The Importance Of Dental Hygiene For Children
At the end of the 20th century there was jubilation among dental practitioners and public health officials all over the world
. The surge in educating the general public regarding the importance of dental hygiene and teeth care was finally taking an effect as there were fewer children with dental caries. The elation was short-lived for there is a resurgence of dental cavities on children. The latest worldwide statistics showed that as much as 42% of children between the ages of 2 to 11 have some level of tooth decay. From this percentage, about 28 % are children 2 to 5 years old.
Cleaning Teeth. Caring for the teeth is a habit that should be rooted from infancy. A mother should start cleaning her babys mouth and gums on the onset. At first, clean cotton and sterile water would suffice. As the baby grows older and milk teeth start to show, the mother should start using a baby toothbrush sans toothpaste to clean the teeth and to introduce the baby to the act of brushing teeth. As the baby grows older and more temporary teeth come out, the mother should buy an age-appropriate toothbrush and toothpaste for the baby.
Fluoride Application. Most pediatric dentists prefer to paint a toddlers set of milk teeth with fluoride. There are countries and cities whose main water supply is fluoridated. If this is the case, the application of fluoride is not needed. On the other hand, there are some localities whose water supply has too much fluoride. If this is the case, then fluorosis could be the imminent problem. It is best that a consult is made with a pediatric dentist before considering fluoridation or the use of toothpastes and fluoride drops.
Check Teeth. Always check your babys teeth. Make sure that you introduce your baby to the basics of brushing teeth. Discolored teeth could mean decay. If you observe streaks or stains on your babys teeth take him to a dentist at once.
Balanced Diet. A healthy and balanced diet helps in the formation of strong healthy teeth. Feed your child food that is low in processed sugar. Give your child plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. You can help prevent baby bottle tooth decay by not giving your child formula at night. This is quite a hard task for more often than not, babies do need their formulas to fall asleep. What could be done is to follow up the formula with plain water to wash away the sugar from the milk.
Even if you follow all these tips for a childs dental hygiene, it is still possible for your child to develop dental caries. If such is the case, the child should be immediately taken to a pediatric dentist for assessment. There are cases wherein a child under 5 would have to be sedated so the dentist could work on treating the decayed tooth. There is no need for concern if this happens since pediatric dentists are trained to do this type of patient care.
by: Hedin Johan
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