Kids Teeth – Getting Your Kids To Brush Regularly

Our site is primarily about false teeth, dentures, and dental implants, but we want to offer some information for younger children, and other broader dental issues to help more people… in an ongoing effort to bring more information that is helpful to our readers.

— from the editor.

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One of the most important parts of dental care is brushing and flossing on a regular basis. While this is a routine that the majority of us are used to and appreciate, it isn’t always the most exciting thing for kids to do.

However, to keep your kid’s teeth healthy, it is absolutely essential that you be able to get your kids to brush every day. This is true even if they have their first set of teeth and they will fall out and be replaced by adult ones.

The condition of a child’s teeth will have a direct impact on their oral health for the rest of their life. Children who have cavities and other issues with their first set of teeth can develop further issues as their new set grows into place. Make sure they see their children’s dentist regularly.

The fact of the matter is that teaching your kids to brush and floss their teeth is absolutely essential. Their health and well-being and happiness are going to hinge partly on being able to develop these habits and use them throughout life.

How To Keep Kid’s Teeth Healthy

So, how do you get kids to brush their teeth? While parents can get by for a while by doing it for their new kids, the older ones are going to need to do it on their own.

It can be tricky, there’s no denying that. Sometimes children are not going to want to brush their teeth for a wide variety of reasons.

Therefore, you need to be able to work with them in order to encourage good habits, rather than forcing them to do it every night. There are several ways that you can accomplish these goals.

The first way is a straightforward one, but it can be very effective. Simply explain to your child in direct and simple terms how important this is, and why they need to be on the ball with their efforts.

It will not work for every child, but some kids are able to process this simple and direct request in a positive way. The simplest ways sometimes work, so give it a shot before moving on to other things.

One great thing that you can do is make the experience fun for children. You can get brightly colored toothbrushes and fizzing toothpaste, as well as toothpaste that is gentle and can even be swallowed without any health risks.

Nowadays you can even get electric toothbrushes that play music for 2 minutes. This makes brushing much more interesting for children and gives them a good indication of how long to brush for – when the music stops, they’re done. Click here to see it on Amazon.

By making this experience fun, the little ones will hopefully gravitate toward their oral health and have a good time with it in the evenings. By making sure that the kids have their own dental care tools that are special to them, you can hopefully give them a reason to enjoy things a bit more.

Getting your kids to visit a children’s dentist is another part of the story. Make sure you check out our post on what to look for in a children’s dentist.

Fluoride – Is It Safe For Your Children?

Fluoride has turned into a contentious issue in health-related circles, and parents may ponder whether or not they should give their kids fluoridated water to drink or toothpaste. The truth is, even people who endorse using fluoride to fight dental cavities realize that children should not be exposed to large volumes of fluoride.

You might like to do more research on this subject, but when you decide to clean your kid’s teeth with toothpaste that contains fluoride, be sure she or he does not swallow the toothpaste.

If your child does have a tendency to swallow toothpaste and you are concerned about how much fluoride your children may be consuming, then you might want to investigate whether or not your public water supply does in fact have fluoride added. If your local water source does contain fluoride, then you might think about getting your kid’s water in bottles or obtaining a water filter.

Further Tips To Ensure Healthy Teeth For Your Kids

There are many other things you can do to help ensure that your kids have got strong and healthy teeth. Obviously, you can buy the correct toothpaste and toothbrushes specifically made for children.

But in addition to this, make sure that you take your children to the dentist for regular dental check-ups. Many pediatric dentists specialize in dental work for kids, and they are used to dealing with the issues that kids present, and also should know how to make them comfortable to minimize stress (for both the child and parent). It is also good to start this habit of visiting the dentist early in a child’s life so it becomes a “normal” part of their life.

Having said that, what is most important is instructing kids so that they can eventually assume responsibility for their own teeth. Look for educational materials, like publications, puzzles, and games which may have oral health themes. A useful tool for just about any home is a tooth brushing chart that could be put up in your bathroom. This will help remind kids to brush and floss every day.

Ideally, you want to get your kids to the point where they can take good care of their teeth without you being forced to continuously remind them.

Vitamin Supplements For Kids

Particular vitamins and minerals will help keep children’s teeth strong. Although you should try to make sure that your kids obtain most of their nutritional needs from their diet, at times additional supplements may be needed. Calcium and Vitamin D are both required for strong teeth and bones. While parents used to provide these for the most part with milk and other dairy products, not all kids can tolerate a diet plan that’s loaded with milk products. Occasionally, it might be better to provide them with a supplement. A different item that may be helpful for oral health is cod liver fish oil, which is full of Vitamin D3. While children may not enjoy using this, you will find children’s versions that are flavored, or perhaps you just might place it into a thing they do like, like juice.

Talk to your doctor or pediatric dentist for other supplement ideas specific to your child’s circumstances to make sure they are receiving all the necessary vitamins and minerals for healthy teeth.

Tips On Dental Care In Infants And Toddlers

As a mother, you may find it ridiculous to talk about dental hygiene for your baby, when your infant does not even have teeth. However, dental hygiene is also inclusive of the whole mouth and the tongue; not just the teeth.

