Starting Healthy Habits Early – Dental Care for Children
Once you shed your baby teeth, the teeth you have are the teeth you will be stuck with for life. You may be able to fill a cavity or get some false teeth to replace those that are damaged, but you won’t ever be able to reverse the damage that is done.
As a parent, you shouldn’t wait until your children have lost their baby teeth to start teaching them about good dental care. By instilling healthy habits early, you can set them up for a lifetime of good oral hygiene. You’ll also minimize the risk of damage to their gums and other tissues.
Starting Healthy Habits Early – Dental Care for Children
Visit a Pediatric Dentist
Most doctors recommend you take your child to a trusted Glendale pediatric dentist as soon as their teeth start to come in, or at least starting at a year. Your experienced dentist in Glendale, Arizona will brush your child’s teeth, check for accumulation of tartar and plaque, and gently scrape away any plaque.
Not much will take place during those early visits as compared to your own visits to the dentist. The real point of these visits is to get your child used to seeing a dentist and to learn more about the importance of brushing.
There are plenty of options for pediatric dentists throughout Glendale. Make sure you do your research and find one that has a reputation for being great with kids. The first visits your child has with a dentist will set the tone. If your child has a negative experience, he may fear going to the dentist for the rest of his life.
Start Brushing Early
As soon as your child has a tooth, you should be brushing it. Brush and floss every day, the same as you would for your own teeth. Use a small toothbrush and children’s toothpaste, which is safe for your little one to swallow. Show your child the proper way to brush teeth as you do it.
Find ways to make brushing teeth more fun since your child will likely resist the activity. Sing a song, say a rhyme, or turn the activity into a game. The more fun you can make it, the more you will bond with your child and the more positive associations you will create for your child with teeth brushing.
You will need to brush your child’s teeth for quite a long time. Most pediatric dentists say that children cannot brush their own teeth until they can tie their own shoes. The same motor skills are mastered in each.
Think Beyond the Teeth
Good dental care includes far more than just brushing and flossing the teeth. You also need to lightly brush the tongue, gums and cheeks. Explain the reasoning for this so your child understands how bacteria can spread throughout the mouth.
Employ Technology
Kids love toys, and a power tooth brush can seem like a fun toy. A power toothbrush can also get better results, whether you are doing the brushing or your child is.
You can purchase power toothbrushes that come with dental care apps, as well, or you can download apps separately. Kids can play games that also teach them about the dangers of bacteria in their mouth or lets them know about proper brushing techniques. They can have fun while also learning about how to better care for their teeth, gums and mouth.
Use all the tools at your disposal to make oral hygiene fun for your kids and show them how important it is to protect their smile and their overall health. Aesthetic Dentistry of Arrowhead is ready to be your pediatric dentist and your partner in dental care for your children. Our goal is to make children comfortable and finding fun ways to teach them about proper dental care. Our office is family friendly, and we have tools and amenities that cater to children. We provide basic dental exams and cleanings, as well as therapeutic treatment and Glendale cosmetic dentistry to grow with your child’s need. We can take care of everything from fillings to Glendale braces as your child gets older. Call us today to learn more.
Glendale, Arizona 85308
Phone: (623) 979-1515
Fax: (623) 878-1811
Office Hours:
Website: https://www.drgregceyhan.com
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