Dental and oral hygiene is an important aspect of your physical well-being and well-being. Bad oral hygiene can contribute to dental cavities and gum disease, and has also been linked to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
It is a lifetime commitment to preserve healthy teeth and gums. The sooner you get to practice good oral hygiene practices – such as brushing, flossing and restricting your ingestion of sugar – the easier it becomes to prevent expensive dental and long-term health problems.
If the teeth of your child decay and need to be replaced, other teeth will shift and the room for adult teeth decreased. If bad oral habits persist, their adult teeth are much more likely to fail.
How old should your kid be before you start brushing their teeth?
Many parents want to know: how old should my child be before I start brushing his teeth? A reasonable idea is that the infant continues to slip as soon as the teeth are in contact, usually around two or three years of age. Not all kids must have flossed teeth at this age, so ask for advice from your dentist. When the teeth reach this stage, food particles can be trapped in them and they can promote bacterial growth and plaque formation.
How to brush your kid’s teeth?
In most cases, kids learn to brush their teeth solely by looking at their parents. It is not unconventional for them to one day pick up a toothbrush and start imitating you. However, it needs to be noted that good oral care starts before your kid even has teeth. Many organizations recommend that you use a damp cloth along with a bit of toothpaste to clean their gums after feeding. Furthermore, it is highly recommended that you use a non-fluoride based toothpaste that reduces the chances of causing any harm if the toothpaste is ingested.
In the first case of a child’s tooth, the parents can brush their teeth for two minutes twice a day and change to a smooth, child-sized toothbrush with a coiled head and a pea-sized dab of non-fluoridated toothpaste.
What if my child ingests toothpaste while brushing?
In most cases, the amount of toothpaste makes the difference. Furthermore, modern day toothpastes are made to be non-toxic and completely neutral in terms of reactions. This ensures that even if your kid ingests the toothpaste, he or she can be completely safe.
However, as said before, it depends completely on the amount of toothpaste. If your child ingests larger quantities of toothpaste, then it is wise for you to take them to a medical professional as soon as possible.
What are some of the oral care issues that can arise in kids?
There are various oral care issues that can arise in kids, especially younger kids. Furthermore, these issues are equally prevalent in adult population as well.
It is strongly suggested that you visit a dental hygienist as soon as you see these symptoms as they can later evolve into more serious hassles.
Bad Breath or Halitosis
Rare brushing and flossing, oral disease, dry mouth, alcohol, and improper nutrition are among the sources of halitosis, or poor breath. By using a tongue scraper, swallowing sugarless gum, gargling with mouthwash, and drinking plenty of water, you can fight chronic halitosis. Often follow appropriate recommendations for oral hygiene, which require periodic brushing and flossing.
Cavities
Cavities are perhaps one of the most common dental and oral care problems. It is a hole that is caused by the decay of the tooth. Moreover, this hole can continue to grow and corrode the entire tooth. Brushing twice every day, flossing every day, and consulting the dentist regularly is the easiest way to avoid tooth decay and cavities. Eat nutritious meals and avoid high-sugar foods and drinks.
Dry Mouth
We need saliva in our mouth to digest our food. It also helps in controlling the amount of bacteria in our mouth as well as the provision of good bacteria to our guts in general. However, one of the oral problems that your kids can suffer is a dry mouth. In such a case, as the name states, your mouth can experience problems in swallowing, nasal roughness, and even a sore throat.
Gum Diseases
Gum disease can cause your gums to bleed or become infected, swollen, or tender. It is also known as a periodontal disease. Moreover, it will cause the teeth to loosen if the bacteria start to damage the bone surrounding the teeth. Unfortunately, the effects caused by various gum diseases can be permanent in nature.
Combat the problems by using proper oral care routine. In this regard, you can follow the Tooth Rule.
The Tooth Rule is perhaps one of the best ways to keep a track of your oral care. Firstly, brush two times a day for two minutes and repeat the same for flossing and tongue scraping as well. If you follow this routine, you are bound not to experience any oral hygiene related ailments.
We hope you found this content helpful. Share this with any new parents who would love to read this.
Protect your oral health, and keep smiling with Avooli.
