Did your baby get its first tooth, or are you expecting it to start teething soon? Do you know nothing about baby dental hygiene and how to practice it? Don’t panic; we can help you!
Proper dental care routines are vital for everyone’s health, especially your little ones. It’s crucial to start teaching them dental hygiene from an early age. Healthy hygiene habits ensure healthy teeth and gums, which are vital for your child’s healthy future.
With a few pieces of advice provided by dental implants Harrisburg NC, we will guide you through 8 steps to help you learn the basics of oral hygiene for babies and toddlers and ensure your child’s healthy and strong first teeth!
- It’s never too early to start with dental practices
It’s essential to begin with dental care even before your baby gets its first baby tooth. You can consult a dentist or your pediatrician about the right time to start. You should use a clean and sterile cloth after feeding them to remove any leftover milk excess, which can potentially cause bacteria buildup and additional problems for your child. Practice this after every feeding to ensure healthy baby gums.
2 Make sure that you use an adequate toothbrush for your baby
Baby’s gums are too sensitive and can easily be hurt, so it’s crucial that you pick the right toothbrush for them. Toothbrushes designed for children and toddlers should have a soft bristle that can’t hurt their gums in any way. The toothbrush size and bristle texture should be intended for their age and needs and specifically designed for toddlers and infants.
3 Use moderate amounts of toothpaste
When the teething process starts and the first tooth appears, you should introduce toothpaste into your child’s dental care routine – specifically, a fluoride toothpaste designed for infants and toddlers. Make sure to use it in tiny doses, not larger than a rice seed. As they grow a little and learn to spit by themselves, you can start using a bit greater amount of toothpaste, roughly the size of a pea.
4 Gently brush your child’s teeth
Make sure you brush your baby’s teeth as gently as possible, using a soft touch. You should angle the toothbrush toward the gums around a forty-five-degree angle and use light, circular motions to clean the teeth and gums. You must use the proper tooth brushing technique for your baby’s teeth to avoid hurting their gums and cleaning them adequately.
5 Make dental care a fun and playful process
Teeth brushing doesn’t have to be a dull activity. You can make it a fun and playful process by picking a toothbrush with the motives of their favorite cartoons! Or make some toothbrushing ritual consisting of songs your child and you can sing before or after you start with it. Introducing these fun activities to your child’s dental care routines will form positive associations and make tooth brushing more appealing.
6 Set up their brushing schedule
Establishing a brushing schedule that will become a constant routine in your child’s daily life is important. It should be practiced twice a day, as it is the optimal amount of daily brushing sessions for healthy teeth. Try to keep up without missing many sessions per week because consistency is a key factor in achieving good dental habits.
7 Let your child gain independence, step by step
Setting up your child’s dental habits is essential, and you should guide them through the basics. But as they grow, it’s good to let them practice these habits by themselves. Start by encouraging them to do simple tasks, such as holding their toothbrush and imitating your brushing moves. Over time, they will be able to brush their teeth without your supervision, making them gain confidence and create a sense of responsibility for their dental practices!
8 Be the right example
It is in children’s nature to look upon their parents as role models and to mimic their everyday behavior. Make sure to brush your teeth with them to show your kid that dental hygiene is important and an everyday task they should practice regularly.
Final thoughts
As challenging as establishing your child’s dental habits can be, it’s one of the most crucial parenting tasks. Make sure to regularly keep your child’s mouth hygiene on a decent level as soon as they reach the proper age. If you follow these steps accordingly, your child will be on a great path to achieving good lifelong oral habits. Just remember to be patient; the results are of great importance to your little ones’ future, so it’s definitely worth the effort!
