If you are the parent of a young child, you will want to do everything you can to protect their dental health. Below is a guide to 3 things you can do to protect your child's teeth and gums. Read on to find out everything you need to know.
Help them to develop a good brushing routine
The key to good dental health is brushing your teeth on a regular basis. If you can instil the importance of brushing in your child from an early age, you can set them up for a lifetime of good dental health. As soon as they can grip a toothbrush, you should encourage them to start brushing their own teeth. While their first attempt at brushing their teeth may be messy, you should persevere. Every time your child needs to brush their teeth, you or another adult should accompany them to the bathroom. On subsequent trips to the bathroom, you should offer further encouragement to your child so they feel emboldened to maintain their oral health. To encourage your child to brush for a few minutes, you may want to consider playing their favourite song and asking them to keep brushing until the song is finished.
Serve them food at set times
It might seem strange, but developing a routine for serving food to your children could actually improve their dental health. It works like this: if your child has unlimited access to food and snacks, they can eat at any time of the day. Every time they eat, your children coat their teeth and gums in sugars and food debris. Bacteria can feed on these sugars, creating acids that corrode your child's teeth and damage their gums. By developing routines and monitoring when your child eats, you can ensure that their dental health is not compromised. By encouraging your child to brush their teeth after each meal, you can protect their teeth.
Take them to the dentist
Finally, the best way of protecting your child's teeth is to take them to the dentist on a regular basis. Doing so will allow them to get used to being in the dentist's chair so they do not develop a fear of having a check-up.
If you would like further information and advice about how to help your child develop good dental health habits, you should get in touch with your dentist. They should be able to help you out.
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