4 Tips on Children’s Oral Care

As parents, I feel we need to help our children with their dental health. When kids are little they do not understand why or how to brush their teeth, they need us to help remind them and teach them the proper way to brush. They also need someone to check their brushing and help with those harder to reach places.  I am going to share some ideas to help.Regular Dentist Visits

Taking y our child every six months for a dental cleaning is the one of the best things you can do. Every dentist is different but by age 3 you should start having scheduling regular appointments.  Peyton LOVES the dentist. Not all children are going to love the dentist. The dentist office can be a loud and scary place. At this stage children as so little and you are working with baby teeth that there is no pain involved. It’s more about the noise and strangeness of the visit that can turn a kid against the dentist that anything else. As your child becomes older they might need  braces, but this usually happens around middle school.  It’s important you child and the dentist have a good relationship, so if after a visit or two your child is not comfortable it may be a good idea to look for an office that specializes in Pediatric Dentistry. These offices usually have a young vibe with toys and decor and can make a child feel more comfortable. 

Brush Twice a Day

To help avoid cavities, painful fillings and hefty dental bills kids need to brush their teeth twice a day. And as parents, it’s our job to educate them and help them learn the right way to brush. Having a toothpaste your child loves is essential. With all the flavors available you are sure to find one that your child will like. I tried several different flavors with Peyton till we discovered strawberry toothpaste. She LOVES strawberry toothpaste! Also having a fun toothbrush can be a big motivation too. There are brushes that play music when you brush (so they know how long they should be brushing), brushes with various cartoon characters, electric toothbrush and more. Flossing is also important to help avoid cavities. We like to use the floss picks shaped like dinosaurs. Not only are they easy for little hands to hold but they are effective. Having fun oral care tools can make brushing more fun.

Toothbrush Storage

Peyton and I love to travel, but we still need to keep up on our oral hygiene when on the road. Think about when you pack for a trip, what do you do with your toiletries? Toss them in the suitcase? bag? or maybe throw the toothbrushes and toothpaste in a ziplock bag? I know that’s what I used to do. Then I found out how unsanitary it was. When traveling you really should be keeping  your oral hygiene products separate from everything else. And you When traveling as a family you will need to pack your toiletries with you. You may even want to use the Oral Stericlean UV portable toothbrush sanitizer. This is the best way of keeping everyone’s toothbrush, clean and safe on your travels.

Limit Sugar Intake

Sipping on juice or carbonated beverages can really take a toll on your teeth. The constant exposure of sugar can lead to cavities. One way I limit Peyton’s exposure is by encouraging her to drink water rather than juice and I don’t allow soda except for special occasions. Not only is she hydrating herself by drinking more water but she is also taking in less sugar. For us, this was easy because I never exposed Peyton to sugary drinks when she was little. If you never introduce it to the diet they don’t know what they are missing. But if your child is already used to drinking sugary drinks you can try switching them to sugar-free beverages or even try fruit infused water.

Making just a few small changes in your child’s oral health routine when they are little can have a life-long impact. Give your child a strong foundation for oral care will lead to less visits to the dentist when they are older.