Healthy Teeth For Life – 7 Tips For Families

Having nice teeth goes well beyond a pearly white smile. It also helps to prevent major diseases in later years, such as heart disease.

So, we owe it to our children to make sure we teach them proper dental hygiene for home, as well as getting them to the dentist on a regular basis.

The cost of dental care alone is reason for instilling proper home care for our children, teaching them good habits to give them the best chance for healthy teeth and gums for life.

If you have the opportunity, I strongly suggest getting some form of dental insurance, even if it’s a discount plan, rather than traditional coverage. Yes, it’s that important.

Read on to learn more about how you can help provide healthy teeth for your entire family, so they can reach adulthood with proper habits and a healthy outlook.

1. Start at an Early Age

Starting dental care at an early age is beneficial for two reasons. One, it helps in establishing good habits. And, two, it gives your child a great chance of having healthy teeth their entire life.

Before the first tooth even pops up, you could be caring for them.

The reason is because the teeth are there, just not visible. A simple step such as gently running a dampened cloth over their gums after each feeding will help prevent bacteria from building up.

After the first tooth pops up, start brushing with a brush specifically made for infants. You could also use a clean gauze material in place of the brush.

Perhaps what gets overlooked the most by many parents is the bottle. It’s best to not get in the habit of placing the baby in the crib with a bottle, especially if it’s filled with sugary juices.

This will lead to the acid of juices sitting on the teeth for hours, eating away at the enamel. While it’s easy to sooth the baby into slumber, it’s also setting the child up for unhealthy teeth.

2. Make Brushing a Habit

Encourage your children to brush after every meal. I realize it’s a battle to get the little ones to do a ‘chore’ of any sort, but it’s very important.

Soon, it should become habit for them and you won’t even have to ask them if they brushed. Granted, they might be adults at that time…

Even if they only brush twice a day, it certainly is a decent regimen. Make sure they like the flavor of the toothpaste. Some kids would prefer bubblegum, while others might like the minty taste or traditional paste.

There’s a high probability that you might have to do a reward system early on. Try setting a jar out that you add a coin each time they brush. They can use that money for whatever they want, except candy or sugary drinks.

3. Don’t Forget to Floss

Provide your children with flavored floss, which will most likely encourage them to floss more than the non-flavored flosses.

This should be done each time they brush their teeth. According to Dr. Diane Bird, flossing is just as important as brushing because it helps remove the food particles and plaque from the areas that brush bristles can’t reach.

4. Rinsing after Each Meal

Now, this is an easy step. After each meal, the mouth should be rinsed thoroughly.

This could be accomplished by swishing a capful of dental rinse around the mouth for about 30 seconds. Not only does this help remove particles and plaque, but it can also freshen the breath.

If you are not home, you probably wouldn’t have access to your rinse.

In these situations, simply use water. While in the bathroom washing up after the meal, have your child take a little water in their mouth and swish for a few seconds.

5. Avoid Sugary Foods

While this one is probably the most obvious, it also seems to be the most difficult to enforce…even for us adults.

If you must partake in sugary foods or beverages, just make sure you are able to brush immediately afterward.

Again, not as easy if you’re not at home, but you can now find mini brushes with toothpaste built right in, and are disposable. The end even works as a pick, for hard to reach particles.

You can always feed them healthy snacks that actually help clean the teeth, such as apples, celery, cauliflower, and carrots.

6. Use Fluoride Related Products

Fluoride helps fight cavities and tooth decay. Fortunately, it is found in most public water supplies. So, something as simple as drinking water can provide some fluoride protection for your kids.

Unfortunately, getting kids to drink water isn’t always easy. Or, you might not have city water and get your water from a well, without fluoride treatments.

However, there are many other ways to get fluoride. Here are just a few:

• Toothpaste with fluoride
• Bottled water with fluoride added
• Fluoride enhanced Rinses
• Chewable tablets prescribed by your dentist
• Fluoride treatments at the dentist

If your water is not treated with fluoride, or if your child will not drink water, try one of the options above to make sure your children get enough fluoride protection.

7. Regularly Visit Your Dentist

It’s important to get your family to the dentist on a regular basis…twice a year. This allows for deep cleaning, x-rays, and overall checkups to reduce the risk of future major problems.

As the children age, they will also be able to guide you if there becomes a need for a cosmetic dentist, or an orthodontist.

The earlier you start the above regimen, the better. It will significantly increase your families smile and dental hygiene.