Looking After Your Children’s Teeth

Dental health is one of the most important elements of your child’s overall well being. Healthy teeth and gums are essential to a happy childhood and have implications far beyond dental discomfort. Naturally occurring plaque and tartar can coat the teeth and erode tooth enamel if left untreated, leading to pain, sensitivity and even tooth loss. Particularly for younger children, this can have a devastating impact on growing mouths, and it is essential parents take proactive steps to look after their kids’ teeth and gums.
Unfortunately, it can take kids a while to get into the mindset of caring for their teeth and their bodies more generally. Health education is becoming increasingly central to school curricula, and this is useful in training both kids and parents in the most effective ways to care for teeth and gums.

But parents too have a responsibility to make sure their kids’ teeth are clean and healthy, and instilling a solid daily routine of brushing and flossing can make a real difference. The more knowledgeable your kids are about the importance of dental health, the better chance their teeth have of surviving through adulthood.

Unhealthy gums can become inflamed and diseased if left unchecked, and teeth can build up damaging bacteria over time. Parents should encourage healthy dental practices early on as part of the daily routine, in order to educate their kids and protect against the dental risks that can so easily require further attention.

Dr. Cobb, pediatric dentistry works with kids of all ages. Practitioners often feel that the most effective gains in dental health can be made on the preventative side. To avoid these problems from arising in the first place, a combination of a more tooth-sensitive diet and more effective daily care can help prevent these problems from arising in the first place.

Acid erosion is one of the main concerns, causing the enamel to become thinner and exposing the more sensitive dentine in the tooth to external elements. This can cause sharp pain and discomfort for sufferers, and it may even result in teeth being removed. A diet that is less acidic is one way to combat this.

Candy, sugary drinks and even fruit juices can erode teeth to a dangerous extent, and removing these from your diet can prevent further damage from taking hold. When you do consume food with a particularly high acid content, it is important to do so at meal times. Snacking in between presents a more constant attack on your kids’ teeth that they simply cannot handle.

Flossing is easily overlooked, but it remains at least as important as brushing to your child’s oral health. Flossing once or twice a day is recommended in order to remove food and bacteria build-ups from in between teeth. This complements brushing as part of a complete dental routine that can keep your child’s teeth and gums stronger for longer.

Looking after your child’s dental health is important, both for first and adult teeth. A more focused parental approach can avoid unpleasant and uncomfortable treatments, in addition to a host of other health problems that can arise from poor dental health and hygiene.