by Robby Thomas
Most children spend less than a minute brushing their teeth. Oral health care professionals suggest they brush for at least two to three minutes. If it helps, try placing a timer in the washroom or giving your baby a toothbrush with a timer built in. This way, your child will know how long to brush. Or, have them brush for the length of a song, which is typically two or three minutes.
It's especially important that your youngster brush his or her teeth before going to bed at nighttime. The eight to 10 hours your baby is asleep gives bacteria lots of time to feast on food particles left on the teeth and produce enamel-eating acid. The flow of saliva in the mouth also is minimal at the hours of nighttime so meals are less likely to be washed off the teeth.
The technique for brushing your child's teeth is identical whether you do it or he/she does it. If your child is too young to do it him or herself, it may be easiest to cradle his or her head in one arm while keeping your other hand available to brush.
To brush your child's teeth:
1. Place the toothbrush beside the dentition. The bristles need to be at a 45-degree slant to the gum line.
2. Lightly displace the brush in a small-scale circular movement cleaning one tooth at time. Make certain to follow a scheme so you don't leave out any teeth. For instance, you could commence with the bottom back tooth and work your path to the front, then replicate on the other side of the mouth before flipping to the uppermost teeth.
3. Clean across the biting surfaces, ensuring the bristles go into the furrows and cracks. Brush the side of the teeth that face the glossa using the same circular motion. Once again, get going in the back and forge your way frontwards. Don't forget to clean the inside of the maxillary (upper) teeth also.
4. Brush your youngster's tongue gently to get rid of bacteria, which also helps to maintain the breath smelling good.
5. Let your toddler wash his or her mouth with water.
Just about all toddlers omit the molars and the tongue sides of the mandibular (lower) teeth when cleaning. Check and pay special attention to these parts of the mouth..
Flossing - Once any two of your child's teeth touch each other, it's time to begin flossing. Flossing helps prevent cavities by getting rid of plaque and food particles caught between teeth. It ought to be an indispensable part of your child's dental routine.
Your baby should be in a position to floss his or her own teeth by the time he or she is 9 years old. To floss younger children's teeth, place them in your lap facing you. The technique is always similar, in spite of who is performing it. To floss your child's teeth:
1. Take about 18 inches of dental floss and wrap one end around each of your middle fingers.
2. Employing your thumbs and index fingers as guides, gently slide the floss between two teeth, using a see-saw type motion.
3. Once at the gum line, draw out both ends of the dental floss in equal direction to form a C configuration against one tooth. Pull the dental floss snugly and slide it up and down against one tooth.
4. Pull the floss against the other tooth and repeat the motion.
5. Copy this for all the remaining teeth. Make sure to dental floss both sides of the dentition farthermost back in the mouth.
Remember, good oral hygiene is an indispensable step in your child's overall health. Your youngster can get off to an excellent start by:
* Seeing a dental practitioner regularly
* Brushing 2 times a day and flossing at night prior to bedtime at home
* Acquiring the correct amount of fluoride
* Consuming a nutrifying diet with a good deal of fruit and vegetables
Most children spend less than a minute brushing their teeth. Oral health care professionals suggest they brush for at least two to three minutes. If it helps, try placing a timer in the washroom or giving your baby a toothbrush with a timer built in. This way, your child will know how long to brush. Or, have them brush for the length of a song, which is typically two or three minutes.
It's especially important that your youngster brush his or her teeth before going to bed at nighttime. The eight to 10 hours your baby is asleep gives bacteria lots of time to feast on food particles left on the teeth and produce enamel-eating acid. The flow of saliva in the mouth also is minimal at the hours of nighttime so meals are less likely to be washed off the teeth.
The technique for brushing your child's teeth is identical whether you do it or he/she does it. If your child is too young to do it him or herself, it may be easiest to cradle his or her head in one arm while keeping your other hand available to brush.
To brush your child's teeth:
1. Place the toothbrush beside the dentition. The bristles need to be at a 45-degree slant to the gum line.
2. Lightly displace the brush in a small-scale circular movement cleaning one tooth at time. Make certain to follow a scheme so you don't leave out any teeth. For instance, you could commence with the bottom back tooth and work your path to the front, then replicate on the other side of the mouth before flipping to the uppermost teeth.
3. Clean across the biting surfaces, ensuring the bristles go into the furrows and cracks. Brush the side of the teeth that face the glossa using the same circular motion. Once again, get going in the back and forge your way frontwards. Don't forget to clean the inside of the maxillary (upper) teeth also.
4. Brush your youngster's tongue gently to get rid of bacteria, which also helps to maintain the breath smelling good.
5. Let your toddler wash his or her mouth with water.
Just about all toddlers omit the molars and the tongue sides of the mandibular (lower) teeth when cleaning. Check and pay special attention to these parts of the mouth..
Flossing - Once any two of your child's teeth touch each other, it's time to begin flossing. Flossing helps prevent cavities by getting rid of plaque and food particles caught between teeth. It ought to be an indispensable part of your child's dental routine.
Your baby should be in a position to floss his or her own teeth by the time he or she is 9 years old. To floss younger children's teeth, place them in your lap facing you. The technique is always similar, in spite of who is performing it. To floss your child's teeth:
1. Take about 18 inches of dental floss and wrap one end around each of your middle fingers.
2. Employing your thumbs and index fingers as guides, gently slide the floss between two teeth, using a see-saw type motion.
3. Once at the gum line, draw out both ends of the dental floss in equal direction to form a C configuration against one tooth. Pull the dental floss snugly and slide it up and down against one tooth.
4. Pull the floss against the other tooth and repeat the motion.
5. Copy this for all the remaining teeth. Make sure to dental floss both sides of the dentition farthermost back in the mouth.
Remember, good oral hygiene is an indispensable step in your child's overall health. Your youngster can get off to an excellent start by:
* Seeing a dental practitioner regularly
* Brushing 2 times a day and flossing at night prior to bedtime at home
* Acquiring the correct amount of fluoride
* Consuming a nutrifying diet with a good deal of fruit and vegetables
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