MEDICAL INSIDER
DR. RHODA ENTERO

How to Take Care of Young Children’s Dental Health

(Part 1)

How important are children’s teeth? When do we start taking
care of children’s teeth?
The overall health of your children is influenced by how
healthy their teeth are. Their milk teeth, temporary as they
may be, help your child talk and eat.
Strong oral care should be established from a young age so
that when all their primary teeth fall off and are replaced with
permanent ones, they’ll be ready to better take care of these
irreplaceable natural teeth when they’re adults.
Poor oral care doesn’t only lead to milk teeth falling off earlier
than normal. They can also lead to teeth issues like disease,
infection, and even gingivitis. Strong oral care helps your
child end up with good dental habits as he grows up.
How Do I Help My Children Care for Their Teeth and
Prevent Cavities? These are some of the suggestions:

 Keep your child from ending up with dental caries or
tooth decay by teaching him proper oral care early on.
 Prevent those cavities from happening and keep his
smile as healthy as possible. Help make dental hygiene
become more fun and habit-forming for your child with
these following tips below.

a. Brushing The Teeth or Mouth of a Baby: Tooth
brushing is essential from the start.
b. Even if it’s a single tooth, the kid should have it
brushed by you initially and as he grows he
should learn to brush his tooth or teeth by
himself.
c. Most babies will end up with their first tooth
from the ages of 4 months to 7 months old.
d. Even before his first tooth erupts into view, you
brush his gums at first.
e. There are baby-specific small toothbrushes
available for the job. Otherwise, you can clean
that mouth with a soft and unsoiled washcloth.
Here are more tips for a healthy dental care for your babies:

  1. Getting Your Kid’s First Dental Checkup: On your
    child’s first birthday, when he’s 1-year-old, he should
    go see a dentist.
  2. It doesn’t have to be on his exact birthday but
    around a few weeks or months after he celebrates
    the occasion.
  3. Early preventive care by having a dentist take a look
    at your kid’s oral healthiness can save you money
    and headaches in the long term.
  4. According to a CDC report on the subject, early
    dental care and checkups make sense because
    dental care costs are 40 percent lower over a 5-yeer
    period for children who see a dentist by age 5 or
    lower.