Happy Smiles: Top Tips For Taking Care Of Your Child’s Teeth

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of children’s oral hygiene. According to government statistics, nearly a quarter of five year olds in England have tooth decay, with increasing numbers of youngsters requiring extractions and hospital treatment for decaying teeth. 

It’s important to start taking care of your child’s teeth from the day that their first baby tooth emerges. A common misunderstanding is that milk teeth do not need to be brushed because they will fall out anyway, but they are still prone to decay and if they are in poor condition this can affect your child’s ability to eat and learn to speak properly. 

Furthermore, milk teeth set the foundations for the alignment and spacing of adult teeth. If they are allowed to decay or need to be removed too soon, the later teeth may be misaligned, and may require costly remedial work or the fitting of braces. Your older child will certainly not thank you for a mouth of crooked misplaced teeth.

Not all little ones are keen to have their teeth brushed, but it is important to establish a routine as early as possible so that they get used to it, otherwise they may develop infections and decay. To brush baby teeth, use a small soft bristled brush with a very small dab of fluoride toothpaste. 

You should brush your child’s teeth twice a day, before bed and at another convenient time. It’s easiest to sit a baby on your knee and support their head as you brush. If they object, be patient and relaxed, but don’t give up or turn it into a battle. Make it fun, with colourful toothbrushes, flavoured toothpaste, and time the brushing against some music.

As your child gets older, gradually allow them to take over brushing for themselves, but check up on their technique to make sure they are covering all the surfaces of their teeth evenly. They should brush their teeth for at least two minutes twice a day with a toothpaste that contains fluoride.

An electric toothbrush with a built-in timer can be helpful if you are struggling to get your child to brush for the required amount of time. After brushing, remind them to spit out any residue toothpaste but not to rinse, as this will remove the fluoride. 

You should get your child used to going to the dentist as soon as their first set of teeth emerges. This will help them to get comfortable with the process and ensure that any problems are picked up in the early stages.

To avoid your child needing to have unpleasant and disruptive tooth extractions, it’s important to keep an eye on their diet. The main cause of tooth decay in children is consuming foods and drinks with a high sugar content. Unfortunately, most children have a sweet tooth and sugar can be an addictive substance.

To compound the problem, many foods marketed to children contain high amounts of sugar, even if we might assume that they are healthy. Even some ready-made baby foods are laced with sugar, so check the ingredients carefully.

The NHS advises that It’s also important to understand the difference between fruit flavoured drinks made from concentrate and fruit juice made from liquidised pure fruit. The former has high quantities of added sugar and few other benefits, while the latter contains less harmful natural sugars and also useful vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

However, fruit juice is acidic which can also damage teeth, so limit consumption to one portion of 150ml per day, or serve it diluted with water. Avoid any drinks containing sugar, particularly when bottle feeding, because this will continually bathe your child’s teeth in sugar. 

From an early age, encourage your child to snack on savoury foods, and avoid giving them sugary treats as a reward. When they do consume sugar, it’s best to eat it as part of a larger meal, because this stimulates saliva production that will help to wash away some of the sugar and food particles that have accumulated between the teeth. 

If your child pesters for sweets, try offering them small toys or other treats such as a trip to the park instead.