The start of the school year is a great time to look at all routines, including your children’s dental care habits. It's essential to prioritise your child's oral care from teething babies through to toddlers and beyond because helping them develop a healthy relationship with their oral care now will support their oral health throughout their life.
Dr. Vanessa Creaven, dentist and co-founder of Irish oral care company Spotlight Oral Care has compiled her expert tips.
1. Re-establish a Routine
During the summer months, it’s easy for routines to become more relaxed and miss a nighttime brush or two. Before the school term begins, re-establish the morning and evening brush routine. Children should brush their teeth and gums twice a day for 2 minutes each time to ensure thorough cleaning is achieved and maintained.
Dr Vanessa recommends brushing before they get dressed as it can get quite messy. ‘’There are many misconceptions about the best time to brush teeth, but as a dentist, I recommend brushing teeth first thing in the morning, before breakfast, and last thing at night, at least 1 hour after they have finished eating to avoid acid erosion and to ensure the active ingredients from the toothpaste embed onto teeth and gums’’.
Spotlight Oral Care Kids Sonic has two different speed settings for optimal deep cleaning. The high-frequency brush movements ensure that toothpaste and oxygen reach those tiny spaces between the teeth that can be hard to get to. This technique ensures their teeth receive the best clean possible, with the Sonic doing all the hard work for you.
2. Avoid sugary food and drinks
It’s important that your child enjoys a healthy diet to help protect and support their oral health. A high-sugar diet can lead to cavities and tooth decay which, at a young age, can cause irreparable damage to their smile.
Limiting junk food is key. Avoid sweet drinks including fruit juice and never add sugar, syrup, or anything sweet to your toddler’s foods. A high sugar intake can result in cavities and tooth decay, which can lead to short and long-term oral health issues for your child, so sugar should be avoided at all times.
When it comes to food and drinks that support your child’s oral health there are many healthy options to choose from.
- Vitamin C helps to kill bacteria in the mouth and promotes a healthy supply of collagen to the gums. Look to incorporate oranges, strawberries, peppers, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes to ensure they gain plenty of Vitamin C in their diet.
- Calcium intake is important to help build strong teeth, so ensure your child’s diet contains calcium-rich foods like milk, cheese, and yogurts.
3. Flossing
You may have thought flossing was just for grown-ups, but flossing for children is essential. Flossing helps to get rid of food debris that gets caught between their teeth which can act as a breeding ground for bacteria and contributes to plaque buildup. It is recommended that children floss once a day. Spotlight Oral Care Floss Picks for children are strawberry flavoured interdental cleaners designed to remove food, plaque and debris from between the teeth. Coated in the active ingredient Sodium Fluoride, these Floss Picks for Children prevent dental decay and promote remineralisation of the enamel. The handle is made from recycled plastic and is 100% recyclable.
4. Stay Hydrated!
Drinking water will keep you hydrated, and it’s vital for your oral health and health in general. Encourage your children to drink regularly, to sip at their water throughout the day and to drink plenty with their lunch. Drinking water after consuming food will also help rinse away some harmful sugars and acids that may have been present in food.
5. Dental Check-Ups
Once your child is 6 months old, they should start to see a dentist, and begin a regular dental check-up routine. This will ensure any problems will be cared for professionally and will instil a solid oral care routine that they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.
When it comes to preventing cavities and infections and guiding you, as a parent, through their specific oral care needs, dentists always know best. If you wait until your child is complaining of dental pain, they will generally end up having to receive far more invasive treatment which is more painful and expensive. Prevention is key.
Finally, it’s important to make oral care fun! There are several ways to make cleaning and brushing teeth fun for children.
- Children always look up to their older siblings or parents so if they see you brushing, they will want to be just like you.
- Use an egg timer, set to 2 minutes, as a simple way to encourage your child to brush their teeth for the optimal time.
- Using a reward chart is a perfect way to motivate your child to brush both morning and night.
Spotlight Oral Care has a range of products specially designed for children, including the Sonic Toothbrush for Children, Floss Picks for Children and more.
Spotlight Oral Care is available from www.spotlightoralcare.com and stockists nationwide.
