Four Steps to Keeping Your Child’s Teeth Healthy
It is so important that children have good teeth when young, to set the standard for their adult teeth. Just because they fall out, doesn’t mean they should be neglected! Giving your children a healthy mouth is so important to their overall wellbeing and health.
Follow these tips to keep your child’s mouth healthy.
- Get in a good habit of brushing twice a day, with fluoride toothpaste-use a children’s paste with a reduced fluoride content. This will physically remove decay causing plaque, whilst also providing the correct amount of fluoride for tooth development.
- Reduce the amount and frequency of sugar intake. Having regular sugar ingestion will cause harm to your child’s teeth. Of course they’re going to have sugar at times, but keep it as a treat, not regular food, and beware of hidden sugars in things like fruit juices, cereals and dried fruit (sultanas etc…)Try and have a glass of water after too.
- You may want to use a remineralising agent like “tooth-mousse”. This will help to keep any areas where decay is of a higher risk (perhaps in the fissures) more resistant to decay.
- Bring your child in for regular examinations, and set a good example yourself by coming too! Please, please, please be careful with the language you use when talking about the dentist. Kids are fantastic patients, as long as Mum/Dad/Aunt/Uncle hasn’t been talking to them about how it won’t “hurt”, and how they don’t want “needles”, and there’s nothing to be “scared” about.
Your child may be eligible for up to $1000 of treatment , available on the means tested “child dental benefit scheme”. Tell your friends too as this fantastic scheme is under utilised in the community.