Dental Care: Starting Young

As long as you start taking care of your child’s teeth when they first emerge, you can prevent those dreaded dental caries. Dental caries, also known as cavities, can form in children as young as 14-15 months. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is the most prevalent infectious disease in children.

The important thing is to get the plaque off; you may want to start with a wet washcloth when they get their first tooth; just scrub the tooth with your finger inside the wash cloth. You can then graduate to the infant toothbrush (a little rubber thing you put on your finger). It is not important to use toothpaste, especially at this juncture.

One of the most important parts of infant oral hygiene is a primary dental visit. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend scheduling this visit soon after your baby’s first tooth erupts on the scene and no later than their first birthday. After age 2, a child should visit the dentist every six months.

Too many parents think that a child is capable of brushing their own teeth before they really have the dexterity to do it properly. Most children need their parents to brush and floss their teeth until at least age five and some even longer.

You need to be attentive when brushing your child’s teeth; brushing after breakfast and before bed with a soft bristled brush and spending five seconds cleaning each tooth surface. A dental hygienist can show you the proper brushing technique:

• Place the brush at a 45-degree angle with bristle tips pointing toward gums.
• Exerting very slight pressure against the tooth, gently brush the outer tooth surfaces of 2-3 teeth, using an up and down and rolling motion.
• Move the brush to the next group and repeat, maintaining a 45-degree angle.
• Use the front half of the brush to get behind the front teeth, making several up and down strokes.
• Place the brush against the biting surface of the teeth and use a gentle back and forth scrubbing motion.

To give your child an idea of how long they should brush, try having them recite the ABC song while brushing. And, even at a young age, kids should learn to floss and make it part of their regular routine. Flossing sticks are available at any drug store and help get in between teeth easier. The sticks also come in fun colors!

If your child is one of those who wants to do it themselves, let them brush but tell them you are going to also get in there and brush away any “sugar bugs” (or any bugs you want to use) they missed while they brushed. You can use disclosure tablets, which can be purchased at your pharmacy or at the dentist office. When chewed, the tablet leaves behind color on the portions of the teeth missed during brushing.

“I brush, brush, brush my teeth
Brush them left to right
I brush them up and down
To keep them clean and white”

Start young! It only takes about 15 seconds to brush an infant’s teeth (or tooth).