Teaching Your Toddler About Tooth Care

by Sam Malone


Teeth are very important in adults and taking care of them are habits that you form in childhood. It is very important to teach your children the proper habits for dental care. Research has shown that children, who have good dental hygiene habits in their childhood, carry these habits into their adult lives. When your child begins to get teeth, it is time to start practicing proper tooth care. Babies are not yet old enough to brush their teeth, but toddlers are. By the time your toddler is about two years old, he or she can start caring for their teeth on a regular basis.These tips for dental health can go a long way in ensuring good teeth and healthy gums. Kids who do not maintain great dental hygiene usually get cavities in their childhood itself. Kids should be taught that eating excessive sugar can be very harmful for the teeth. A balanced diet negates this effect. Eating apples and carrots and other fruits and vegetables you can crunch cleans your teeth in a manner unlike any brushing of the teeth. Teach your child to eat an apple whole so that his teeth and gums remain healthy. Teach about brushing: You will want to take the time to teach your toddler about brushing. Brushing is very important, even at this age. Proper brushing twice a day and help prevent cavities and plaque build up. There are many products that will help your child brush his or her teeth each day including specially formulated toothpastes for toddlers and smaller toothbrushes made to fit their little hands.

Dental care for children involves basic habits like brushing your teeth correctly, rinsing and gargling after every meal, not eating too many things bad for your teeth and of course repeating these habits, day after day. Dental hygiene for kids should also include habits of eating correctly and in a balanced fashion. Using the correct tooth paste and brushing with the correct motion is also important while cleaning the child's mouth. So the child so that he imitates you. Make teeth brushing competitive to show whose teeth are cleaner or shinier so that your child has an advantage to brush slowly and carefully. Encourage your child every time he successfully brushes his teeth on his own. Make brushing of teeth an adventure so that your child gets excited every time he knows you have to brush teeth. As toddlers, you might be brushing their teeth for them but don't discount the advantage of repetition. Constantly telling your toddler how to brush his teeth is dental care for toddlers. It is important that you establish a routine as early as you can of brushing your toddler's teeth twice a day. You might start by brushing your toddler's teeth but slowly show the baby how to brush his own teeth. Supervise and if need be, brush along with your toddler a few times. Slowly teach your child how to spit out the toothpaste and how to gargle out the foam. Till your child learns to spit out the foam use child-friendly toothpaste, your dentist can recommend a toothpaste that has less sugar and less fluoride. Teaching your child how often to brush is just as important. Help your child brush his or her teeth twice a day and impress upon the importance of a healthy, clean mouth. Flossing, even at this young age, is also important. Of course, you will also want to talk to your child about the importance of not eating sweets and drinking a lot of surgery drinks. You will have control over what your child eats and drinks, so remember that healthy foods are best and if your child loves juice, dilute it with water.

Brushing techniques differ but basic brushing involves brushing all surfaces of the teeth. Show creative poses so that your child can reach every area in his mouth. If your child is a little older, it will not be a stretch to show him how to floss as well. Kids and sugar have an unbreakable bond. Wherever possible, do cut down on the sugar intake. Encourage your child to rinse and gargle every time he eats some sweet or candy. Like for adults, encourage your child not snack in between meals. Getting regular dental checkups should also be a part of your child's dental care. Regular checkups also ensure that your child does not associate the dentist with cavities and pain. Tooth decay is quite common. Early habits and regular care is one big way to prevent cavities from forming early on. Do not ignore any form of toothache. It might not be anything serious but always get it checked out from the dentist.A child's dental care actually begins before birth. The mother should have eaten calcium-rich food with plenty of minerals and vitamins. A prenatal diet plays an important role in helping the child develop good and strong teeth. Encourage your child to drink more milk as it will strengthen his teeth and fortify them. Babies also suffer from early childhood caries or infections due to bad dental care. This usually starts when babies are put to sleep with bottles that contain sweetened drinks. They get used to falling asleep after drinking such drinks. It becomes a difficult habit to break when they become toddlers. As these babies fall asleep, the infection forms on their gums and in their mouth. These are white marks which can also cause problems for future teeth that will appear in its place. It is important that you don't let the baby fall asleep using a bottle as a pacifier. Use a small soft bristle brush but ensure that you start to clean the baby's teeth as the teeth appear. Too much sugar and too much carbohydrate is the culprit when it comes to bad teeth. This habit can be prevented from forming and you can teach your child the perils of eating the wrong things. Perpetual tooth decay and gum problems are known to cause other diseases later in life like diabetes so it makes sense to take care. Your child is not too young to make a visit to the dentist. In fact, most dentists recommend a visit by the time your child is about one year old. Don't expect the dentist to clean your child's teeth as they would yours. Instead, the dentist will look for visible problems such as decay and will count your child's teeth and talk to you about proper dental care. The main goal of this very first visit is to ease your child's fear of going to the dentist and getting them used to the routine.


Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.


Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.
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