As for toddlers that do have their first teeth, an emphasis must be placed on good brushing techniques when brushing baby teeth as well as flossing, and one of the best ways to get them into good habits is to do it with them. Do not neglect to brush toddlers’ teeth under the assumption they will lose their first teeth and get others.

Here are basic guidelines from the moment your child is born.

Dental Care In A Baby Without Teeth

It is important to clean the inside of your baby’s mouth to avoid the accumulation of bacteria, which may lead to sores in the mouth or other body complications. Clean the mouth by placing the infant on your lap and elevating their head such that it is at your chest level. Place a clean slightly wet cloth in the mouth and clean the surfaces of the gums. You can use warm water to wet the cloth. Repeat this procedure after every feeding session. At a minimum, you should aim for at least twice a day.

What About Brushing Baby Teeth?

Continue this until after they get their first teeth. Once they have their front and lower teeth use the cloth to clean the gums and the new teeth. You can get a soft kids toothbrush for your child after one year for brushing baby teeth. You should brush their teeth until they can brush on their own. Even then, supervise their brushing until they get to 10 years old.

Click here for more information on options for a kid’s toothbrush.

How To Ease The Pain Of Teething

Once the baby starts teething, they will experience discomfort and even some pain. To enable your baby to cope with these changes attempt to numb the teething area by using the following methods:

• Massage the affected gums gently using your finger
• Place a cold spoon on the gums or a cold wet cloth
• Get a teething ointment. You can buy this easily at any pharmacy or over the counter but get advice from your dentist first
• Purchase a teething ring. Place a chilled teething ring on the gums and let them bite on it. The ring should only be slightly chilled, never frozen.

Teaching A Child How To Use A Kids Toothbrush

After the teething stage and your child can grasp a toothbrush on their own, it is time to teach them how to brush their own teeth. Make it easier by brushing along with them instead of instructing them as children can be taught well by leading by example. Make up a song to go along with the process to make it an intimate and entertaining moment for everyone!

There are also some pretty cool electric toothbrushes for kids. One example is the Philips Sonicare for Kids Rechargeable Toothbrush which also has an app to teach kids how to brush their teeth and makes it an exciting adventure. It is reported to make brushing kids’ teeth much easier, and they brush better and longer than they would normally. Check it out here.

It may be a bit of a challenge teaching children to brush their teeth properly with their own kid’s toothbrush, and getting them into the habit of brushing twice daily, but you will be setting them up for good dental health for the rest of their lives, so the time and effort you spend will be well worth it.

What To Look For In A Pediatric Dentist

When it comes to your little one’s dental care, it’s important that you get the most effective services offered. Locating the most effective pediatric dentist in your area may be challenging for people who have just relocated to an area.

We all want our kids to develop good dental hygiene habits from an early age, as this can set them up for a lifetime of good oral health. But how do you do this? One step in the right direction is finding a children’s dentist that focuses specifically on kids and aims to make their experience as pleasant as possible.

It is important to make certain that the professional you hire is not just a general dental practitioner, but one that focuses on and has had specific training in children’s dental care. A family dental expert may only offer general dental services, however, a pediatric dentist will focus on dental care for children. He or she will actually have had to seek an additional two to three years of education past dental college.

Ask For Referrals

Coping with children may be challenging, making it vital that you find a dental practitioner who has know-how dealing solely with little one’s dental problems. You may want to start by receiving referrals for a good children’s dentist from friends, relatives, and neighbors. A good friend who has recently received such services will have the best ability to suggest the most effective dental expert for your child.

You may also ask for a referral from your family physician when searching for a pediatric dentist in your area. Additionally, you might want to look at directories for pediatric dentists operating near to where you live. The internet can be an excellent source when it comes to finding the most effective dental specialists, as it will display dentists’ specialties as well as have feedback and reviews.

What To Ask

There are several things to look at when looking for a children’s dentist. You’ll want to look at the expertise and reputation of the dental expert. Youngsters may be extremely sensitive, and they may not feel at ease with particular people, at least at first. You will discover, nevertheless, that due to pediatric dentists’ specialized education and learning in taking care of children, your child should be exceptionally comfortable from the outset with their dentist and their personnel, making life easier for everyone.

On your very first visit, if required, you may also be able to hold your child in your lap for the examination.

If you are searching for the most effective dental treatment for your children, start looking around for the best pediatric dentist in your area. Getting them in the habit to look after their teeth from a young age is the best way to ensure that they have strong healthy teeth for life. So use some of the tips above and you should be able to find a dentist that specializes in children’s dentistry, and that your children will feel comfortable with so that they are not scared to go for their regular checkups.

Kids Oral Health – It’s Up To You

The principles we’ve covered in this article can help teach your children good routines to set them up for a life of excellent dental hygiene. Even if you’re careful, problems such as cavities can arise, which is why it is important to regularly attend your local pediatric dentist. Kids have all kinds of temptations like sweets, gum, sweet drinks along with other items that aren’t good for their teeth. To ensure dental health for kids, it is up to the parents to help educate their kids on the significance of oral health.

When it all comes down to it, this is something that sometimes requires a bit of creativity and cajoling, but you want to be able to get your kids to the point where they at least don’t dread the activity. The more you can tailor the experience to them, the better results you can expect from the situation overall.

So keep your kid’s teeth healthy by getting them into good habits early on in life, and set them up for a life of good oral health.