amount in your child’s toothpaste is key to keeping your child’s teeth happy and healthy.
Once their first tooth grows in, it’s time to introduce a very small amount of fluoridated toothpaste. Use a baby toothbrush and a rice-sized amount of toothpaste to gently brush away leftover sugars that remain in their mouths after eating. Remember that your child can’t spit out excess toothpaste at this age, so it’s important to use a tiny amount so they don’t swallow too much fluoride.
When your child is old enough to spit out excess toothpaste, around age three, you can begin to brush their teeth twice a day for two minutes at a time with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. Then, they can maintain this habit throughout their lives!
Cobblestone Kids Pediatric Dentistry: Your Choice for Happy Smiles
What does every parent want more than anything else? To see their child smile! At Cobblestone Kids Pediatric Dentistry, we make happy smiles a reality. With the right tools and the right team, we have what it takes to ensure your child’s oral health stays on track as they get older. If you haven’t already, schedule their next dental check-up in Philadelphia or Cherry Hill today!
