3 Tips For Caring For Your Child's Teeth

Many parents mistakenly think that caring for their child's teeth is not important, since baby teeth are only temporary. This kind of thinking can get you into a lot of trouble down the road. This is because the health of the mouth and gums when young can directly correlate the child's oral healthy later on in life. This is why it is so important that parents care for their child's teeth appropriately. Here are a couple things that you should do for your child's oral health.

1. Skip The Sippy Cup

It may be very tempting to transition your child to a sippy cup as they move from the breast or bottle. Although it is nice to have a lid on drinks, the longer they use sippy cups and bottles, the worse it is on the teeth. The sucking motion that they do on these cups, and even pacifiers, can push the teeth forward. This could cause problems in the future where the child would need to have braces and orthodontic surgery.

In addition, the child might sip drinks through the whole day as they carry around a sippy cup. This causes the sugar to stay on the teeth longer. Instead, transition the child straight to a cup.

2. The Moment They Get Molars, Start Flossing

Most people know that flossing is essential for adults, but even children need to floss. In many cases, the child's teeth in the front of the mouth will have enough space that there is no need for flossing. But the moment the child gets their molars, there is a good chance that the back teeth are touching. Since the child will chew in the back of their mouth, lots of food gets stuck in these areas. The food cannot be removed with simple brushing, which is why it is so important that you floss a young child's teeth.

There are special flossing apparatuses that you can use to easily floss the child's teeth without hurting them.

3. Don't Skip The X-Rays At The Dentist

It might be tempting to just go in and get the child's teeth cleaned without the x-rays. But this is one of the worst things you can do for your child's teeth. Instead, you need to start getting x-rays as soon as they can hold still. If your family dentist doesn't have an x-ray for children, consider changing to a pediatric dentist. They have the proper equipment to get proper x-rays.

For more information, contact North Phoenix Pediatric Dentistry or a similar location.