Kids love candy and we live in a world that encourages them to eat it. Pounds of chewing gum, Nerd ropes, and soda, can cause dental problems such as cavities and gum issues. It is very important to keep up with your children’s dental health. There are a few simple steps you can take to stay on top of your kid’s dental care.
Start Taking Care of Their Teeth Before They Have Teeth
When your child is an infant, you can begin their dental hygiene regime by cleaning their gums regularly. You can take them in for their first pediatric dental examination on their first birthday, or when the first baby tooth rears its head.
They can examine your child for any gum problems and any erupting teeth. You will want to take them several times when they are teething, so the doctor can make sure there are no developing problems.
Teach Your Kids to Floss
When You teach your kids how to brush their teeth, you should also teach them how to floss. Even though their baby teeth are temporary, a child can still be subject to gum disease, which can lead to many different types of illnesses. Teaching them to floss will also develop good habits for when their adult teeth begin to emerge.
Give Them Healthy Snacks
If your human, you want your kids to like you and nothing pleases people quite as much as sugar. Unfortunately, sugar is very addictive and leads to obesity and other health problems such as bad teeth.
Feeding your kids healthy snacks will pay off in the long run. Cheese sticks have a lot of calcium and are great for building up bones. When you give them candy avoid anything that will stick to the teeth.
Instead of giving them sports drinks and soda, just give them plain filtered water. Water fluoridation has been around for over 60 years and most communities fluoridate their water. There are some communities that do not use fluoride. The small city of Portland, Oregon still does not fluoridate. If the water in your community is not fluoridated, you can always use a fluoride rinse.
Even if your community does not have fluoridated water, it is still very important to keep your kids hydrated. Dehydration can lead to gum problems.
Take Them to the Dentist
You should take your child to the dentist at least twice a year. You should go to the dentist twice a year as well. When looking for a dentist you should find dental services that can accommodate the entire family. If you all go to the same office, it will save you lots of time and you will get to know the staff there.
You should choose a doctor who has plenty of experience working with children and who has a great online reputation. Make sure to ask about payment plans for things like crowns and braces and make sure they take your insurance.
It is not uncommon for people to be afraid of dentists. Taking your child to the dentist when they are young will help them set aside those fears.
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