Parents of toddlers have their hands full with constant concerns of bumps and falls. While ensuring your little one gets a suitable nutritional intake, keeping your child healthy is at the forefront of every parent’s mind, which is why dental health is just as important as nutritional intake. While some parents innocently neglect their toddler’s oral hygiene as a result of the misleading belief that once your child’s milk teeth fall out, healthy strong ones will automatically replace them. However, the general state of your child’s milk teeth will have a massive impact on the overall health of their permanent teeth. Therefore, decaying milk teeth will inevitably lead to the eruption of decaying permanent teeth while gum problems should also be expected. Luckily, these top tips will help you protect your toddlers’ teeth and keep them healthy.
Routine Dental Checkups
Many parents are quite uncertain as to when they should start taking their children for dental checkups. If your toddler is a late teether and is still sprouting milk teeth, you should avoid delaying a dental checkup until all the milk teeth have arrived. As soon as your child gets their first tooth, it would be wise to maintain regular dental checkups every 6-12 months. Finding a dentist that is able to maintain the health of your toddlers’ teeth may seem tricky as many simply don’t cater to the needs of fussy young children. Dental Design provides dental services that are specific to your needs and the needs of your toddler, which makes this practice a great choice for parents.
Teach Oral Hygiene Habits Early
While brushing teeth is crucial as soon ass your child starts sprouting teeth, you should be leading by example. This means brushing your teeth and allowing your toddler to follow by watching you and using his or her own toddler toothbrush and mild baby toothpaste. You should be doing this twice per day and flossing your child’s teeth as soon as teeth start emerging next to each other. Your dentist will recommend a suitable time to start introducing mouthwash into your child’s dental routine.
Avoid Sugar Loaded Drinks In Bottles
It is not at all uncommon for parents to give their toddler a bottle to encourage nap time, although, what goes into the bottle is crucial for the health of your little one’s teeth. It would be wise to avoid filling bottles with sugary juice as this will lead to tooth decay and gum issues. As sugary liquids will cling to the teeth and cause bacteria growth, you should rather fill your child’s bottle with water as they are being weaned off of baby milk. Check out these weaning foods I didn’t expect my baby to love
Get Rid Of The Pacifier
Your toddler’s pacifier may have been a comfort since birth. However, the ongoing use of a pacifier can have negative effects on little teeth and how they grow. It is recommended to start weaning your child from a pacifier by age 2 to help protect their teeth against skew teeth. If you are unable to get rid of the pacifier it would be wise to speak your doctor or dentist.
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