Healthy teeth are important to your child’s overall well-being, so you need to make sure you promote good habits right from the get-go. Your child’s first dental check-up should be carried out before their second birthday, and at least once a year thereafter. At Robert Street Dental Practice, your dentist will offer advice on brushing, suggesting a suitable routine, the right toothpaste, and safe cleaning methods to use on your child’s teeth.
PREVENTIVE DENTISTRY
Our children’s dentistry professionals in Atherton encourage patients to bring their children along from an early age. Regular dental check-ups will ensure that your child is more likely to have a positive experience early on, and won’t grow up to be afraid of a trip to the dentist. It’s also important to aid in the detection of cross bites, overbites and under bites.
You should take steps to limit consumption of sugary and acidic foods, drinks and snacks to help prevent tooth decay. Foods such as vegetables, nuts and fruit are a healthy alternative to sugary snacks and actively keep teeth healthy. As with most things, prevention is always better than cure.
BRUSHING
When baby teeth start to appear, you should brush them with baby-friendly brushes and water once a day. A pea sized amount of toothpaste should only be used from the age of 18 months onwards, and should contain low amounts of fluoride.
Smears of regular or milk teeth toothpaste can be used for children between two and eight, and supervision is recommended to make sure your child learns to spit toothpaste out after brushing. Your child should brush their teeth twice a day for two minutes at a time, usually after their morning and evening meals.
