If you believe that “baby teeth don’t really matter”, or “they don’t need to start brushing their kids teeth until they have a full set”, you couldn’t be more wrong! 

Oral Health Statistics

Did you know 1 out of 5 children in the US has a decayed tooth, which goes untreated in their early life? Cavities and other highly preventable oral diseases affect more than half of the world’s population. Surprisingly, the most affected seem to be people in developed countries, who have access to dental care facilities, products, and adequate income to invest in their health. According to official reports by the World Health Organization, more than half a billion children worldwide suffer from tooth decay in their primary teeth. The main factor leading to statistics like this is the lack of an established dental care routine from the very start.

 

Understandably, oral care is the number one ranked topic on dental message boards and forums. Oral health has been linked to not only overall physical wellness but also mental well-being and quality of social life.

Dental Care Tips for Kids Teeth

One of the best ways parents can help ensure their children have healthy oral habits is to teach them good oral care from an early age. If you’re looking for tips on oral hygiene for kids, here are five easy methods that will help establish excellent oral care as part of your child’s daily routine.

Tip #1: Put your kid in charge

If you’ve ever tried brushing your teeth while someone else brushes theirs at the same time, you know it almost never works. Kids don’t like it when mom and dad try to boss them around, so let your children brush their own teeth for at least part of the time. Doing so makes oral care feel more like a game than a chore, and if you’re lucky, your children will teach themselves good oral hygiene habits because they want to be rewarded with praise from parents and friends. Nordics baby toothbrush has a chewable handle so you can leave them playing around with it or soothe their gums with the cool food-grade silicon handle.

Tip #2: Brush together

Some kids learn well by seeing what others do; in this case, showing is better than telling. If you’ve got a budding oral health enthusiast on your hands who wants to brush his or her teeth as soon as they come out of the bathroom, make it a family affair. Turn brushing into an event instead of something that’s done quickly in secret. Our baby set will help you with that. The exact time and frequency of the oral care routine aren’t as important as making it a consistent, positive experience. If possible, brush your teeth at the same time every day. For convenience’s sake, try brushing after dinner or before bedtime to establish oral care as part of a daily routine.

Tip #3: It’s okay if their pearly whites aren’t perfect

If you want your children to learn oral hygiene, don’t panic if their teeth develop cavities or they get dental work done. It may be hard for you as a parent to see your kids in pain, but it’s not helpful to make oral care an ‘all-or-nothing’ battle. Instead, approach oral care as a series of small goals. Let your children brush once or twice daily while you supervise and reward them generously when they’ve done well. If oral care is fun for your kid and not something to dread, they’ll be more likely to want to continue their healthy oral habits into adulthood.

Tip #4: Don’t skip the dentist!

Although oral care is important for preventing cavities, oral health doesn’t stop there. Brushing teeth twice a day only gets rid of the plaque build-up on your children’s teeth’ surface. But gum disease can result from any number of oral maladies if it isn’t treated. So, make sure to take your child to the dentist regularly even if their oral habits are perfect.

Tip #5: Teach the importance of oral care for kids’ teeth

As you teach your kids how to brush their teeth and practice oral care every day, make sure they understand why it’s an important habit to develop. While you need to monitor them to ensure they don’t neglect their dental care routine and don’t binge on sugary snacks, oral care should be a way to show your children how much you care about them. You shouldn’t make oral hygiene into something positive and negative by punishing kids for not taking good care of their teeth.

Bonus tip: Ditch the pacifier!

Pacifiers are essential during the first months of your newborn’s life. However, if used for a long period of time, it can cause problems in the teeth development and alignment. It can negatively affect how the primary teeth are aligned and even impact the jaw alignment. Also, pacifiers can cause changes in the roof of the mouth because of the constant contact. If you dip your baby’s pacifier in sugar or honey, the chances of tooth decay and plaque buildup are extremely high. So the earlier you find another way to comfort your baby and take away the pacifier, the better chances for straight and healthy teeth they have.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/basics/childrens-oral-health/index.html

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/oral-health