Author: twcal_admin

Many of us are afraid of the dentist and sub-consciously, we pass this fear on to our children. Instead of doing this, we should teach them important dental health habits. As kids live by parent’s examples, remaining calm in the dentist’s chair will go a long way in giving your child the confidence he needs to do the same. Here are a few strategies you may want to try to ensure that your kids grow up with healthy teeth and gums.

Show ‘Em

As parents, we know that the best way to teach kids anything is by example. If your young child sees you brushing your teeth after every meal, chances are that he may want to do the same. If you have a toddler at home, make brushing time a teamwork effort by doing it together – it sounds like fun too!

Make it a Story

Although bribery is frowned upon in a lot of parenting situations, it works wonders when it is time to brush their teeth. Tell your child a story when he is brushing his teeth – his brushing should last as long as your story. Be creative and come up with stories ideas that will keep their interest and have some crazy ones where the knight defeats the plaque in their mouths!

Go High Tech

With children (and many adults), anything that looks like a gadget immediately becomes more attractive. Make brushing more fun by getting your child an electric toothbrush. They are faster and gentler on teeth and gums.

Tools

By the time your child is about 7 years old, he is more ready to brush his own teeth and although you may still have to remind them to brush, the supervision when they are brushing can slowly slow down. They can get some tools to help them, like an alarm that sets off every 30 seconds to remind them to move to another section of their mouths. Dental care habits that are formed at a young age equip kids to take care of their teeth for the rest of their lives.

Children’s teeth start to form even before their birth. By the time they reach the age of approximately six months, baby teeth begin to grow. By the time children are about three years old, all 20 of their primary teeth appear. By the age of six, permanent teeth begin to appear and this process usually goes on till the age of 21. Teeth last a lifetime, so it is very important to take care of them from a very young age. Here are some preventative measures and a guide of oral care habit all children should follow. One of the greatest examples parents can set as good role models is actively limiting their own sugar intake so their children will in turn will be less inclined to want sugar. This prevents tooth decay. Children should get sufficient fluoride through drinking water or through fluoride supplements if drinking water is not fluoridated. Children should be properly taught to brush and floss on a regular basis. Here are some common problems parents may face when it comes to oral health care and the possible ways to prevent these problems: Babies Baby bottle tooth decay is a very common problem that many parents are not aware of. All parents need to do is to ensure that they wipe gums with gauze or a clean washcloth and water after every single feeding. Once teeth begin to appear, parents should brush children’s teeth twice daily with a very tiny amount of fluoride toothpaste (rice grain amount). Encouraging children to drink water instead of juice is also a very good idea. Thumb sucking, termed as ‘non-nutritive sucking’ includes thumb or finger sucking or the use of pacifiers. Although pediatricians agree that this habit has formative and nurturing functions and should be ignored till the age of four, parents should look into ways of weaning children off this habit before permanent teeth begin to appear. Toddlers are sometimes afraid of dentists so parents should allow them to sit in their laps during dental visits so they are more comfortable. Parents may face difficulty in establishing a good dental care routine with toddlers. If they are consistent in making their child comfortable during the check-ups, it becomes a little easier. Involving the whole family also helps. Grade-schoolers The love for sweets at this age makes it difficult for parents to establish good eating habits. Reduce the portion of sweets to a minimal amount so children don’t feel deprived, while also avoiding excess sugar intake which can lead to cavities and other tooth-related issues. Introduce and encourage healthy snacks such as yoghurt, vegetables and cheese. This is the age when oral injuries are common from sports and falls. Parents should encourage their children to wear custom-made mouth guards during sports to minimize the risks. Teenagers This is the age when many children are wearing braces, and they become a little laid back about oral care. Parents must encourage children at this stage to brush and floss well around the braces and remove all food particles using a floss. Parents have an important role to play in establishing good oral care habits from a very young age.

At Toothworks, we encourage you to bring your child in for their first dental check up by the time they are one and definitely before they are three. It is no big secret that many people are afraid of dentists. Some of these people are full grown adults. That being said, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many children also have odontophobia; a term for dental phobia. Sadly, this dental fear causes thousands of people avoid going for regular dental care and when a serious problem comes along, their visit to the dentist can be a painful experience with all that would need to be done during the visit. It is important to introduce your child to the dentist early on in their life and to do everything to build trust and familiarity so that their future opinion of their dentist is a positive one. One of the things to do is to start early. Bring your child into our Toothworks Clinic even before their first appointment so that they can see the place and become familiar with it. They can meet the dentist and the team so that when they come in for their first actual appointment, the faces and place do not seem new anymore. Make dental care at home a priority. Let your child watch you when you brush and floss your teeth so they see it as something they should mimic. When your child’s first teeth appear, take out time to brush them with a baby toothbrush that is specially made for these teeth. When you make dental care a habit, your child will not fear or feel anxiety to these habits. Let our friendly staff at Toothworks know when you are bringing in your child for their first appointment. Our dentist will guide you as to when you should come in for the first time and we will make this a special occasion for your child. We will do everything to make them feel welcomes and comfortable. We often take older children on their first visits on a tour around the clinic and a ride in the dental chair. All this usually makes them feel less anxious. Use the words drills, shots, pulling out teeth in front of an adult, and they will cringe with fear. Avoid using these scary words in front of your child. Talk to our staff at Toothworks and they will guide you on the appropriate words to use with your child if you are preparing them for an extraction or filling. Call us and schedule your child’s dental appointment and we will be happy to take them on an interesting tour around the clinic!