8 Dental Health Tips for Kids
Dental hygiene for kids is just as important as it is for adults! It’s never too early to be concerned about your children’s dental health. At Sunrise Dental of Glendale, we do our best to make visiting the dentist a fun and positive experience for kids of all ages. February is National Children’s Dental Health month, so today we’re sharing some of our best tips on dental health for kids.
Eight Dental Health Tips for Kids
1: Form good habits early.
As soon as they get their first teeth, start brushing your child’s teeth with a soft brush and plain water. Around age two, toddlers can start learning how to brush their own teeth.
2: Teach kids to brush twice a day.
Brushing with a fluoride toothpaste can help build strong tooth enamel and prevent cavities. Establish daily routines that include morning and bedtime brushing.
3: Schedule regular dental checkups.
Regular dentist visits are another great habit to start forming early. Baby teeth affect your child’s nutritional intake and speech development, so early checkups are very important.
4: Encourage drinking water.
Sugary drinks like fruit juice and soda often contribute to early tooth decay. Cavity-causing bacteria love to eat sugar, but water rinses the bad bacteria away.
5: Encourage drinking milk.
Milk can help build strong teeth by restoring calcium. If your child has a dairy allergy, look for calcium-fortified alternatives like almond, oat, or soy.
6: Choose tooth-friendly snacks.
The fiber in healthy snacks like apples and carrots helps to break up plaque and stimulate saliva production. Eating a fresh, juicy apple for an afternoon snack can be almost as effective as brushing.
7: Discourage thumbsucking.
Although it’s a natural reflex, thumbsucking can seriously damage your child’s teeth. It’s important to break the habit before their permanent teeth start to emerge.
8: Always treat cavities.
Kids get cavities, too, and it’s important to treat them, even in baby teeth. Untreated cavities cause pain, infections, speech impediments, and other serious problems, so make sure to treat cavities right away.
Contact Us
Forming good habits early and scheduling regular dentist visits are the best ways to protect your child’s dental health. If you have questions about dental health for kids, schedule an appointment at Sunrise Dental in Glendale. Our friendly dentists will help you keep your kids and cavity-free and smiling bright! Call us today at 623-487-4870 or visit our website to schedule your child’s next checkup.
Photo by Edward Cisneros on Unsplash used under Creative Commons license for commercial use 2/11/2021.