Many parents have a tough time wondering how much dental care their kids need. When should a baby starts brushing?
When should they visit a pedodontist first or which is the right paste and toothbrush they should use for their children and many more of such questions.
Well ! Good oral hygiene should be introduced as early as infancy.
IMPORTANCE OF GOOD ORAL HYGIENE
Many parents may assume that primary teeth or baby teeth dont matter much as they will loose anyhow. But baby teeth actually matters a lot .
NEED TO MAINTAIN BABY TEETH
1. Baby teeth assist in development of child's speech
2. Tooth decay (early childhood caries) may lead to pain, infections in other parts like ear ,sinus, and brain.
3. May have a negative impact on the development of permanent teeth which may lead to future dental problems like crowded teeth, malocclusion, improper jaw development, problem in eating and many more.
BABIES TEETH DEVELOPMENT
To our surprise ! babies are born with a full set of 20 baby teeth (primary or deciduous teeth) hidden in their gums ‐10 in the upper jaw and 10 in the lower jaw. Development of baby teeth starts within the womb itself.
Mostly the 1st tooth appears between 6‐10 months but it may vary and most children will have their full set of baby teeth by the age of 3yrs.
HOW TO MAINTAIN GOOD ORAL HYGIENE
Dental care for babies should start before babies first tooth appears. Babies aged between 0 to 6 months need only breast milk or formula milk so u can simply wipe your baby's gums and tongue with a damp cloth or a gauze twice a day
As soon as the first tooth erupts clean the teeth using a soft infant tooth brush. Cleaning and caring for children's teeth early on sets up good dental habits life long .
HOW TO BRUSH BABY TEETH
• Keep your baby in a position where you can easily see baby's mouth .
• Hold the baby's chin in your hand and baby's head resting against your body
• Lift your baby's lip to clean teeth using soft circular motions
• Make sure you spend time on front and back of each tooth and also the gum line
• Encourage to brush without swallowing
• CAUTION: Brushing should always be under strict supervision of parents upto the age 6-7 years as children might swallow the excessive amount of fluoride toothpaste which may harm the tooth enamel and may lead to dental fluorosis (stains on teeth) if continued for longer time. Also it may cause upset stomach if ingested in larger amount.
If your baby does not like brushing you can try making it more fun by letting your baby play with their favorite toys or by singing songs or being a role model as babies have a tendency to mimic.
Encourage your child to hold the tooth brush which will make him feel that he/she is involved in the action. This way your baby will get to know that brushing is a normal part of daily routine.
It is very important to choose the right kind of tooth brush . For children aged upto 2-5 years use a small oval heads ,soft bristles of different heights and non slip cushioned handles. For children below 2 yrs finger brush can also be used.
Keep the toothbrush clean and replace the tooth brush every 3-5months .
TYPE OF TOOTHPASTE
• Below 2years ‐ use either low fluoride toothpaste or fluoride free toothpaste with amount not more than a rice grain.
• 2 years and above ‐ you can use fluoridated tooth paste with amount of pea size.
• You may use any of the good brands of toothpaste available in market like kidodent, candycop, cheerio etc. keeping the fluoride content in mind according to your child's age.
IMPORTANCE OF FLUORIDE IN TOOTHPASTE
Fluoride is a natural and a safe mineral .it is made as an active ingredient of many toothpaste as it helps us in many ways‐
• Prevents tooth decay
• Reverse the early tooth decay
• Strengthens the weekend tooth enamel
• Slow the loss of minerals from tooth enamel
• Limit the growth of oral bacteria
WHAT IS EARLY CHILDHOOD CARIES ???
Early childhood caries (ECC) are cavities that usually develops in the upper front teeth of children but may affect the other teeth also.
Initially it appears as white spots near gum lines and as it worsens it appears as brown spots, holes or broken teeth which may require more involved procedures to fix it. It is very important to stop the decay early to prevent it from getting worse.
HOW ECC HAPPENS ?
• It happens when the liquids and the food that contains sugar are allowed to left in your baby's mouth for hours. Bacteria starts working in the presence of sugar and makes acid which overtime destroys the tooth enamel.
• One of the easiest and best way to prevent it is by not putting your child to bed with bottles filled with milk ,or any other sweet liquids or juices.
• No dipping of pacifiers in any kind of sweetened liquid. More importantly pacifiers should not be given after 2 years of age as it may lead to overbite or cross bite which may require orthodontic treatment in future.
• Adopt a healthy balanced diet and limit the intake of sugary and starchy foods and snacks. Avoid too much of chocolates and candies. Avoid sugary foods in between the meals.
• Maintain a habit of daily brushing of the teeth twice a day ,one in the morning before breakfast and other at night before bedtime.
• Make them learn to drink liquids from glass as early as possible preferably before they turn one year of age as children who do bottle feeding after 15 months are at higher risk of getting ECC.
• Do not scare from a dentist. Plan a visit to a pedodontist for an early evaluation and discuss with him your child's developing caries and its treatment and the best way to prevent it.
Remember practicing good oral hygiene and making your child learn early to maintain proper oral hygiene can save him from all the pain and infections and cumbersome dental treatment procedures .
Maintaining baby's teeth is of utmost importance as not only it affects the eating and speaking but may affect the permanent teeth in a manner as they may come out crowded, crooked which may affect their smile.
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