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PUBLISHED ON 01/06/20
Don’t let these times allow you to forget about your oral health and your kids’ oral health. Good oral habits, hygiene and regular check-ups are super important in children, so don’t put your kid’s teeth at risk. Especially if they’ve been eating more sugary treats than usual since being at home! Good dental health during the earliest years of life can prevent future complications.
If you have young children you should be supervising their flossing and brushing, until they’re about 8 or 10. It’s a good idea to get them to brush in a particular order, so they don’t miss anything – for example, start with the left lower jaw and work across to the right, then move to the upper jaw and across. Set a timer for 2 minutes, which ensures enough time to remove plaque. You should start flossing your kid’s teeth as soon as they have two teeth sitting side by side.
If your toddler can’t sit still for 2 minutes to brush their teeth, try the below:
– Put the brush in the bath at bath time
– Sing nursery rhymes or play their favourite song as you brush
– Distract them with a toy or the TV
– Consider a battery-powered brush
– Offer them a reward for brushing correctly
– Try show and tell, where you brush your teeth while they mimic you
Fissure sealants are a thin plastic coating that is applied to the grooves of the chewing surfaces of the back teeth to protect them from tooth decay.
When children are young and are just learning to brush their teeth, they can quite often miss these areas at the back of their mouth as they are difficult to reach. By preventing food and germs in these areas with sealants, you avoid the problem of early tooth decay and dental hygiene issues.
A child’s permanent teeth erupt (break through the gum) into the gap left by a primary tooth that has fallen out. Sometimes a loose primary tooth doesn’t fall out straight away – try not to pull it out before it’s ready, because if the roots haven’t fully resorbed, a violent tug could snap the tooth and cause infection. If a permanent tooth erupts before a primary tooth has fallen out, give it time to fall out on its own. If it’s still there after 2 or 3 months come in and get it checked.
If your child has reached 8 years old and still hasn’t had any permanent teeth erupt, you may want to get an X-ray to double check there are no issues under the surface of the gums.
Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel and protects from decay. For kids younger than 6, we recommend a low fluoride toothpaste using a pea-size amount – and make sure they spit it out after brushing.
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For more information on child-specific dentistry, head to our Kids Dentistry page.
If you’re ready to book an appointment, we’re now open for healthy patients. If you have Covid-19 like symptoms, we also offer teledentistry appointments.
Source: The ADA’s Dental Care For Babies And Young Children Factsheet, Edition 3
