How To Prevent Your Child From Having Tooth Decay
Posted on: 29 November 2017
While baby teeth are not permanent, it is important that they are cared for while your child is young. It is common for young children and infants to experience tooth decay, which is a problem that you can easily prevent as their parent. These tips will help you keep their teeth healthy:
Do Not Let Them Fall Asleep When Feeding
Tooth decay can occur when a child is allowed to have sugars stay on their teeth before they go to sleep for a long time. This is more likely to occur if a child falls asleep when they are feeding. Instead of allowing their saliva to wash away the formula or milk that they are drinking, it will collect in their mouth and pool against their teeth. The sugars found in their food are what will cause them to have tooth decay.
A child should be fed when awake, with some time allowed to pass until they fall asleep so that the saliva can wash away those sugars. Even giving them some sips of water can help wash away the sugars left behind by their food.
Do Not Share Saliva
Another problem is when parents share things with their kids that cause them to share saliva. This can easily happen when sharing an eating utensil, or when cleaning off a pacifier while using your saliva. This will cause the bacteria in your mouth to pass to their mouth, which can cause tooth decay to occur.
Do Not Let Them Brush Their Own Teeth
A young child does not have the motor skills or coordination to brush their teeth the correct way. It is okay to let your child do it a little bit at the beginning or end of teeth brushing to get used to the routine, but you should be doing the majority of the work to ensure that their teeth and gums are being properly brushed.
Do Not Give Sugary Drinks
One beverage that is a major cause of tooth decay is sugary drinks. This includes soda and fruit juices. Not only is it better to be giving them water, but it will cut down on the amount of sugars that wash over their teeth. When combined with poor brushing habits or falling asleep right after consuming them, it puts your child more at risk of having tooth decay.
Speak with your dentist if you have more questions about tooth decay prevention. Contact local children's dental care specialists for more information and assistance.
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