Riverside Dental Practice
32 Forth Crescent, Riverside
Stirling FK8 1LG
32 Forth Crescent, Riverside
Stirling FK8 1LG
There are plenty of concerns to be had for parents regarding oral health in children as they transition from babies through to their teenage years. Due to the nature of kids or teens and various activities in the home, school, or social events,oral health is not always a priority.
Therefore, it is important for parents to become aware of dental concerns in the oral health of teens. In addition to misbehaving at social activities, teens often attempt to avoid preventive care and place a low priority on maintaining good daily oral hygiene.
Moreover, your child’s dental health is probably one of your biggest concerns for your kids. Their oral hygiene is an important part of their overall health. The care of your child’s teeth and gums starts with you and you can set them on the right path for a lifetime of great oral hygiene.
In this blog, we will guide you through some of the various tips, pointers and things to consider in regards to the dental hygiene of your children, from when their first set of baby teeth appear, right up until their teens years.
Your child’s well-being is undoubtedly one of your biggest concerns and their oral hygiene is going to be a crucial part of their overall health. The care of your child’s teeth and gums begins with you, you can set them on the right path for a lifetime of great oral hygiene. So, from brushing their first tooth to their first trip to the dentist, here is how you can help to take care of your children’s teeth.
Fluoride is crucial to your child’s dental health. It is well known to decrease cavities in baby teeth and adult teeth. It also aids making teeth strong by making them harder in the tooth enamel. Many kids get fluoride in drinking water. Lots of cities are required to include fluoride to tap water. Water filters such as Brita, do not remove fluoride and are fine to use.
If your water does not contain fluoride, your child may have to have an oral fluoride supplement. Talk to your doctor to see if your child needs this. Once your child starts going to the dentist, they will get a fluoride varnish or cleaning their teeth.
Dental hygiene should start when your child is a baby. Start using a gentle child-size toothbrush around the age of 1 or 2. As previously mentioned you’ll want to begin brushing your child’s teeth with water at least twice a day.
You also can add a small dot of toothpaste that doesn’t have fluoride in it. This type of toothpaste is safe for your child to swallow. Once your child is a little older and able to spit out the toothpaste, you can switch to one that has fluoride. Only use a small amount. Teach your child to spread it among their teeth, gums, and tongue. You can even call your doctor or dentist show you the right way to brush your child’s teeth.
Your child will most likely need help to brush their teeth until they are 7 or 8 years old. Around this age, they can start using a larger sized toothbrush. You should switch toothbrushes every 3 to 6 months or when the bristles look well used and worn. Kids often brush their teeth for 2 minutes. Flossing should be a key part of your child’s oral care routine. Teach your little one to floss at least once a day. You can buy floss that comes with a handle to make it a little easier for them.
Cavities appear as holes that form in your teeth. These will occur when germs build up in your mouth. Sugar in various forms of food and drinks turn into an acid, this can eat away at your teeth whether you realise it or not. Cavities are fairly common in young children because their teeth can be more tricky to brush. Everyone in your family should be taking good care of their teeth to set an example.
In general, baby teeth tend to appear between 4 and 7 months old. The first teeth that often come through are usually the 2 bottom front teeth.
Children can lose their baby teeth as young as 6 years old and as in some cases as late as 12 years old. Often, this process, your child has a mix of teeth as baby ones fall out and adult one’s breakthrough. Around this period of time, your dentist may wish to discuss with you and your child about possible dental issues. Some children require orthodontic treatment, such as braces. A full set of adult teeth is 32 teeth, this also includes wisdom teeth, which most people do not get until their late teens or early adulthood.
It’s totally normal for babies to suck their thumbs, fingers, or even a pacifier. Many children give up this habit on their own by the age of 4. Prolonged use can often cause issues with teeth alignment. Discuss this with your dentist if your child still has a sucking habit after age 4. They can watch for problems as your child’s teeth develop. for most children, there is no reason to worry about a sucking habit until around age 6, when the permanent front teeth develop.
Here at Riverside Dental Practise, we are a family-oriented practice and we are visited by a large number of families with children of all ages and teenagers. We advise that your children start visiting the dentist around the age of 18 months as the baby teeth are becoming established and continue making regular visits throughout their childhood and early adolescence. All of our dentists are very experienced when it comes to working with children. Some kids needs a bit of coaxing to allow a dental examination at first but that’s ok. After a couple of visits, children become familiarised with the dental setting and usually allow the dentist to examine their teeth with ease. To find out more, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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