Your child’s oral health is a window into their overall well-being. Creating a routine with a healthy diet and healthy dental and eating habits impacts their health.
Children’s oral health is part of foundational health and overall well-being. With healthy teeth, children can eat and sleep well, which in turn affects their ability to learn, grow, and develop.
Your child’s first teeth help shape their facial structure and guide their adult teeth into place. However, these early baby teeth aren’t as strong as adult or permanent teeth and have a thinner outer layer of enamel that decays easily.
Without proper care, your child may develop cavities or early tooth loss. This early tooth loss can cause teeth to shift, leading to crowding and other issues when adult teeth come in.
Nutrition and dental health go hand in hand and affect overall health. The food your child eats influences tooth health and development, where diets rich in whole foods and vitamins and minerals help build strong tissues and enamel and diets high in sugar lead to cavities.
At the same time, poor oral health leads to problems with eating. Enamel breakdown, cavities, sensitive teeth, and irritated gums cause pain and make it difficult to chew or eat certain foods.
Oral health also impacts learning. Children with cavities or other dental issues may have pain and sensitivities that disrupt sleep, causing daytime tiredness and an inability to focus. Children may be irritable and struggle to learn at school.
A few habits set you up for good children's oral health and dental success.
Cleaning your child’s teeth removes bacteria, food, and plaque from their teeth, preventing enamel breakdown and eventual cavities. Use a soft bristle toothbrush and clean their teeth morning and night, and begin brushing for two minutes each time around age three and four.
In addition, floss between their teeth morning and night. The toothbrush doesn’t always reach the food and bacteria between teeth, which can lead to decay if it stays stuck there. Introduce flossing around age three or four years.
Fluoride helps destroy bacteria and build stronger enamel. Your child will get some fluoride from your local treated drinking water, but fluoride toothpaste also helps oral health. Start with a small amount about the size of a grain of rice at age one, move up to a pea-sized amount at age three, and add in fluoride mouthwash at age six.
Feed your child a healthy and balanced diet rich in whole foods, like fruit, vegetables, lean meats, nuts, seeds, legumes, and healthy fats. Avoid sugary drinks and treats and nighttime or nap time bottles or sippy cups. Instead, offer water between meals and water or milk in a cup at mealtimes.
Visiting a dentist regularly for check-ups and cleanings helps maintain healthy teeth, remove plaque, and catch problems early on. Dentists recommend taking your child to the dentist within the first year, but they may suggest it as early as six months. They will begin applying a fluoride varnish at this time to help maintain healthy teeth. A pediatric dentistry clinic that specializes in child oral health is ideal.
Keeping your child’s teeth healthy is a big task, but we’re here to help. Our team at Hines Little Smiles, a pediatric dentist in Columbus and Albany, specializes in child dentistry and personalized, child-friendly care. Visit our clinic and learn how we can help. Book an appointment today.
Call 614-475-5439 or request an appointment online to set up your first visit. We’ll be in touch soon.
