Preventive Dental Care for Children: Teaching Good Oral Hygiene Habits from an Early Age

Preventive dental care is caring for your teeth and gums to keep them healthy. Preventive dentistry helps everyone, but children benefit more because it allows the developing teeth to emerge robust and healthy. In addition, it prevents various dental problems that affect them during childhood to create permanent damage to their teeth or make them vulnerable to gum disease to weaken their jawbone and cause tooth loss. Therefore, it helps if children are educated about good oral hygiene habits early to ensure they care for their teeth and gums and have a pleasing smile.

Why Is Preventive Dental Care Important for Children?

Preventive dental care is incredibly essential for children with developing teeth. According to the dentist in Roanoke, VA, many forms of preventive dental care for children exist. They include daily brushing and flossing, besides getting dental cleanings.

Between the ages of six and 14, children are prone to developing cavities and other dental conditions that need frequent treatments from the Roanoke dentist needing, restorations, and other intensive therapies. However, if children follow the suggestions made by preventive dentistry in Roanoke, VA, they can ensure their teeth remain robust, clean, and white. It is best that children receive education on maintaining good oral hygiene early because it helps them develop excellent dental hygiene habits.

Teaching Good Oral Hygiene Habits to Children

Children remain adamant about dental hygiene habits and are usually negligent with the suggested practices. However, you are responsible for teaching them good habits to prevent them from needing regular treatments from the dentist near you for problems like cavities, gum disease, and other infections accompanying dental issues. As a parent, if you find it challenging to convince your child to maintain good oral hygiene habits, this article offers some suggestions to adopt for optimal results.

Here Are Some Tips

1. Start Early: starting early by taking your child for examinations soon after their first tooth emerges by their first birthday helps your child get accustomed to dental visits to develop the practice of preventive dental care. Although your child will not realize the importance of dental visits at an early age, they become acclimatized to dental offices and the environment. Most importantly, they become comfortable with the dentist nearby, knowing what to expect before reaching the dental office.
2. Brush and Floss Regularly: From an early age, brushing and flossing are fundamental practices essential for everyone, including children. Brushing helps remove food particles and dental plaque on the surfaces of the teeth. Unfortunately, a toothbrush cannot reach all parts of the mouth, making it essential to also teach children about the benefits of using dental floss to remove debris and plaque from between their teeth. Children must be encouraged to brush twice daily using fluoride toothpaste and floss at least once without exceptions to ensure they don’t allow dental plaque to remain on or between their teeth, making them vulnerable to infections like tooth decay and gum disease.
3. Make It Fun: Children will not enjoy brushing and flossing and prefer getting involved in other activities when advised to clean their teeth. They don’t understand why their teeth are receiving attention, especially during the early stages. However, you can make it fun for them by encouraging them to brush with you or providing them with their favorite tools to clean their teeth to make brushing and flossing enjoyable.
4. Monitor Their Brushing: children enjoy many activities with enthusiasm, but when it comes to brushing and flossing, they remain negligent and intent on completing the task as soon as possible. Brushing requires at least two minutes, with an additional minute or two for flossing. If your child is negligent with these habits, it helps if you monitor and supervise them to confirm they don’t cut short the time they spend brushing and flossing their teeth appropriately, as recommended by their dentist.
5. Limit Sugary Foods and Drinks: children favor sugary foods and beverages without knowledge that the foods can remain stuck to their teeth to encourage their mouth bacteria to feed on them, deposit acids, and create cavities. While getting children away from such foods and drinks is challenging because they are sneaky, it helps if you limit their consumption by refraining your child from having them at odd hours of the day and restraining them to have such foods and drinks at meal times.
6. Encourage Regular Dental Checkups: the American Dental Association recommends regular dental exams and cleanings when practicing preventive dentistry near you. It is essential to see Dr. Christelle Rodriguez every six months or earlier as they recommend checking for problems with children’s teeth and offer prompt treatments if they notice any issues. If you possess dental insurance, visits to the dentist are covered by the provider to ensure you don’t have to spend money on regular checkups with the dentist to maintain your child’s dental health.

Preventive dental care benefits everyone helping them keep their natural teeth in optimal shape by preventing infections and safeguarding their general health.

Kids First Dental in Roanoke recommends preventive dental care for children from an early age to ensure they develop strong and healthy teeth and gums. If your child is due for a dental visit and needs preventive care, consult them to learn the benefits of these practices and how they help your child maintain a pleasing smile.