My intense love for candy, cakes, and everything in between started as a child. I simply couldn't go one day without something sweet to eat. But my love for all things sweet took a toll on my teeth. My dentist diagnosed me with seven cavities, each one a different size and depth. After sitting through four long dental appointments, I decided to make a change. I now monitor my diet and only eat things that benefit my oral health. I'm here to help you take better care of your teeth. My blog offers tips on how to improve your diet, maintain good oral hygiene, and many other topics. Hopefully, you can learn to overcome your bad habits just as I did. Good luck with your future dental health.
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Although your dentist is well-equipped to deal with almost any dental problem that your child might have, it is always easier to prevent issues from appearing rather than trying to fix them as they start to crop up. Preventative dentistry aims to help your child take small steps so that they won't ever have to deal with huge oral problems. You should know what preventative steps you can help your child take to avoid major oral health issues as well as dental emergencies.
Standard Oral Hygiene
Bad oral hygiene habits can slowly deteriorate oral health, leading to larger issues down the road. Helping your children learn to keep their teeth clean through proper, regular brushing and flossing, as simple as it sounds, is the easiest and most effective preventative measure.
The average time that someone spends brushing is only around 45 seconds. In order to get the optimal benefit of tooth brushing, you should ensure that your child spends at least three minutes, twice daily, brushing.
Brushing should be done, at a minimum, after having a morning meal and before bed time. Brushing teeth not only cleans the mouth and helps to prevent bad breath, but it will also prevent many diseases that are caused from bacteria and plaque that build up in the mouth.
The next step in preventive dentistry is flossing. There are many places where brushing alone can't get. Teaching your child to floss can be difficult, but it is important, as flossing will get to those hard to reach areas and clear out the left over particles and plague that cause gum disease and cavities. Removing these particles can also lead to a cleaner mouth and fresher breath. When flossing, it is important to help your child so that they get to the far back of the mouth, and ensure they reach between all of their teeth. Flossing once a day, ideally before bed time, is effective to prevent future dental disease.
Your Child's Diet A healthy diet is one of the most overlooked ways to utilize preventive dentistry. What and how often your child eats are key issues to dental health. As a person begins to eat, a chemical reaction transforms the compounds that are in their mouth. The bacteria in the mouth begin to convert the sugars, as well as the carbohydrates, into acids that attack tooth enamel.
Your child's eating habits expose their teeth to decay. Some foods are better at protecting tooth enamel. Foods such as cheese, milk, nuts and meats help to provide calcium and add minerals to your child's teeth. These minerals are needed to replace some of the minerals that are naturally lost over time. Fruits and vegetables that are crunchy promote saliva, which helps to wash away acids and left over food. Ensure that your child is eating a well-balanced diet, ideally eating foods that will enhance their oral health daily. Ensure that they eat foods that are high in sugar, such as cookies and candies, only as rare treats.
Fluoride Use
Fluoride has been shown time and time again to help prevent tooth decay. Fluoride remineralizes the enamel in teeth and makes the teeth more resistant to acid that would otherwise attack and deteriorate them. Many states have fluoridated drinking water. If that isn't available in your area, there are over-the-counter fluoride supplements that are made for children, as well as mouthwashes and toothpastes with added fluoride that your child can use.
Check-Ups
Having a regular dental checkup is another way to utilize preventive dentistry. Many times these checkups are done at a very low cost, and most of dental plans will cover these costs in full. The regular checkups will spot any problems before they become major issues. Most dental plans require a greater out of pocket amount as non-preventive services increase. The dentist will check the teeth and gums for any problems and will also give the teeth a good cleaning. It is recommended that you have your child visit the children's dentist every six months, starting at age 3, to maintain a clean healthy mouth that is trouble free.
For more information, contact a local dentist or visit http://www.vfdental.com.
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