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Taking care of Children’s Teeth

  • Date published:

  • Author: callumkimberley

A regular teeth-cleaning routine is essential for good dental health

Cleaning Teeth is really important when caring for your children’s teeth. To clean them thoroughly you will need to encourage your child to brush them for 2 minutes, twice a day, particularly at night. There’s no need to buy special “children’s toothpaste” as some of them don’t have enough fluoride in them to help prevent tooth decay.  If you’re unsure, ask your dentist for more support with choosing the right toothpaste.  Remember children from the age of seven can use family toothpaste.

After brushing with a pea size amount, encourage them to spit out excess toothpaste, but not to rinse with lots of water. Rinsing with water after tooth brushing will wash away the fluoride and make it less effective. Teeth are at most risk at night because there is less saliva in the mouth to protect them hence; decay can eat away and damage your children’s teeth. Water is the best drink to give at bedtime, but if you do give milk, don’t add anything to it. Chocolate-flavored drinks and milkshake powder usually contain sugars, which will increase the risk of decay.

From the age of seven or eight, they should be able to brush their own teeth, but it’s still a good idea to watch them now and again to make sure they brush properly and for about two minutes.

Regular dental check-ups are also important and NHS dental care for children is free. When you visit the dentist, be positive about it and make the trip fun. This will stop your child worrying about future visits.

For more information please follow the link below:

https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/dentalhealth/Pages/Goodhabitskids.aspx