Children and toddlers are naturally curious and will often place many things in their mouth, especially if it looks “tasty” in their eyes. Naturally, not everything that they see is edible. If they chew on something hard, this might damage their teeth and a variety of different health problems, especially if it’s poisonous.
In most cases, toddlers are also quite fond of eating sugary treats and candy, causing more problems to healthy teeth and gums. At an early age, taking care of your child’s oral health can provide various benefits. Not only does this help with the baby’s eating habits and linguistic development, but this will also instill constant dental care early on in the toddler’s development.
In addition to these, toddlers’ teeth are not replaced by more “mature” teeth until later on in adolescence. Most of the time, toddlers and children will have these baby teeth for 5–6 years, even up until adolescence. Thus, it’s only important that we look into the dental health of our child.
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Development Of Teeth At An Early Age
One of the determining factors of much of a child’s future dental health is their tooth development. It’s important to note that we all have our unique biology, and each baby is different in their way. Thus, it’s only appropriate that we understand how we know how teeth form in different orders.
For the majority of babies, the central and lower teeth will appear during the first onset. In most cases, all the 20 teeth will have “fully” formed once the baby is now approximately three years (36 months) old.
Promoting Dental Health
It’s important to note that oral cleaning should be done at least twice a day: one in the morning and one right before sleep time. When you’re ensuring that the health of your toddler is in good condition, the following pointers should be followed:
Supervise What’s Eaten
First and foremost, you must supervise what’s being eaten by your child. Most parents will usually leave their toddler with a milk bottle since most won’t be able to eat a good majority of available food. However, this isn’t the right call. In fact, letting your child drink from a bottle can do more harm than good.
Milk residue can easily cause tooth decay. In addition to causing tooth decay, a baby that’s always sucking on a milk bottle will have a higher chance of choking or getting an infection. Still, it’s important to supervise your child when they are eating. At a tender age, they are more prone to choking when they are naturally curious and will usually place anything in their mouths.
Water Should Be The Only Substitute To Milk
Sugar is known for being one of the most damaging substances that can get stuck in teeth and proliferate the growth of bacteria, which can often lead to tooth decay.
Although there’s no problem with having fruit juices or some sweet drinks once in a while, these beverages often have a lot of sugar, and most children will become accustomed to such drinks if they’re taking it most of the time. Aside from breast milk or milk in general, children should only drink water as an alternative to these sweet drinks.
Parents will still need to check and ensure that the water is clean. Another good way of ensuring good oral health is by infusing a bit of fluoride in the water. This will help mitigate tooth decay. A child’s toothpaste should also have fluoride in it since this is a great way of stopping bacterial growth and the buildup of plaque. When you’re shopping, you can check on the labels if it’s part of the ingredients.
Professional Help
Even at an early age, it’s important to get your child accustomed to going to the dentist. It’s important not to monitor the oral and dental health of your child alone. Having professional help can ensure that any early onset of health complications that are related to their dental health can be discerned and prevented as soon as possible. Fortunately, there are pediatric dentists that are well-versed in helping children with problems with their dental health while also guiding them to a better oral lifestyle.
Right after a visit to the dentist, you can give your child treats and snacks so that you can provide positive reinforcement. Not only will this help them manage their anxiety when they do go to the dentist, but this will
Snacks Are Important
Contrary to what most people think, snacks are integral in your child’s dental health. Having healthy snacks and meals can train teeth while also maintaining healthy gums and teeth.
Still, it’s important to remember that children usually don’t have a preference for food that is rich in sugar. Most children love sweet food because they see most of their friends having it, or they’ve been given a lot of sugar-filled treats. Instead of giving them desserts, ice cream, or cakes, you can give them fruits, cut-up steamed veggies, and other healthy alternatives.
There are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to your child’s oral and dental health. One of the best ways of maintaining good dental health is by continuous brushing teeth and getting them accustomed to healthier drinks and snacks. When in doubt, you can always consult with a dentist regarding your child’s teeth. After all, preventing tooth decay is better than having to pull it out!