5 Ways to Protect the Health of Your Child's Teeth

Children who adopt good oral care habits are more likely to maintain them as they grow up, so it's important to emphasize oral health, even for very young children. Taking good care of primary (baby) teeth also helps to ensure that adult teeth grow in correctly. Here are five ways to protect your child's teeth, and ensure they grow up with healthy oral hygiene habits.

Monitor Their Brushing Habits

Regular brushing and flossing is essential for good oral health, so it's crucial to start these habits early, and monitor brushing and flossing so that it's being done effectively. Children can typically start to learn brushing at around 3 years of age, although they'll need help with flossing until the age of 9 or 10.

Teach Healthy Food Choices

The foods we eat play a big role in shaping our oral health. For example, a diet that's high in sugar encourages bacterial growth. Similarly, the failure to regularly include certain essential minerals in your child’s diet can affect the development of adult teeth. As a result, it is important to teach children about making healthy food choices, and about the connection between nutrition and their bodies.

Encourage Drinking Water

Encouraging your child to drink plenty of water is highly beneficial. In addition to being a healthy alternative to sugary soda and juices, drinking plenty of water can help ensure good hydration. This in turn ensures the mouth is able to produce saliva, which contains compounds that help to slow the growth of bacteria between meals.

Visit Your Dentist Twice a Year

Establishing a good at-home oral care and effective dental hygiene regimens are essential to keeping small smiles bright and healthy. Additionally, your child should be visiting the family dentist twice a year for routine cleanings and check-ups. These regular visits are incredibly important as they allow the dentist to look for changes that might indicate a dental problem. Professional cleanings also allow dentists to remove tartar build-up and keep your child’s teeth and gums in great shape.

Ask Your Dentist about Protective Treatments

Primary teeth are more susceptible to decay than adult teeth are. As a result, it is important to provide children’s teeth with extra protection. Your dentist can help promote healthy smiles by providing fluoride treatments and sealants that reduce the risk of cavities.

Your Dentist is here to Help

To help keep small smiles healthy, Dr. Marcia Blazer provides a range of preventive dental procedures tailored to children. Contact our Scottsdale dental office to schedule your next appointment today. 

Dr. Blazer's recommendations for parents...

Dr. Blazer’s Advice to Parents for trips to the dentist

   I am a family dentist, and I treat a lot of children in my practice.  Unlike most pediatric dentists, who typically won’t allow a parent to accompany the child into the treatment area, I encourage parents to come back with their child.  I want parents to see the steps we take (which, by the way, we use for adults too) to make the dental appointment stress and pain free.

   Unfortunately,  I’m confronted daily with well-meaning parents who unknowingly do all the wrong things to prepare their child for a dental visit.  With that in mind, I would like to give some suggestions on how to prepare your child for a dental visit.

Rule #1:  Do not discuss with your child what you think they will experience at the dental visit.  Your prejudices will show through no matter how much you try to hide it.  Let us do it, we will do it better!

Rule #2:  Schedule your appointment for a time when you think your child will have the most patience and give them a healthy snack before the appointment.    You know your own child.  Hungry and tired children are less cooperative for mom and dad, why would you expect them to be better for me?  I have a fridge with healthy drinks and snacks in my waiting room and patients are welcome to help themselves when they arrive.

Rule #3:  If you think you are not going to be able to handle seeing your child have dental treatment done, don’t come back into the treatment area.   We will take good care of him and come out to update you periodically during the procedure.  I have had to quickly pull a child out of the dental chair to get his dad to lie down before he passed out from watching me remove a tooth on his son!  By the way, his son was most upset about me interrupting the movie he was watching!

Rule #4:  Never talk about your negative dental visits you may have experienced in the past, especially during your child’s dental visit!  Dentistry has changed a lot since you were a kid.  Don’t pass your prejudices onto your child!

Rule #5:  Never use “going to the dentist” as a threat.  Believe it or not, I’ve had parents tell their children to behave or they were going to make me give him a shot!   I’ve had parents tell the child if they don’t brush their teeth, the dentist was going to hurt them.  How am I to gain your child’s trust if he hears comments like that from you?

Finally, I would tell you to take the time to talk to your dentist about your own fears.  Perhaps watching your child have a positive dental experience might just convince you to get back in the dental chair!  Checkout my Google Plus reviews from patients, many of them initially fearful and now appreciative of the care they’ve received.