By Hien Truong.
Many parents say their main concern is that their child is not brushing their teeth well enough. Food and bacteria is left on their teeth for too long may eventually cause holes in teeth and lead to toothaches and abscesses. At Raceview Dental, Ipswich, our aim is to prevent problems before it occurs by working with you to help your children brush the right way.
A few tips to make sure your children are doing it right at home:
- Brushing should be done twice a day for two minutes – after dinner and in the morning..
- You can clean your baby’s teeth using a wet, clean tea towel and introduce a children’s toothbrush when able.
- Younger children under seven years old will need help with this as their motor skills are not fully developed. This is best done either by sitting facing your child or sitting in your lap. You need to make sure you can see all the teeth and gums and remember to brush all five sides of each tooth.Massaging the gums with the toothbrush will ensure the whole tooth is brushed.
- Older children under twelve may simply need supervision and encouragement.
- Children should have fluoride to make teeth strong to fight off holes caused by bacteria. The easiest way is using an age appropriate children’s toothpaste and drinking fluoridated water. As kids get older they may not like the spiciness of adult toothpaste, if this is the case we can discuss other ways for your child to get the protection their teeth need.
- If your child’s teeth touch each other at any age, these will need to be flossed which cleans the sides of the teeth. Flossettes – floss on a handle are a great way to do this with kids.
If you’re still worried after trying at home to get your kids to brush, come in for a check up exam and we can see how they are doing, give them some tips and tricks and give them a thorough clean to get them started on the right foot. We recommend introducing your children to the dentist at two. This can include watching a family member have a clean or having a ride in the dentist chair and having their teeth counted. This familiarization process sets them up for life with little fear of the dentist so they can receive all the benefits of preventative dental care.
If needed, we may recommend fissure seals to prevent holes in teeth that are not getting brushed well. Fissure seals are protective shields we put on the deep grooves of teeth so the bacteria can’t touch them to make holes. This way to prevent holes can only be done when the teeth are healthy underneath the plaque. We at Raceview Dental, Ipswich think prevention is better than cure so if you’re worried, come in and see how we can help. Our dentists are highly trained in the treatment of children and we see kids from all over Ipswich for their dental care. Your child might even be eligible for free dental care and you can read more on our Ipswich Children’s Dentistry page