Brushing your little one’s teeth is a topic that has been marred with a lot of controversies. Some parent’s think it’s essential while others don’t stress their kids until they are older. But what is the truth?
Should you brush your child’s teeth?
If yes, when should you start? And if no, why?
To get to the bottom of this, I decided to visit my dentist and get firsthand information on what should really happen. Being a dentist, he should know!
Before I let you in on what we discussed, let me give you a little back story. When our little one started growing teeth, we experimented with the idea of rushing his two teeth for a while.
But, we could not agree on the best time to start the training, or we were too lazy to follow up on the practice when we finally decided to do it. Sometimes, it was simply because we could not locate the toothbrush as our son had decided it was the perfect teething tool.
After the conversation with my dentist, however, things took a different, and this is the reason why.
Do you need to brush your infant’s teeth?
According to dentists, good oral health should start at a very young age. Like your teeth, brushing your munchkins one tooth helps prevent tooth decay and gum diseases. To settle the score, yes, you should brush your little one’s teeth.
Dentists recommend that you start when your little one is at least 12 months. If your child can tolerate it earlier, start brushing their teeth with a soft toothbrush. At first, you should only use water and toothbrush.
If your child is younger, let them experiment with the toothbrush by turning it into a chewy teething tool. However, make sure the toothbrush is thoroughly cleaned, and it does not hurt their gum.
What about toothless infants?
Just because you cannot see their teeth does not mean they have none. Kids develop teeth during the second trimester of pregnancy. By the time they are born, they have twenty primary teeth tucked away under their gum.
You need to start taking care of them from the word go as opposed to waiting for your child to turn 12 months.
How should you do it?
Run a clean damp cloth over their gum and clean away all the harmful bacteria. You should also run the material over their little red tongues to clean any bacteria, and the whitish milk residue left after breastfeeding (plaque).
These little acts keep your child’s teeth and mouth healthy. It also sensitizes them on the importance of oral hygiene. Purchase an infant toothbrush, or use a damp cloth if your baby has no teeth.
Why is brushing an infant’s teeth important?
Besides keeping your little one’s teeth healthy, there are several other reasons you should take this issue seriously.
- Infant’s teeth help your child enjoy a nutritious diet. Like you, kids their teeth to chew on food and enjoy their meals. Clean teeth help your munchkin enjoy their food.
- Teeth help in proper speech development.
- Teeth contribute to your little one’s appearance and fosters good self-esteem.
- Early loss of teeth reduces the space permanent teeth will need to grow correctly. This results in crowded permanent teeth.
Babies can develop tooth decay if proper feeding habits are not practiced. It is convenient for you to put your little one to sleep with a bottle of milk or juice, but this can hurt your child’s teeth.
Like most parent’s we were guilty of this, but we learned that the sugar from the milk and juice eats away on the baby’s teeth for hours while they sleep. This creates a condition called bottle mouth. Bottle mouth is a condition where your child’s front teeth are pocked, pitted, or discolored.
If the condition becomes severe, your child will develop cavities leading to pulling all their front teeth. As mentioned earlier, pulling teeth early than expected makes the space between gums narrow. Your child ends up with squeezed permanent teeth.
To prevent this, set a specific time to drinking and eating each day. A baby being on the bottle all day can be equally damaging. While not all parents will agree with this, alternating water, milk, and juice will reduce the amount of sugar left on your little one’s teeth. However, brushing is the only proven way to get rid of plaque.
How should you brush their teeth?
- Choose a small, child-sized toothbrush. The bristles should be soft. Always soak the toothbrush in warm water for a few minutes to soften the bristles further.
- Use low fluoride toothpaste (the size of a grain of rice) if your little one has grown their first tooth. The American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics agree that using toothpaste is fine.
- Like an adult, brush your child’s teeth twice a day, morning, and just before bed. Use enough time to clean the back molars. This is where cavities first appear so clean it properly.
- Replace their toothbrush after three or four months, or when you notice it has started to wear out. Never share toothbrushes.
A toothbrush can easily hurt your little one’s gum. You must be careful when brushing their teeth to avoid injury. Injured gums make eating uncomfortable. To prevent this, use this technique when brushing.
- Angles the bristles towards the gum and move the toothbrush in gentle circles, cleaning the outer sides of their teeth and the gums
- Brush back and forth on the teeth’s chewing surface
- Angle the bristles towards the gum and use gentle circular movements to clean the inside parts of the gum and teeth
- Brush the outer surface in circular motions they grit their teeth
How to make brushing fun for your child
If your kid is anything like mine, then you know brushing is not the best time of the day. But since it must be done, you must come up with a creative way to encourage your child to brush. Kids may not fully comprehend why it’s crucial for them to clean, but even then, tell them why they need to do it.
1. Make it a special time
Kids love it when they are included in some of these activities. To them, it might as well be a fun game. One of the best ways to make brushing a special time is to allow your child to pick out their toothbrush when you go shopping. Also, pick a kid’s toothpaste for them with their favorite flavor. Once you have this set, brush together with your kid. Make funny faces while you clean to keep things interesting.
2. Make up a rushing story
Not the kind where the princess lives happily ever after, but one that will inspire your child to brush every day. For instance, you could tell them that monsters are hiding in their teeth. You can also fish out a book on cleaning if you are not very creative. Whichever route you take, you can easily inspire kids to comply with a story. Stories are memorable and will remain with them for a long time.
3. Offer an incentive
Show me a child that doesn’t want to stay up a little longer or one that doesn’t want to pick the movie for family night! Incentives are a great way to encourage your child to brush. However, use them sparingly lest your child thinks every time they brush their teeth, they must get something in return. A little something will provide motivation as long as it does not develop into a habit.
4. Start a routine and make it stick
Making brushing second nature is the idea. The more comfortable they are with brushing twice a day, the better. It should be uncomfortable for them to leave the house or go to bed without brushing. When your schedule is a little off, you might be tempted to let your child get away with it. Don’t. Whether they had a long day, you are on vacation, or you came home late and exhausted, keep at it.
5. Have the right tools
Brushing and flossing is not an easy task for little hands. Having the right tools is essential to success. Have the right toothbrush for your child’s age, flossers without sharp edges, and power tools that tend to mimic circular motion for accurate brushing are said to be the best options. These tools give your little one the boost they need to clean their teeth properly
It’s never too early to make this essential habit part of your little one’s morning and evening routine. Dentists, including mine, agree that you should start dental care before your child has their first tooth. Brushing twice a day for at least two minutes will remove plaque on your little one’s teeth and keep them healthy. Strive to make it second nature for your children as it is second nature for you. It does not matter how old your child is. If you haven’t started instilling this habit, start right away.