Caring for your child's teeth
Kid's World - dental and non-dental links
Here's the lowdown on how to start your child's dental care right!!
You should start cleaning your child's mouth even before they cut teeth. It gets both you and your child into the habit of keeping the mouth clean, and it gives the baby teeth a clean place to come into. Cleaning takes less than a minute. The goal is to wipe all parts of the gums and erupting teeth. Lie your baby in a comfortable place. Make sure that you can see into your baby's mouth. Use a soft baby brush or even wrap your finger in a clean, damp wash cloth. Brush or wipe your baby's gums and teeth. Do not use toothpaste until your child can spit.
As your child gets older you may find that squirming is a problem but don't give up because a child is not ready to brush their own teeth until they have a fair degree of dexterity. When your child can write (not just print) their own name then they will likely be ready to do a good job brushing. If your child would like to brush their own teeth make sure that you follow it up with a thorough cleaning. Having you child face away from you with their head tilted back while brushing their teeth will help to prevent the squirming and give you a good vantage point. Use a soft brush that is size appropriate for the child's age. When the child is old enough use toothpaste sparingly. Only a pea sized amount. Make sure that he toothpaste you choose has fluoride (usually indicated by the symbol of the Canadian Dental Association). Make sure that your child spits the toothpaste out. Brush your child's teeth with the same technique that your hygienist has taught you to use on your own teeth. Hold the brush at a 45-degree angle to your child's teeth (toward the gums), gently brush in circles and then sweep away from the gums. Do not scrub! Make sure to clean every surface of every tooth. Replace the toothbrush often. As soon as the bristles start to bend they will no longer be effective. Just because your child may soon lose a baby tooth does not mean that cleaning is any less important. The health of any particular tooth effects the health of all neighboring teeth!
Your dentist and hygienist want to help your child to get off to a good start
so please ask them how to be sure that your regime of oral hygiene is effective
for your child. Your child should come for their first dental visit about
age 3 and at that we can teach you how to floss your child's teeth as well.
If you spot any problem's earlier or need any help with your home care we
would be happy to see your child at any age and help you get their dental
health on the right track for life!!
Some other links that you may find interesting on this site…
The DIAGNOdent - An exciting tool for
early decay detection.
Air Abrasion - Drilless dentistry for minor
decay!
Dental Related Sites
No
Cavities Clubhouse - Colgate's kids site.
Mouth Power - Visit
the Mouth Power Laboratory (games and adventures of Mouthie)
Fun Kids Sites
Edmonton Oilers - The
Oilers official webpage, including schedule, stats, and much more.
The Magic
Kingdom - Disney's official website! Get the latest on movies, videos,
games and more.
Sports Illustrated Kids
- The same magazine as you see on the stands but with a twist for the younger
generation.
Updated: 01/18/2007