As adults we know how important oral hygiene is. Our teeth won’t grow back if we loose them, tooth decay is an ever present danger and painful oral problems have to be prevented. We know that in order to avoid these problems, we have to take good care of our teeth and clean them properly. However, oral hygiene is also important for children. Kids should learn at a very early age that cleaning our teeth is an everyday task. For kids teeth cleaning might be a pain in the ass, adults are responsible to teach them and set a good example. Tell your children that a healthy diet is very important for a good oral hygiene.
Specialists say that as soon as a child gets teeth, they have to be cleaned regularly. At first no toothbrush or paste is needed. You can just wipe them with a cloth. When your child gets more teeth you can buy a soft toothbrush and start teaching him/her to brush. An important thing to pay attention on is the toothpaste your child will use. As you probably noticed, children tend to swallow toothpaste. Too much fluoride and the other chemicals in toothpaste are harmful for kids. That’s why you should choose toothpaste that has lower fluoride content. Use only a small amount of paste; try teaching your child to spit the paste out.
Another question that might pop up in relation to kids’ teeth cleaning is when to take your child to the dentist. Some specialist think that this should be right away after the kid got his/her first tooth. However, others say that if it is not needed, you don’t have to do it sooner than 4-5 years.
In order for children to have healthy teeth, they need fluoride and calcium. Sometimes the water contains fluoride, which should be enough. Some kids might need fluoride supplements, talk to the doctor or dentist.
There is a special way for kids to prevent tooth decay. Did you hear about a dental sealant? This is a plastic material applied on teeth to prevent cavities. A dental sealant is mostly put on permanent molars, because these are harder to clean and they tend to decay. The procedure is simple. The dentist cleans the tooth and applies a special gel. After the tooth is washed off and dried, the sealant is put on the tooth where it forms a film and protects the enamel. Sealants are almost invisible; they can be transparent or white. They are very effective against tooth decay and they last 5-10 years.