Good dental care really does begin before your child’s first tooth appears. Just because you cannot see the teeth, doesn’t mean that they are not there. Teeth begin to form during the second half of your pregnancy and when your baby is born they will have around 20 primary teeth. Some of them won’t be developed in the jaw at this point. Before your baby starts to teeth, try and run a damp cloth over their gums to stop bacteria from forming. When your baby does get teeth, make the effort to brush them with a small toothbrush. Use water and a small amount of fluoride toothpaste. You’ll want to use toothpaste that is around the size of a grain of rice.
Learning how to Brush Teeth
When your child is around two, you then need to teach them how to spit when brushing. Don’t give them water to swill their mouth with because if you do then this will make them more likely to swallow the toothpaste. Kids who are over the age of three should be using a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. If you can, do a dental search Ontario and find out if there are any dentists in your area who may be able to take your child on as early as possible. Signing them up with a good dentist from an early age will help you to anticipate any teething problems that they may have at a later age.
This experienced dentist in Las Vegas NV also recommends flossing their teeth once there are two that are touching each other. This will minimize the possibility of cavities.
What Can A Dentist do for Your Child?
The ADA recommends that your children go to see a dentist by their first birthday. At this visit, the dentist will explain the right technique when it comes to flossing and brushing and they will also do an exam. They will do this while your child is sat on your lap. These visits are great because they can help you to find problems early on as mentioned above. It will also help them to avoid becoming phobic about the dentist at a later age.
How do you Prevent Cavities?
Cavities normally happen when you have food or bacteria left on the teeth. It also happens when you eat and you do not brush away any plaque. Acid collects on the tooth and this softens it until a tiny hole is left. If you want to make sure that the cavities are kept at bay then you need to try and teach your child good oral habits at an early age. You have to teach them how to brush their teeth twice a day and you also need to show them how to floss on a regular basis if possible.
Getting enough fluoride is also important. Regular use of fluoride helps to toughen up the enamel and this makes it harder for it to penetrate. Even though tap water is fluoridated, you still need to make sure that you do everything you can to apply fluoride. If you do not have enough fluoride, then you won’t be doing your bit to strengthen your child’s teeth. If you use too much fluoride on the other hand then this can cause a great deal of discolouration, which is the last thing that you need.
