Fortunately, it is never too early to start getting into
healthy dental habits! Lifelong good dental habits can help ensure your
children's teeth remain healthy and look great.
Preventing Dental Issues
The best way to prevent dental issues from happening in the
first place is by practicing good oral hygiene habits. Don't wait until your
child starts showing signs of their first tooth. You can wipe their mouth down
with a clean cloth each night before bed to ensure there's no bacteria left
behind.
Once their teeth start to come in, brush them gently with
water and schedule their first visit to the dentist to ensure that your child
has no potential issues. After your dentist says it's all right, you can start
using toothpaste with fluoride on your child's teeth.
It can take several years for children to master brushing
their teeth properly, so you may have to help them ensure they are doing a
thorough job. There are many ways to help make brushing more fun, such as
buying toothpaste in a flavour they like or getting an electric brush with a
timer built in!
Developing Strong and Healthy Teeth
We've already discussed the importance of making sure your
children brush their teeth daily and that you schedule regular visits to the
dentist. However, there are many other ways to help ensure your children
develop strong and healthy teeth, including the following:
Don't put your baby to bed with a bottle. Having fluids such
as juice or milk sit on a baby's teeth for hours can cause the sugars in them
to eat away at the teeth's enamel.
Try switching from a bottle to a sippy cup when they are a
year old. A sippy cup helps prevent liquid from pooling around your child's
teeth.
Ensure that your children are getting enough fluoride in
their teeth. Most tap water contains fluoride, but you can ask your dentist for
fluoride supplements if yours doesn't.
Limit the amount of sticky candy your child eats. We understand
that most children love to eat candy, and we're not saying you should deny them
all sweets and treats! However, avoiding gummy candy that sticks to your teeth
is essential, as it can damage their enamel.
Consider getting sealants put on your child's molars. These
help protect the molars and make them less prone to getting cavities.
Improving Overall Health
Having a healthy mouth is linked to being healthy overall.
If you have poor oral health, you can be at risk of developing conditions such
as:
Endocarditis. This is an infection of the inner lining of
your heart. It can be caused by germs spreading from your mouth to your heart
via your bloodstream.
Cardiovascular diseases. For example, clogged arteries and
heart disease have been linked to infections or inflammation caused by oral
bacteria.
Pneumonia and other respiratory diseases can be caused by
oral bacteria being pulled into your lungs.
Another issue to consider with your health is if you have
impacted wisdom teeth. With impacted wisdom teeth, you can suffer from a
variety of issues, including swollen gums and difficulty opening and closing
your mouth. The best way to deal with such issues is with wisdom tooth extraction.
Establishing Lifelong Habits
Taking good care of your teeth must be a lifelong habit!
These are the best ways to ensure you have good oral health at every stage of
your life:
For children, regular brushing and visits to the dentist are
a must.
For teenagers, they should continue with regular brushing
and also add in flossing. For some teenagers, there may be the additional
complication of braces. Talk to the dentist and orthodontist about the best way
to ensure your teen has healthy teeth while having braces. And make sure that
your teen knows that a visit to the orthodontist doesn't replace a visit to the
dentist!
Adults also need to make sure they continue to brush and
floss daily. Keep up with regular visits to the dentist and address any issues,
such as cavities, as soon as they are found.
Seniors need to see the dentist regularly, and may also need
to customize their oral hygiene routine to include particular types of
toothpaste or floss aimed at seniors.
Finally, the best thing you can do for your teeth at any age
is avoid smoking and keep a healthy diet.
Early Detection for Effective Treatment
As with any health issue, the earlier a dental problem is
detected, the more effectively it can be treated. These are some of the dental
issues that children can face:
Cavities. Even if your child is brushing twice a day, they
can still end up developing cavities. The earlier these are caught, the less
invasive and painful the treatment will be.
Teeth and jaw misalignment. A dentist can detect if your
child has any issues with their teeth growing crooked or their jaw not
developing correctly. The earlier these issues are caught, the easier they are
to treat.
Excessive thumb sucking. If a child sucks their thumb for
too long, this can cause damage to their teeth or jaws. A dentist can help you
develop a plan to help decrease your child's urge to suck their thumb.
Give Your Child a Healthy Start in Life With Solid Oral Hygiene Habits
One of the best ways to help your kids stay healthy is by
teaching them good oral hygiene habits early in life. The earlier brushing and
flossing their teeth become a habit, the better chance your children have of
having healthy teeth for life!
Of course, regardless of how good care you take of your
teeth, this doesn't mean you'll never have problems with them. A family history
of crowded or weak teeth may mean you'll require extra care from a dentist or
orthodontist.
Another issue that a lot of young adults face is their
wisdom teeth getting trapped, which is generally referred to as being impacted.
This can cause a variety of issues, including pain and swelling. The solution
to this problem is to have your wisdom teeth extracted.
