As we look back on National Children’s Dental Health Month, the pediatric dentistry team at Brush Rinse Floss wants to stress the importance of the benefits of good oral health for February and beyond. Our pediatric dentists have decided to put together a list of things for you to watch to ensure that your children get the care needed to make their young smiles healthy.
At Brush Rinse Floss, fun dentistry for kids is something we try to emphasize, and taking care of teeth outside the office will make visits much more enjoyable for your child.
When Should My Baby See a Dentist?
One common question we get from parents is: When should my baby see a dentist?
The main purpose of your child’s first dental visit is to get them accustomed to visiting the dentist and sitting in the dentist’s chair. It’s generally recommended that a child’s first dental appointment occur within six months of their first tooth eruption or before their first birthday. Although, there is some leeway if your toddler isn’t snacking at night and has moved away from bottles to drinking out of cups. Once your child reaches two years of age they should be attending regular dental visits every six months.
Be Careful with Sugar!
Yes, we chose to include this dental cliche in our National Children’s Dental Health Month list. However, you can’t spread awareness about the importance of maintaining oral health, and overall health, in kids without talking about what sugar can do to teeth.
Parents, there is nothing wrong with letting your child enjoy a sweet treat every once in a while. However, you have to make sure they clean their teeth afterward! Letting sugar sit on your child’s tooth enamel can be incredibly damaging, causing problems like plaque buildup and cavities. These oral health issues will make them have to spend more time in the dental chair and undergo painful pokes and prods with needles to fix the problem.
Brush and Floss TWICE a day!
Did you know that most adults don’t brush and floss their teeth the amount needed to make a difference in their oral health? If that number is high for grownups, it is high for children (who want to brush even less than we do).
We recommend everyone brush and floss their teeth at least once in the morning and once before bed! Doing this is vital in maintaining oral health, as it prevents damaging bacteria and enzymes from building on your enamel and soft gum tissue. If these things are left unchecked over long periods, they will cause issues like tooth decay and gingivitis.
The issues that come with not brushing and flossing are worse than putting in the work to get the benefits of good oral health. If your kids aren’t doing this, talk to them and educate them on the importance of caring for their smile! The good news is that brushing and flossing has never been easier with recent advances in dental technology. Water flossers can be a fun way to entice kids into taking charge of their tooth care routine! Electric toothbrushes also come in all shapes and sizes, giving your child’s teeth a superior clean that isn’t labor-intensive.
Talk to Brush Rinse Floss!
We hope the month of February, aka National Children’s Dental Health Month, went well for you and that this article helped! Explaining the benefits of good oral health to kids can be tricky on top of everything else that needs to be done for them. However, if you focus on the things covered in this article between routine dental visits, you should get a good report back from your dentist at the next checkup. If you are in the Detroit area and require a pediatric dentist near you, give Brush Rinse Floss a call or visit our website to book an appointment at one of our offices!
