Tips for Maintaining Your Child’s Dental Health: Simple Steps for Healthy Teeth and Gums

Maintaining good dental hygiene is a crucial element of the comprehensive health of your kid. It prevents decay, gum disease, and other oral issues for longer. Establishing good dental care has also proven to improve overall emotional and physical health throughout life. It ultimately makes your children more secure, happy, and confident. As your kid grows, tell him the importance of visiting ​the dentist in Austin TX regularly.

​Start Early: The Importance of Dental Care for Infants And Toddlers

Whether you bottle feeds your kid or nurse, inculcating dental hygiene routine earliest is essential. Primary teeth are already inside the jaws of children at birth. You must begin gum and tooth care before the first baby tooth erupts. By age three, toddlers have all twenty of their baby teeth.

Pediatric dental services ensure the baby’s teeth remain free of tooth decay and other oral issues. Regular visits to ​the dentist South Austin will prevent the build-up of bacteria in the mouth and prevent it from causing other diseases. ​Remember, creating a positive experience at a young age will help your kids follow those habits as they grow.

​Setting A Good Example: Modeling Positive Dental Habits or Your Children

Kids learn by copying their parents. Therefore, you can build good oral habits in your child by having them yourself. Modeling him/her the proper flossing/brushing technique and using mouthwash causes long-lasting effects on your child. Children usually begin brushing themselves around 5 or 6 years.

But it does not mean they will perfectly follow their dental care routine. So, modeling will help your kid learn how to keep teeth clean every day.

As your children grow, they may start to neglect dental hygiene. However, making brushing a family activity and proper supervision will prevent them from pretending they are doing it.

​Foods That Promote Dental Health and Foods to Avoid

It is essential to ensure that your kids consume a well-balanced diet. Check below:

What Foods Help Strong Teeth in Kids?

Black and Green Teas

Black and green teas include polyphenols that kill or hold the bacteria causing plaque. It prevents the formation of acids that attack teeth.

Plain Yogurt, Cheese, and Other Dairy Products

Milk, cheese, and other dairy products have phosphates and calcium. They return the minerals lost due to other foods.

Foods Containing Fluoride

Another way to strengthen your kid’s teeth is to help motivate him/her to take fluoridated drinking water or other food containing fluoride -dehydrated soups, powdered juices, powdered cereals, etc.

Fruits and Veggies Loaded with Fibers

The American Dental Association recommends consuming fiber-rich foods to keep up with your gum and teeth health. For example, consuming pears, melons, or cucumbers help teeth clean and improves overall health.

What Foods Are Bad for Your Kids’ Teeth?

Super Starchy and Sticky Foods

Starchy foods like rice, pasta, and bread contain a lot of carbohydrates. They might have more sugar than you think and cause enamel erosion. Similarly, hard and sticky foods can break or cause cracks in your teeth.

Carbonated Soft Drinks

Carbonated soft beverages like cola have a lot of acids, making tooth enamel weak. Most sodas also have a lot of sugar that results in cavities in children.

Sticky Sweets

Caramels, taffies, and other sticky sweets are harmful to dental health. They not only stick to the teeth but can also hurt the enamel. It ultimately makes it hard to eliminate, resulting in cavities.

Canned Fruits

Peaches, apricots, or other canned fruits have a sugar syrup coating. After your kid consumes them, the syrup coating sits on the teeth until he/she brushes.

Dark Foods

Soya sauce, red pasta sauce, and other dark foods damage the tooth enamel. It might make the teeth look brown or yellow.

Few Sports Drinks, Fruit Juices, or Energy Drinks

Another bad thing about your kids’ teeth is the consumption of carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, or a few fruit juices. Most of them have a lot of acid and sugar content.

The pediatric dentist in Austin, TX at Lifetime Smiles Cosmetic Dentistry is well-trained in making every visit fun and ensuring a positive dental experience.