As a parent, one of your biggest responsibilities is teaching your child about good habits to protect their overall health. When these habits are established during childhood, it is much easier for the child to maintain the good habits throughout their life. Many parents make common mistakes though, because they don’t realize that certain things are impacting their child’s health.
If you want to protect your child’s dental health, then these are a few things that you should watch for:
It might be tempting to put your child in bed with a bottle, but this habit might lead to tooth decay. When the child falls asleep with the bottle in their mouth, then it is possible that the juice or milk might sit in their mouth while they are sleeping. As a result, their teeth are more prone to tooth decay because of the sugar in the milk. Avoid this habit from the beginning of the child’s life, and especially after the child’s teeth start to grow in.
Thumb sucking can be a difficult habit to break, but it is important to stop in order to protect your child’s teeth. It is normal for babies and small children to such their thumbs and fingers, and initially it doesn’t cause any dental problems. Once the permanent teeth have grown in, it is possible that the thumb sucking habit can actually cause the teeth to become misaligned.
As you are teaching your child to brush their teeth, be sure to supervise their use of toothpaste. Most types of toothpaste contain fluoride, which is an important ingredient to fight cavities and maintain healthy teeth. But, too much fluoride can actually lead to fluorosis, which might cause spots to develop on your child’s teeth. So, it is important that you teach your child to spit out the toothpaste, because swallowing too much toothpaste can be detrimental to the child’s health. You might even consider using toothpaste without fluoride in the beginning when your child is still learning.
Some parents forget that they need to take their children in for regular dental appointments, and this poor habit might lead to bigger dental problems. Regular checkups are essential for early detection, and it is important that you schedule an appointment for your child on a regular basis. Contact our office to schedule an appointment and learn more about the children’s dental services that we offer.