Dental Dentist

If you want your kids to grow up to have beautiful smiles, you should begin their dental care when they are infants. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), twenty percent of children have their first cavity even before they turn five. Furthermore, fifty to seventy percent of children are diagnosed with at least one cavity in their grade school years. With proper dental care and oral hygiene, these figures can be drastically brought down.

Very often parents ask when the right time to start dental care with kids is. Well the answer is- sooner the better. Start dental care at the infant stage itself. This might sound a little strange to you as your child still does not have a single tooth. By taking care of your baby’s gum even before there are any teeth, you help your child get accustomed to a daily routine of oral care.

Infant Dental Care

Follow these simple and helpful guidelines to ensure that you practice proper dental care with your infant.
•    Remember to wash your baby’s gums with a soft wet washcloth after every feeding. Decay can set in even before the teeth start to grow.
•    Never have your infant sleep with a bottle of milk or formula. Milk can stay on the gum and this might lead to formation of bacteria and plaque.
•    Get a very soft toothbrush and infant toothpaste and start brushing your kid’s very first tooth. If you wait till he/she is two or three, you might  find it hard to get her/him into the habit of brushing. Starting so late can also lead to tooth decay.
•    Most dentists recommend that you take your kid to the dentist around their first birthday. You can visit sooner if you see any problem. This will also help your infant become familiar with the dental clinic environment and he/she will not be hesitant to visit the dentist once they are several years old.
•    Brush your infant’s teeth twice daily. Brushing before bedtime is a must.

Children’s Dental Care

Once your kids get all his/her teeth you need to ensure that your kid follows proper oral hygiene. Make sure your kid brushes after every meal. If he/she is below the age of six,  you need to supervise his/her brushing. Make sure you take your kid to the dentist every six months. Once your child starts getting his/her permanent teeth, you need to get them to start flossing under adult supervision.

Many parents point out that since their child will anyway loose their baby teeth, they should not worry about cavities at that stage. The fact is that if baby tooth/teeth have to be taken out due to cavities, this can create problem for the permanent teeth because baby teeth serve as the place holders of permanent teeth. Inculcating good dental care habits in your kids will lead to them to have strong teeth and a beautiful smile when they grow up.