The American Dental Association has named February as Children’s Dental Health Month! This annual recognition of the importance of children’s dental health is a great opportunity to think about what you can do to keep you children’s teeth looking and feeling their best! Here are some the ADA’s suggestions for what you can do to promote children’s dental health:
- Start at Home!
The foundation of children’s dental health is a good home care routine. Making home dental care just another part of their daily lives leads to good habits which can last a lifetime.
Kids should brush their teeth twice a day, for two minutes per brushing. Brushing for a set time makes it more likely that a child gives their teeth a good cleaning. You can help your child hit the two-minute mark by setting a timer or playing a favorite song while they brush.
Children should floss their teeth at least once a day. Flossing allows children to clean the spaces in between their teeth that a toothbrush might miss.
Young children may struggle with using regular dental floss. You can help by flossing their teeth with them or having them use a kid-sized floss pick. While not as effective as regular floss, floss picks come in children’s sizes and appealing bright colors to encourage children to make flossing part of their daily home healthcare routine.
- Hello Dr. Dentist!
Bi-annual routine visits to the dentist for professional cleanings and comprehensive exam are equally as important to children’s dental health. Visiting the dentist twice a year ensures that any small dental problems do not progress into bigger issues as your child grows.
At a routine dental appointment, your children’s teeth will be professionally cleaning by a skilled hygienist. This cleaning specifically targets any areas of built-up plaque that regular brushing may have missed. If not removed from teeth, this plaque can eventually lead to the formation of tooth decay and cavities. We follow the American Dental Association and recommend that children have a fluoride treatment every six months at their regularly scheduled hygiene appointments.
After the hygienist gives your children’s teeth a special brushing and polishing, the dentist will come and give your children’s teeth a thorough exam. During this exam, the dentist will look for signs of tooth decay and gum disease.
If your child has received regularly scheduled x-rays, the dentist will also examine these images to check the health of the internal structures of the teeth. If they still have their baby teeth, x-rays can confirm that adult (or secondary teeth) are emerging in proper alignment.
Sometimes, children develop fear or anxiety about visiting the dentist. The best way to make a trip to the dentist fear-and anxiety-free is to start these visits early in life. When a visit to the dentist has been a normal part of life since they were little, they learn that a visit to dentist is no big deal.
- For Pearly Whites, Eat Right!
Just as what children eat affects the health of their growing bodies, it also affects the health of their developing teeth. Ideally, children should eat a diet that is full of colorful fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and calcium-rich dairy, either from a cow or from a plant source.
You should limit your kid’s consumption of sugary drinks and snacks. These food items not only contain empty calories, but they also promote the growth of plaque. Certain beverages that are popular with children, like fruit juices, flavored seltzer waters, and electrolyte sports drinks are often low in sugar or sugar-free, but the acidity of these beverages can lead to tooth decay.
Rather than munching throughout the day, encourage children to eat and drink at set snack and mealtimes to avoid a day-long accumulation of plaque. And finally, make sure your children are staying hydrated with plenty of water. Water is the truly the most tooth-friendly beverage around!
At TDA, we are not just dental practitioners, we are also parents! We personally understand how important the health of your children’s teeth is to you. This Children’s Dental Health Month, and all the other months of the year, you can be sure that the health of your children’s teeth are our top priority!
If you are looking for a high-quality, family-friendly dental practice for all the members of your family, contact our office today to schedule your family’s bi-annual appointments!
