8 ways to protect teeth effectively for children

As a parent, you must always be interested in your child's dental problems and always find ways to protect their teeth. So what are the most effective ways you should do it?

You can keep your baby from tooth decay by caring for his or her teeth early. Here are ways to prevent tooth decay to help children own healthy, white teeth.

Checking teeth

You should take your baby to the dentist when you are one year old because early prevention will save you money in the long run.

Teach your children good habits

Brushing is the first necessary habit that babies should know. Before your baby teething, you can gently brush your baby's gums. Mix toothpaste with water and clean your child's teeth with a soft cloth.

When your baby teething, brush your baby's teeth 2 times / day with a children's toothbrush and toothpaste. When your child has 2 teeth next to each other, you should floss to clean the teeth, and ask the dentist about the technique and usage.

Remind your child to brush and floss at least 2 times a day, especially before bed. After that, you should not feed or drink anything except filtered water until the next morning.

Your dentist will suggest when your child should use a mouthwash . Until then, you should wait and do not voluntarily use mouthwash.

Avoid mouthwash bottles that cause tooth decay

You should not use a bottle containing fruit juice or a bottle to sleep with infants or young children. These sugary liquids will attach to baby's teeth, become food for bacteria and cause tooth decay . If your child needs to keep a bottle when he goes to bed, just put in filtered water.

Cut back on juices

Many parents think that fruit juice is a healthy drink all day long. However, they are the things that can cause tooth decay in a child. You should limit your child to drink more than 115 ml of pure fruit juice per day.

Check your child's drinking bottle

A drinking bottle helps your baby switch from a bottle to a cup. Do not let your child use it all day. Children using this bottle too much can lead to tooth decay in the back of the front teeth if the drink contains sugar.

Remove the pacifier before your baby is 2 or 3 years old

There are many reasons you give your baby a pacifier , but in the long run, it can affect the child's teeth in the future, even change the mouth. Consult your doctor if your baby continues to use pacifiers at 3 years old.

Watch out for sweet-tasting drugs

Children's medicines can have flavors and sugar. If they get on the teeth, the baby can develop tooth decay. Children who have to take medication because they have chronic illnesses like asthma or heart disease are more likely to develop tooth decay.

Antibiotics and some asthma medications can cause candida (a fungus) overgrowth, which can cause your baby to develop a yeast infection, also known as  oral thrush . Thick patches like milk on the tongue or inside of the mouth are a sign that your baby is infected. Ask your dentist about brushing frequency if your baby is on long-term medication. Maybe your baby has to brush his teeth 4 times a day.

Be consistent in practicing brushing, flossing, and rinsing

If your baby is crying loudly every time it's time to brush his teeth, refrain from flossing or rinsing his mouth, you should be strict with him. Make it clear to your baby that there is no choice but to thoroughly clean their teeth.

Here are a few tips to help your child brush their teeth:

Patience. Children can brush their teeth with the help of parents when they are 2–3 years old and can do it on their own at the age of 6. By the age of 10, they can floss by themselves;

Don't wait until the end of the day. When your child is tired, you should not be determined to make him brush, floss or rinse his mouth. Therefore, to avoid the case that your baby is too tired to skip the task, you should remind your child to perform these 3 steps of oral hygiene early and do not be too close to bedtime;

Let your baby choose his own toothpaste. Children 5 or older can choose toothpaste from your suggestions. So, let your child choose according to their preferences, they will be more motivated to take care of their teeth;

Motivation. A child can happily brush his teeth if his parents give him a gold star on the daily good deeds chart. You can let your child brush their teeth with their parents. Your baby will enjoy being more involved when they see adults brushing their teeth.

Oral care is a habit that needs to be established when a child is a child so that he or she will have healthy and bright teeth in the future.

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