This is a sponsored guest post.
One of the exciting things about being a parent is seeing your child go through all their different milestones. An extremely important milestone is the arrival of their first teeth. As a parent, it is your responsibility to make sure that their new little smile is protected. To do this, you should teach them about proper oral hygiene. You should also find a dentist whom you trust to take care of your child’s dental needs. Read on to learn about some helpful advice that will help you keep your child’s smile healthy throughout their life.
Find the Right Dentist
The first step when it comes to setting up an effective dental care routine is finding a trusted professional in your area. For example, if you live in the Woodbridge, ON area you may look into the practice at vellorewoodsdentistry.com. When looking for a practice, you may come across different types. You should find the one that best fits you, your child’s age, and their specific needs. Talk to friends and family for recommendations.
Some professional practices focus only on pediatric dentistry. This can be beneficial because your child will be around specialists. Other practices have a wider variety of services that include family and pediatric dentistry. This may be beneficial because you and your partner could also utilize their services.
Get Your Child to Practice Good Habits at Home
Children are incredibly talented at learning new behaviors. They pick up a lot of new skills based on what they do and see at home. This is why it is important to instill good oral hygiene habits from an early age. Once they have teeth, get them into the routine of brushing them. Help them when they are very small, but once they get a little older and understand the concept, get them doing it on their own.
Your family dentist will help them learn about this process. There are ways to make it fun for them as well. If they have a favorite cartoon or movie character, for example, many companies make children’s toothbrushes and toothpastes that feature these characters. Consider adding songs and other creative elements to your routine as well.
Eat Right and Make Smart Choices
One of the biggest factors for your child’s dental health is what they eat. It is a good idea to limit certain foods that might be harmful to their teeth if consumed too often. This includes excessive amounts of sugary items such as soda, candy, and sweets.
These items are fine to have every once in a while. But if your child eats them frequently, it will lead to a wearing of the enamel and the development of cavities. If they do eat something very sugary, make sure that they brush their teeth or rinse.
Use Fluoride
If you didn’t know it already, fluoride is an important element for overall dental health. This special compound makes the enamel on teeth stronger, which makes them able to keep cavities at bay. So how do you make sure your child is getting fluoride?
In many cities, tap water contains small amounts of fluoride. If you don’t live in a city with fluoridated water, ask your dentist about fluoride supplements. Most—but not all—toothpaste also contain fluoride for tooth health. Check the label on the toothpaste to make sure that fluoride is one of the ingredients.
This might seem like a lot of information at first, but you will get the hang of it! And don’t forget, as you begin to see a family dentist, make sure to stay on top of your visits. Use a planner or general calendar to keep track of when your child needs another appointment.
