Start Your Child's Dental Care Early

Parents don't often think about their child's dental health until the child is old enough to start brushing his/her teeth. Good dental health actually begins at birth. In this article we will look at some ways you can make sure your child's dental health is cared for properly right from the beginning.

Well meaning parents sometimes don't realize how important it is to start good dental health at a very early age. People often think that baby teeth don't matter that much since they will fall out anyway. They may not begin to take their child's dental health seriously until the child begins to get their permanent teeth. But good dental care should begin with your baby's first tooth. Following are a few ways to ensure the good dental health of your child.

Pacifiers, bottles, thumb sucking and sippy cups can all have adverse effects on your child's dental health. Try to keep them age appropriate. In other words, don't allow your child to remain on the bottle or pacifier longer than need be. Keep in mind that sippy cups are meant to help your child transition from a bottle to a cup. They are not meant to replace bottles. Parents should avoid putting children to bed with a bottle or sippy cup. Thumb sucking can also have an adverse effect on oral health and is unsanitary as well. Parents should try to discourage thumb sucking in children.

Once your child's teeth start to come in you can clean them with a soft bristled toothbrush and lukewarm water. It is best not to use toothpaste until your child is old enough to brush his teeth on his own since you don't want your child to swallow the toothpaste. Around the age of two years you can start teaching your child to brush his teeth on his own. You should limit sweet beverages especially soda pop.

My family dentist has said that soda pop is one of the worst things for a child's teeth. Soda pop is one of the biggest contributors to cavities in children. Drinking soda pop is not a very healthy practice to start with very young children such as toddlers. Parents will often limit candy or other sweets yet they allow their children to drink soda pop. If you have concerns about your child's dental health consult a dentist. Even very young children can benefit from good oral practices. By starting good dental practices early you can help your child's teeth last a lifetime.