Your children pick up lots of things from you. How often have you looked at your child and realized that most of his traits come from his parents? The same can be said of his health – your child may inherit any kind of health problems that may be present on either side of the family. Just like you want to instill good nutritional habits in your children, you also want to instill good dental habits as well as visiting the local Red Deer dentist regularly. In Red Deer dental health is very important.
Start Early with dentists in Red Deer
Children love candy, desserts, sweet things – anything covered in sugar. You’ll find that even as infants they’d rather have juice than water. While it’s not feasible to keep your child completely away from sugar at all times, you should monitor their sugar intake closely. The longer sugar stays in the mouth, the more chance it’s given to destroy your child’s teeth. Since permanent teeth (or molars) don’t start growing in for a time (the first ones may appear at 6 years of age), taking care of your child’s teeth from the time the first tooth comes in is essential.
Children usually develop their first teeth (called primary teeth) around 6 months of age. 6 months after that, your child should have his first dental examination. It sounds early, but it’s really not. At this point, a pediatric dentist in Red Deer will be able to tell you if your child is going to have dental problems or not. Catching it early will go a long way towards your child’s oral health later on in life.
You may also want to watch who you hand your child off to. Kids get lots of kisses from relatives and give them in return. But if your relatives have gum disease or dental problems, the bacteria in their mouth can pass on to your children. Since children are so susceptible at such an early age, you may want to talk to your family about it. Remember, your child’s oral health care is important.
Cleaning Your Child’s Teeth
When the first primary teeth come in, you don’t have to brush them – but you can still clean them. Start with wiping them down with a soft gauze, using only water. As more teeth start coming in, you may want to purchase a very soft children toothbrush – but again, use only water. When your child is 12 months old, it’s safe to use a pea sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Brush regularly, and after every meal as you would do your own teeth.
By the time your child is between the ages of 3 and 4 they should be able to brush their own teeth. But you should still supervise them. Make sure they brush in the morning and at night just before bed, they don’t swallow anything, and that they rinse very thoroughly.
If you feel anxious about flossing, don’t. Many drug stores carry child-sized flossing tools. You can likely find one in your area. If you can’t, talk to your pediatric dentist in Red Deer about how to floss your child’s teeth.
Schedule Regular Appointments with a Red Deer Dentist
Every six months on the nose, take your child to see the Red Deer dentist. Coupled with brushing and flossing, a Red Deer dentist helps your child realize how important oral care really is. Your dentist will be your partner in helping you and your child develop good dental habits. The dentist can also monitor any concerns that either of you may have about your child’s teeth, gums, or development of any diseases.
