Your child’s healthy future depends on their dental health. Starting as early as possible is the key. This allows time for the dentist to become acquainted with their unique bone structure and to notice any issues with gums or the growth pattern of their teeth. The dentist can then find out what needs to be done now and in the future. Additionally, the kids’ dentist can address any oral hygiene or diet problems immediately, before decay develops.
The Link between Early Oral Hygiene and Lifelong Health
Your overall health throughout life starts young. What most people don’t realize is your health starts in your mouth. Your gums are a gateway to your bloodstream. Any infection in the gums can go into the bloodstream, causing serious illness. That’s not all. They have linked bad gum health to heart disease. Over time, bacteria from the gums can slowly and silently leak into the cardiovascular system.
Those who have cardiovascular issues may be unaware their oral health could be a cause. Your child learns proper oral care. Once it becomes a habit, it’s unlikely they’ll experience a problem. The same goes for bad habits. It’s a lot easier to get used to bad habits and neglect oral health. Why? Well, how many times in your busy day do you think of brushing your teeth? Few, if at all.
So, the earlier kids form a habit, the longer it’ll stick around, and they can enjoy lifelong, quality health. Here’s a final thought on that. It takes more than great oral hygiene for amazing health. But, everything that keeps it that way has to become a habit, right?
Cracking that twice-per-day oral hygiene habit gives your kids a positive habit-forming ethic. Tooth decay also hinders the chewing mechanism and causes a nutritional issue that affects total body health.
Setting the Stage for Healthy Habits: Brushing and Flossing for Young Children
Children love fun and they’re more likely to engage in a fun activity. Parents should supervise their kid’s brushing techniques and habits and make sure they are helping them reach all the hard-to-reach areas. Parents should start brushing their child’s teeth as soon as the first one comes in. When the second tooth cuts and it’s touching another, then flossing should begin.
A soft-bristled brush can be used on the one or two teeth that erupt at the beginning. Some companies sell single-head, small toothbrushes for kids. Make no mistake; even one tooth can experience decay. Think of all those juice boxes your kids drink!
Identifying and Preventing Early Childhood Cavities
The old saying says, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Unfortunately, we’re too busy to pay attention to the minutia of oral health. That’s no excuse. It only takes a few minutes a day to care for your mouth. Think of the other things kids do that take that amount of time.
Monitoring their dietary habits that affect the teeth is another layer. Sugary drinks and acidic foods damage the precious enamel on the teeth and cause cavities to form. Not waiting until your child is a pre-teen before regular checkups happen is the best way to prevent childhood cavities. You’d be surprised how common it is to wait.
Be a team player and work with the dentist to monitor any changes in your child’s teeth. That could range from bleeding gums to brown spots or other discoloration of the teeth that may denote a nutritional issue or vitamin deficiency.
Oral Care and Self-Esteem
Children with bad oral health that suffer the medical consequences also suffer cosmetically. When a child has discolored teeth or bad breath from inadequate oral hygiene, it affects their self-esteem. Sometimes parents and guardians don’t think of that element.
The Importance of Good Nutrition for Children’s Dental Health
We oftentimes ignore the importance of good nutrition as a preventive measure for oral health. A balanced diet that omits most sugar and acid in favor of foods that include calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, and fluoride can help prevent dental problems such as tooth decay, gum disease, and enamel erosion. Additionally, frequent snacking can contribute to increased acidity levels in the mouth and an increased risk of cavities.
Building Positive Associations with Dental Care in Children
A positive atmosphere at home and in the dental office makes a big difference in the perspective kids have about oral health care. Visiting the dentist, to a kid and to many adults, is like seeing the doctor. It’s not a mentally or emotionally pleasant thought. We misconstrue dentist offices as places of pain and discomfort. That’s mostly because of a cavity filling back in the day. Today, dental appointments and cavity fillings are much more pleasant.
Overlooked Areas of Children’s Dental Health: Tongue Cleaning and Fluoride Treatment
The tongue harbors a multitude of germs. Everything we eat, plus saliva and millions of nasty bad breath and tooth decay-causing bacteria. Yet, it’s the most ignored part of the mouth. If you don’t brush your tongue or use a dental tongue scraper, you are leaving all that bacteria in your mouth! Next time your child brushes their teeth, teach them how to scrape the tongue at the end of the brushing cycle.
The Cost-Effectiveness of Early Dental Care: How Prevention Saves Money
All of the points mentioned in the article have one more consequence. The cost. Your pocket is the object that hurts way more and for much longer than a tooth. When you think about how expensive healthcare is these days, dental is not far behind the times.
The point is, if you don’t nail good oral hygiene in the younger years, you’re likely going to have to pay for anything from filling cavities to tooth implants, or dentures if you can’t afford the $6,000 for permanent prosthetics.
So, a dollar of prevention is worth thousands in cures. Okay, more than a dollar, but you get the point.
Kids are fresh and new. Every part of them needs to be maintained to ensure excellent overall health in the future. Make sure the dentist and proper oral hygiene habits are part of it.
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