There’s nothing quite so wonderful as seeing your child smile, but keeping those pearly-whites in peak condition takes effort, especially if you want to avoid too many anxious trips to the dentist. Here are some ways you can help your child develop a good dental regime from the very moment those first teeth appear.
- Start by brushing baby’s gums with a soft brush, in the bath, to remove build-up of bacteria. At this early age, before teeth erupt, don’t use toothpaste.
- Use specially formulated toothpaste as soon as the first milk tooth appears (around six months). Apply only a smear of toothpaste to the brush, twice a day. Dental check-ups should begin at around one year of age.
- Between the ages of two to five, add a pea-sized amount of toothpaste to the brush, but emphasise the need to spit it out after brushing.
- By age six, your child should be able to brush her teeth by herself and should be using dental floss once per day also. It’s also about this time that permanent teeth emerge, which means it’s more important than ever to reinforce a good dental regime.
- Protect your child’s teeth by limiting fizzy drinks, sweets and cakes. Many parents don’t know that fruit juices have high levels of sugar and can be erode dental enamel.
- Don’t let brushing turn into a battle. Allow your child to brush their teeth themselves from an early age – as early as possible. Stay nearby to make sure it’s done correctly and lend a helping hand, if necessary.