Check and see if your child is due for his.her regular appointment. Ideally, they should be seeing a dentist every 6 months for regular cleanings and check-ups.
Teach your child good oral health habits! Children should be brushing their teeth at least twice a day for about 2-3 minutes each time. Kids from 6-9 years old can be the toughest as they don’t yet have the manual dexterity to clean their teeth properly on their own and typically focus solely on brushing the front teeth, yet they want to be independent and do it themselves. You should let them brush and once they’ve given it their best shot you should follow up and make sure they’ve done a good job, especially around those back molars. Electric toothbrushes are great for kids since they have timers that let them know exactly how long they should be brushing
Think through a healthy lunch and snack menu for when school begins. We know it’s easier said than done but since children don’t typically brush their teeth while at school, caretakers need to make sure their lunches and snacks contain healthy and sugar-free ingredients. Lunch bags filled with crunchy vegetables, sugar-free drinks and foods helps with keeping teeth clean and cavity free. Testing out drinks and snacks ahead of time to see which your children will actually enjoy will go a long way.
Get babies and toddlers on the same schedule and make sure if their teeth have erupted that you begin the process of selecting a dentist for them and scheduling their first appointment. The earlier you bring a child to the dentist, the sooner he/she will get accustomed to the environment and learn what to expect at the office and during a check-up.
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!