With children and life in general, it can be tough to stay on top of everything. By the time you think you’ve got it all handled, you realize there’s something else you forgot to tackle. As parents, we’ve all been there. If there’s one thing that should be added to the top of the list, though, it’s the health of our children. More specifically, their oral health. It can be easily cast aside since it usually doesn’t present any major, obvious problems until it’s too late. No parent wants that for their child. So, here are a few ways to prevent cavities from ruining your child’s beautiful and healthy teeth.
Routine Visits
When children are younger, it’s important to get them in for their first visit, even if their teeth haven’t begun to show. Oral health is more than just teeth, it’s gums, cheeks, lips, etc. A child should see a dental professional for their first visit at around 6 months of age or, when their first tooth shows, if it’s sooner than 6 months. Continuing to see a dental professional every 6 months after that will ensure your child is on the right track to keeping or maintaining a healthy smile with zero cavities.
Keep a Routine at Home
It can be easy to get off track at home and not pay attention until it’s around the time to go see a dentist. However, a consistent routine at home will help the most when it comes to your child’s oral health. Cavities can build up easily, especially if a daily routine isn’t present. An awesome and healthy routine at home is perhaps the biggest and easiest way to avoid cavity issues with your child.
Stick to Eating Healthy
The type of foods and drinks our kids consume can make a huge difference on cavity prevention. If your child is constantly ingesting sugary, unhealthy substances, then their teeth will feel the effects. These junk foods cause plaque buildup, harmful acids, and decay. Even a healthy, daily routine, won’t be able to fight off all the damage these substances can cause long term.
Clean Their Gums
If a child is too young to have teeth, be sure to thoroughly clean their gums. Gum health is extremely important when it comes to cavity prevention. Unhealthy gums or an unhealthy mouth, even before teeth appear, can cause decay and damage to a baby’s teeth. Baby teeth are just as important as adult teeth because they’re vital to development in children.
Avoid Saliva Transfers
We’ve all been there, a baby’s binky falls on the floor and we pick it up, clean it by sticking it in our mouth, and stick it back in their mouth. This can actually be harmful to your child because an adult’s mouth can have harmful bacteria. Harmful bacteria can easily be transferred from your spit to their mouth, causing a plethora of issues. Opt for rinsing off the binky or carrying multiple binkies instead of cleaning the binky with your own mouth.
Overall, it’s important to note that children learn from watching those around them. As parents, we’re around our children the most and can have the biggest impact on them. Having a stellar routine at home as well as keeping a great oral health routine as parents, can be the biggest step to cavity prevention in children. Really, our children can be a great reason for us to eat healthy an stay healthy because that’s what will push them to do the same.
