ORAL HEALTH -TODDLERS AND PRESCHOOLERS
Around the age of 2 ½ most children have all their primary teeth. Teaching your child good tooth brushing techniques will help your child adopt a good oral health routine.
By 30 months of age, all of the primary (first) teeth should have come into the mouth. By age 3, most toddlers should have stopped using the pacifier and/or sucking his/her thumb.
STEPS TO TAKE TO INSTILL GOOD ORAL HEATH:
• At age 2, begin brushing with a pea-sized amount (small smear) of fluoridated toothpaste. Teach your child to spit out the toothpaste. Observe to ensure that your child does not swallow the toothpaste.
• Begin to teach your child how to brush his/her teeth. Generally, children will need help with brushing until they have the hand coordination to clean their own teeth effectively. Children should be able to brush unsupervised by the age of six or seven.
• Continue to regularly lift your child's lip to check for suspicious small white or brown spots on his/her teeth. If you see these white or brown spots, which may indicate dental decay (cavities), schedule an appointment with your dentist right away.
• Bring your child to his/her dentist for a regular checkup.
• Talk with your dentist if your child is over age 3 and regularly sucks a pacifier or fingers or a thumb.
• Children should never go to bed after drinking milk, or juice from a bottle or sippy cup without brushing their teeth. Limiting the amount of sugars and starches your child consumes with help to limit cavities in the teeth.
TOOTHBRUSHING
Your child should be brushing their teeth two times a day. Use a child size toothbrush that has soft bristles. Spread a pea size amount of fluoride toothpaste on the child’s toothbrush.
Teach your child not to swallow the toothpaste. It may be difficult if your child is too young to learn to rinse and spit. Show the child how to tilt his mouth down so that the toothpaste can dribble out into the sink. Stay with your child and help them while brushing. As the child grows keep reminding them to spit out the toothpaste after brushing. Because young children may not have master how much toothpaste to put on brush, always put the paste on yourself. The child may tend to use too much.
Teach your child to clean each tooth thoroughly. Children may concentrate only on the front teeth because those are the teeth they can see. You will probably need to help the child brush the back teeth. Supervise and help the child until he is old enough to do a thorough job. Usually around 6 or 7 years old.
Teach your child how long to brush their teeth. Learn a song, count or use a timer to ensure that the child brushes long enough. Children love to be silly, so making your toothbrushing routine fun will make the child more receptive
Teach your child to brush their tongue as plaque can build up on the tongue.
Brush your teeth in front of your child. Child love to imitate their parents. By having a good oral health schedule, you re setting a great example for your child to follow.
Be mindful of your child’s diet. Starchy foods like chips and crackers can be broken down into sugar and cause cavities. Choosing fruits, cheese and vegetables instead of sugary and starchy foods, give your children healthy choices for snacks.
Resources
https://www.dentalcare.com/en-us/patient-education/childrens-dental-health
http://www.mouthhealthykids.org/en/activity-sheets
Healthy Children Magazine: