Teaching your child proper dental care at a young age is an investment in their health that will pay lifelong dividends. You can start by setting an example; taking good care of your own teeth sends a message that oral health is something to be valued. In the early years, anything that makes taking care of teeth fun, like brushing along with your child or letting them choose their own toothbrush, encourages proper oral care.
To help your children protect their teeth and gums and greatly reduce their risk of getting cavities, teach them to follow these simple steps:
- Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste to remove plaque-the sticky film on teeth to reduce their risk of children’s tooth decay.
- Floss daily to remove plaque from between their teeth and under the gumline, before it can harden into tartar. Once tartar has formed, it can only be removed with professional cleaning.
- Eat a well-balanced diet that limits starchy or sugary food and drinks, which produce plaque acids that cause tooth decay in children and adults. When kids’ eat these foods, encourage them to eat them with their meal instead of as a snack – the extra saliva produced during a meal helps rinse food from the mouth.
- Make sure that your children’s drinking water is fluoridated. If your water supply doesn’t contain fluoride, your dentist may prescribe daily fluoride supplements.
- Take your child to the dentist for regular checkups.
