Caring for Children’s Teeth with Christchurch Dentists

Your Christchurch dentists wants to make sure that the whole family’s dental health is taken care of, and that especially includes the children.  Although permanent teeth do not start to come in until seven or eight years of age, every Christchurch dentists would advise taking proper care of baby teeth.

Christchurch Dentists Tips

There are two main reasons for doing this: first, good dental hygiene should be taught at a young age, and small children should be guided towards healthy habits such as brushing with the correct technique.  Second, as every Christchurch dentists knows, baby teeth or primary teeth serve as guides for the permanent teeth.  Permanent teeth can grow in misaligned or with spaces in between if the baby teeth falls out too soon. This article contains valuable information on how to care for your child’s teeth, courtesy of your reliable Christchurch dentists.

Proper dental care starts even before the first baby teeth come in.  As soon as your baby is born, keep his mouth clean by dipping some sterile gauze in sterile water and running it over his gums and tongue daily.  By doing so, you get rid of milk residue which oral bacteria love to feed upon.

Once your baby starts to cut his first teeth, you will need to be even more vigilant in proper teeth hygiene.  After every feeding, have him sip some water to rinse it of food or milk.  Brushing teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush should be a part of his night time routine, although he really doesn’t need toothpaste yet.  Adult toothpaste contains fluoride, which can cause teeth stains on children under two.  There are some non-fluorinated formulations available, and you can use a pea-sized amount each time, but you can get his teeth clean without it anyway.

Tips for parents from Christchurch Dentists

As a parent, it is your responsibility to foster good dental habits at a young age.  If your child is bottle-fed, do not allow him to sleep with a bottle of milk.  Tooth decay is the result of milk pooling in the mouth during sleep, when the production of saliva is lessened and bacteria has a greater propensity to thrive.  Also, try to delay introducing him to sweets and other sugary food as long as possible.  If this cannot be avoided, brush teeth thoroughly afterwards, or at the very least, drink water to rinse the mouth.

As soon as your child has grown his first teeth, it would be a good idea to schedule regular dentist visits. You can bring him to a pediatric dental clinic where there are toys and special dental equipment intended for his needs.

Make sure you book an appointment with Christchurch Dentists today.